Give sanctuary in NZ to Timorese now, say Greens

New Zealand must move urgently to provide temporary sanctuary for East Timorese people forced into exile in Indonesia, the Green Party says.

"We shouldn't pussyfoot around while pro-independence activists are being executed in refugee camps in Indonesia," Green Party Foreign Affairs spokesperson Keith Locke said today.

"We understand that Immigration Minister Tuariki Delamere is discussing the matter with his department. However, he doesn't need to wait for the paperwork, he should simply say we are ready to take the refugees.

"New Zealanders will open their hearts and their doors to the East Timorese people who have suffered so much. The practicalities of housing and looking after the refugees will be quickly worked out.

"After all, the refugees will only be here temporarily, until there is sufficient infrastructure for them to return to East Timor.

"The forced expulsion of 200,000 East Timorese is a despicable act and we must do our bit to reverse it," Mr Locke said.

"The Australians have taken the lead in preparing camps in Darwin. We must tell them we'll pull our weight in this major new refugee operation."

Keith Locke 09 630 0789 (H), 09 377 1367 (W - Monday)

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>