NEW ZEALAND: APEC LEADERS TRY TO PUT PRESSURE ON INDONESIA TO ACCEPT INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING FORCES IN EAST TIMOR

Record ID: 552340

  • Title: NEW ZEALAND: APEC LEADERS TRY TO PUT PRESSURE ON INDONESIA TO ACCEPT INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING FORCES IN EAST TIMOR
  • Date: 11th September 1999
  • Summary: AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (SEPTEMBER 12, 1999) (REUTERS) WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE SCU (SOUNDBITE)(English) AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER JOHN HOWARD SAYING: "At the moment we have a situation as I have described it. It is better than what it was yesterday. I am encouraged by what is said by General Wiranto. I am encouraged by what was said by President Clinton. But we have not as I speak, had an indication by the Indonesian government that it's going to let in peace keepers" AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (SEPTEMBER 11, 1999) (REUTERS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) INDONESIAN TRADE AND SOLE MINISTER AT THE APEC, GINANDJAR KARTASASMITA SAYING: "I think this is an Asian problem and it will be best if it solved first by Asia. If Asians could be first be given the opportunity to participate in the resolution of the difficulties. It would be ideal. But of course, a UN peace keeping force is a UN peace keeping force. It is subject to negotiation between concerned parties. The United Nations and us"
  • Embargoed: 26th September 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
  • Country: New Zealand
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAA8929TS9UWCUTGX1DESQY0TFR
  • Story Text: International pressure is mounting on Indonesia to accept an international peacekeeping force in East Timor.At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Auckland, the issue is dominating the agenda.
    As Nobel prize winner Jose-Ramos Horta continued to lobby world leaders on the sidelines of the APEC summit, international pressure was intensifying for Indonesia to accept a peacekeeping force.
    U.S.President Bill Clinton confirmed on Sunday (September 12) that United States was considering offering logistical support to a possible peacekeeping force for East Timor and that this could involve a U.S.presence on the ground.
    Following a bilateral meeting with Clinton, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Timor had topped the agenda and that the situation was "evolving".
    Earlier Howard had voiced cautious optimism that Indonesia might agree to a U.N.peacekeeping force to curb pro-Jakarta militias in East Timor.
    Howard was speaking after conflicting signals from Indonesia on whether it would accept international peacekeepers to quell a torrent of militia violence unleashed by last month's overwhelming vote for independence in East Timor.
    "In the past 24 hours there have been some positive signs," Howard said, emphasising remarks on Saturday by army chief General Wiranto suggesting Jakarta might agree to let peacekeepers into the territory to replace the Indonesian military.
    Indonesia's U.N.representative later told the Security Council in New York that his government saw no need for such a force at present.
    Howard's remarks came after New Zealand Premier Jenny Shipley said international efforts to convince Jakarta to let peacekeepers into East Timor continued intensively on Sunday and there were good signs for a breakthrough soon.
    Indonesia's top representative at the summit, Ginandjar Kartasasmita said the Timor issue was an Asian problem.
    Apec delegates dashed from meeting to meeting to put together an international peacekeeping force for East Timor.
    The Taiwan-China confrontation, strained Sino-U.S.relations and North Korea's plans to test-fire a long-range missile, have added to their busy schedules.
    U.S.State Secretary Madeleine Albright met with Chinese vice premier Qian Qichen in the afternoon as the U.S.
    continued to renegotiate better relations between the two countries while President Clinton met with leaders from South Korea, Japan and Russia.
    Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Auckland campaigning for and against the issues dominating the summit.Some urged the leaders to provide more help on East Timor and immediately send in peacekeepers to curb the violence.Others demanded that China keep out of Taiwan's affairs.
    In the afternoon the leaders were treated to a colourful welcoming ceremony - a traditional "Powhiri".
    Maori dancers greeted guests with special songs and dances and offered them a "koha" gift -- a river-washed boulder of nephrite jade.
    After the speeches, the leaders came forward to "hongi", or press noses.
    Maoris believe that since air is exhaled through the nose -air from the innermost part of the body - the light touching of noses symbolically brings the essence of each individual into communion.
    United States President Bill Clinton slipped away from a weekend of summit meetings to make a harbour tour and give moral support to helmsmen from the five U.S.teams vying for the right to challenge New Zealand for the America's Cup.
    He spent about 20 minutes on the America's True yacht, prompting cheers from the U.S.crews lining the dock when he turned one of the winches on the practice craft, a semi-finalist in the 1995 competition.
    Representatives from each of the five U.S.teams that will compete in this autumn's elimination races took him around the yacht, which was tied up at Auckland's Hobson Wharf and bobbed gently under an intermittent breeze.
    The America's Cup, the oldest sporting trophy of the modern era, resided at the New York Yacht Club for 132 years until it was won away for the first time by an Australian team in 1983.
    New Zealand is said to have more sheep than people.
    Meanwhile, twenty-one spouses of the leaders of the APEC gathering took a sidetrip to the Cornwall park sheep farm outside Auckland.
    They were treated to a sheep shearing spectacle - familiar perhaps to New Zealanders whose country is said to have more sheep than people, but not to many of the wives invited here.
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