《怀唐伊条约》与“主权让与”问题

The Treaty of Waitangi and the "Transfer of Sovereignty"

与在其他地方殖民方式有所不同的是,英国对新西兰采取了渐进与和平的殖民战略。1840年的《怀唐伊条约》是英国殖民者与毛利人之间签订的一个关系协定。由于历史文化语境的差异以及在条约缔结过程中双方地位的不对等,条约的两个文本(英文本和毛利文本)在一些关键术语的择用及其释义方面存在较大差异。英国殖民者将英文本条约视为合法取得新西兰主权的基础性文件;毛利人则认为,该条约旨在求得英国的安全保护,并与后者分享统治权威。从史实证据和法理角度来考察,英国根据《怀唐伊条约》取得对毛利人主权的观点是站不住脚的。

The Treaty of Waitangi(1840) was signed between the British colonizers and the Maori.With their historical-cultural differences and unbalanced power status,the two versions(English and Maori)of the treaty disaccorded severely in the formulation and interpretation of crucial terms.The British colonizers maintained that the document essentially gave Britain sovereignty over New Zealand,while the Maori firmly believed that they just partly relinquished the right of governance in return for protection.From a historical and legal perspective,the assertion of the British was ungrounded.The lack of competitors in colonization,and the comparatively high level of development of the Maori society and its peaceful relationship with the White immigrants encouraged Britain to adopt a gradual and mild policy in the colonization of New Zealand.