EAST TIMOR SPECIAL: Indonesia Pulls Out - Australia And The US Respond - Fears Of Being Ganged Up Against - Trade Minister - UK View - ASEAN - Jakarta - Protests - East Timor Itself - Frigate - Peacekeepers To Bosnia

INDONESIA SHUNS APEC: Indonesia pulls out of APEC and says it will not allow peace-keepers into East Timor. A giant spanner has been thrown into APEC. But, says Linda Clark Live, Jenny Shipley is saying that he has not received any formal notice from Indonesia that President Habibe is not coming.

AUSTRALIA: Earlier today Alexander Downer was told about the development - reported by Reuters - while on air. He was clearly surprised at the news. "I haven't heard those remarks… if he were not to go to APEC there would be comfort if he was staying behind to guarantee security. However we would nevertheless regard it as extremely valuable for him to come."

US: US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright interviews. " I hopes the message to Indonesia is that it has a window to deal with this. What is happening is that the Security Council has sent a group to assess the situation. Part of our problem is that we do not know what is going on. But as I said the prime responsibility here is of the Indonesian government. We do not see a Clinton doctrine of intervention. As I said we are counting on Indonesia to deal with this."

COMMENT: Linda Clark Live: As I said we do not yet have confirmation. The government has tried not to scare them off but Asian leaders do not like being ganged up on and Indonesia clearly fears that would happen.

TRADE MINISTER : NZ Trade Minister Lockwood Smith - the Indonesian trade minister who is here does not feel he can add value to the Foreign Ministers meeting tomorrow. Madeleine Albright refuses to comment on the street - surrounded by security guards. It may be best to deal direct with Jakarta rather than have someone attend the meeting who cannot participate.

UK: Foreign Secretary Robin Cook - we want to make it clear that the international community is willing and ready to help Indonesia maintain security if needed.

ASEAN: ASEAN countries are holding a caucus meeting tonight to discuss the crisis in East Timor.

Judy Baily: Will this affect the summit?
Linda Clark:: It is now thoroughly overshadowed. We now also have two significant stayaways - Malaysia and Indonesia. This is taking the gloss of Jenny Shipley's summit.

JAKARTA: Clashes in streets with students over the response. General Wiranto says he will stop the violence. However he also denied the army or police were behind the violence in APEC.

PROTEST: 250 protestors demand an end to the genocide in Auckland carrying a coffin. Don McKinnon avoids them while out on a run. "We are just ordinary people" - say protestors. Wellington protestors meet a member of the embassy staff and give him a letter.

EAST TIMOR ITSELF: UN leaders plan to pull out of East Timor. All phone and satellite links to the area were cut today. Houses burning in Dili and militias rampaging.

FRIGATE: The frigate Te Kaha has been sent to the waters off East Timor to be ready to help if needed.

NZ PEACEKEEPERS HEAD TO BOSNIA: Family members are happy they are not going to East Timor.

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Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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