NEW ZEALAND: EAST-TIMORESE LEADER JOSE RAMOS-HORTA ARRIVES IN AUCKLAND TO MEET LEADERS ATTENDING THE APEC SUMMIT

Record ID: 852220

  • Title: NEW ZEALAND: EAST-TIMORESE LEADER JOSE RAMOS-HORTA ARRIVES IN AUCKLAND TO MEET LEADERS ATTENDING THE APEC SUMMIT
  • Date: 10th September 1999
  • Summary: AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (SEPTEMBER 10, 1999) (REUTERS) VARIOUS PENROSE HIGH SCHOOL AND MINISTER'S WIVES GREETED BY TRADITIONAL MAORI DANCING HIGHSCHOOL CHILDREN (4 SHOTS) SV WIVES BEING GREETED BY MAORI ELDERS VARIOUS TAIWAN DELEGATE ARRIVING AND BEING GREETED BY NEW ZEALAND'S WELCOMING COMMITTEE AT THE COMMERCIAL AIRPORT (3 SHOTS) Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th September 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
  • City:
  • Country: New Zealand
  • Topics: General,Economy,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9GLVYMVRJLQATZHEH83J8QD7V
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: U.S.President Bill Clinton and East Timor resistance leader and Nobel peace laureate Jose Ramos-Horta's have dashed all hopes of APEC organisers and some Asian nations that this week's meeting could now refocus on trade rather than East Timor.
    East Timorese leader and Nobel peace laureate Jose Ramos-Horta arrived in Auckland on Friday (September 10) hoping to meet the leaders gathered for the APEC meeting this weekend.
    Horta, arriving straight from Washington, urged world leaders meeting in New Zealand to suspend all bilateral military ties with Indonesia in the way the U.S.did earlier.
    The United States announced it was ending military cooperation with Indonesia as a way of putting pressure on Jakarta either to halt the wave of violence or invite an international peacekeeping force to intervene.
    Horta also urged immediate humanitarian aid and United Nations intervention in Dili, the island's capital.
    "It is never too late," said Horta at a press conference in a church near the meeting of APEC ministers, "There are tens of thousands of East Timorese in the mountains, women, children, elderly who can be saved.There are 200,000 East Timorese abducted, forced into West Timor in tents without medical care, without water without food.They must be saved."
    Ramos-Horta earlier said more than 1,000 people had been killed in East Timor since the territory voted overwhelmingly for independence in a United Nations-backed ballot on August
    He alleged Indonesian forces were leading what he called "an orchestrated campaign".
    Horta was also due to meet New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley and Australian Foreign minister Alexander Downer.
    He intended to stay in the city for several days as international leaders gathered for meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on Sunday and Monday.
    Just after Ramos-Horta's arrival in Auckland, U.S.
    President Bill Clinton told a briefing prior to his own departure for New Zealand that Timor would be a key part of world leaders' talks."This issue obviously will be an important part of our discussions in New Zealand," Clinton said.
    During the morning, Shipley announced New Zealand was reviewing its military ties in the light of the U.S.move.
    The Foreign Ministers of the 21-nation gathering, holding meetings nearby in the Town Hall, were seemingly less unified today on the question of action against the Indonesian government.
    ASEAN members such as the Philippines insisted any peacekeeping force had to be invited in by the Indonesian government, while South Korea said more time was needed for President B.J.Habibie to deal with the crisis.Thailand's foreign minister said as ASEAN they would support a U.N.-sanctioned solution to the crisis granted Indonesia gives its permission.
    Meanwhile, some nations such as Australia moved to put up economic sanctions.Australia announced that it would ban wheat exports to Indonesia and halt military ties with its neighbour.
    Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer warned Indonesia of the economic consequences of its actions.
    Meanwhile, Malaysia -- another neighbour of Indonesia's -- warned the west that these economic sanctions might backfire.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register