Scoop Today - APEC Faces Up To East Timor

Tuesday, 7 September 1999, 5:32 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

The diplomatic effort to resolve the crisis in East Timor is gaining momentum. Scoop brings you in-depth coverage of today's events - and much more besides.

(Note - For Scoop's regular and comprehensive Parliamentary coverage see OTHER NEWS heading below - including comprehensive coverage of the release of Labour's IR policy today..)

SCOOP FEATURE - EAST TIMOR CRISIS DEEPENS

Is Kofi Annan Coming To APEC?

- The Prime Minister Jenny Shipley outlined the government's position on the East Timor crisis in a statement at about 1pm today. Mrs Shipley said she had been talking to Australian Prime Minister John Howard and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and that the government was considering moving troops and equipment to Darwin. She indicated that British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook would be coming to New Zealand early to meet on the crisis and suggested others, including senior UN officials, may now choose to attend the APEC discussions on the matter. She did not say who those officials might be. During question time in the house today Don McKinnon and Jenny Shipley expanded on their statements. See... Questions Of The Day On East Timor [1] in the Headlines wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9909/S00044.htm

McKinnon Statement To Parliament On East Timor

- The Government condemns in the strongest terms the violence that has broken out in East Timor. The initiative of President Habibie's Government to not only bring democracy to Indonesia but resolve the East Timor issue, which we have welcomed and worked to help implement, is in danger of being undone by criminal violence. See... Statement to Parliament by Rt Hon Don McKinnon [1] in the Parliament wire. Following this statement the leaders of all major parties also made statements on the situation in East Timor and the upcoming APEC summit. See... Hot Heads In House On East Timor [2] in the Headlines wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9909/S00139.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9909/S00042.htm

Sister Marlena - "I Cannot Tell Them No One Is Coming"

- Talking on Radio New Zealand this morning Sister Marlena in Dili East Timor says her house and her fellow sisters are providing refuge to 300 women and children refugees from the surrounding neighbourhood. The East Timorese men have fled into the hills. Sister Marlena said the refugees were waiting for Western troops to arrive and rescue them. "I haven't the heart to tell them no-one is coming", Sister Marlena told Kim Hill. Q: "Do you feel as if you have been abandoned?" A: "Sort of". Q: "What do you do?" A: "The women and the children pray all day." Scoop was deeply moved by Sister Marlena's dilemma says we owe it to her and her wards to use the opportunity of APEC to bring her salvation. See... East Timor: We Must Keep Hope Alive [1] in the Headlines wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9909/S00041.htm

Militia Taking Hostages In Trucks As "Bargaining Chips"

- Reports are coming through from Dili East Timor this morning that the militias have been rounding up East Timorese refugees loading them onto trucks and shipping them to the West of the territory. New Zealand lawyer Andrew Ladley - who is working as a UN negotiator in East Timor - told Radio New Zealand this morning he believed the intention of the militias was to use the refugees as "bargaining chips" as they attempt to set up a separatist state at the Western end of the territory.

Sacrificing Principle For Pragmatism

- Britain, still selling arms to the Indonesian government, must immediately suspend all further contracts and cancel the invitation to an arms fair later this month. Are world leaders sacrificing principles for pragmatism? John Howard reports. See... Arm Sales To Indonesia - Principles for Pragmatism [1] in the Headlines wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9909/S00037.htm

Analysis - The UN's Darkest Hour?

- Events over the past week have now brought the true situation in East Timor into the open, and in the process the innocence and naivete of the wider international community has been harshly exposed. Scoop's Alastair Thompson analyses the latest developments. See... UN Provides Bait For East Timor Disaster [1] in the Headlines wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9909/S00020.htm

Fax The East Timor Decision Makers

- Want to have a say on the East Timor crisis? Courtesy of Peace Movement Aoteroa Scoop lists a number of contact fax numbers for: Bill Clinton, President Habibe, the Indonesian Defence Minister, John Howard, Jenny Shipley, Kofi Annan etc... See... Have Your Say On East Timor Crisis [1] in the Headlines wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9909/S00040.htm

SCOOP SPECIAL REPORTS ON THE CRISIS IN EAST TIMOR

- TODAY - Scoop Today Special- East Timor Crisis Deepens [1] - Sister Marlena said the refugees were waiting for Western troops to arrive and rescue them. "I haven't the heart to tell them no-one is coming", Sister Marlena said. - YESTERDAY - Scoop Today - Anarchy In East Timor [2] - Another Kosovo on our doorstep? Over the weekend the referendum result in East Timor was announced and the security situation has deteriorated severely. Scoop is covering the crisis closely.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9909/S00038.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9909/S00031.htm

OTHER NEWS

Labour Industrial Relations Policy Launched

- Labour has launched their long awaited Industrial Relations policy this afternoon. See...Labour's Employment Relations policy [1] in the Parliament wire. Labour's industrial relations spokesperson Pete Hodgson said the policy was all about choice. See... Introducing real choice to workplace relations [2] . However today the Enterprise and Commerce Minister Max Bradford said the policy was a prescription for disaster for this country. See... Labour's Union Payback Policy [3] . ACT Leader Richard Prebble today said the fears of employers and businesses about the return of militant unions under Labour's industrial relations policy had today been proved correct. See... Prebble Predictions On Union Bill
Proved Correct [4] . Food and Fibre Minister John Luxton today warned that the farming sector had every right to be deeply concerned about the Labour Party's policy to scrap the Employment Contracts Act as part of their sharp lurch to the left. See... Agriculture Scared Of Labour's Employment Policy [5] , all in the Parliament wire. The NZEI today said that now there was Finally a fair workplace relations policy [6] , in the Politics wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9909/S00144.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9909/S00145.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9909/S00143.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9909/S00142.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9909/S00146.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO9909/S00041.htm

MTA Buys Vehicle Testing New Zealand

- The MTA is pleased to confirm that it has been selected as the successful bidder for VTNZ. The acquisition price is $19.2 million. Settlement will take place by the end of September. See... MTA Successful Bidder For VTN [1] Z in the Business wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU9909/S00046.htm

Warehouse Christchurch Stops Selling Coal In Environmental Move

- Coal, a commercially viable retail product for The Warehouse, will be removed from shelves of its Christchurch stores next year in a move designed to help the smog problems and the Christchurch environment. See... The Warehouse Removes Coal From Shelves [1] in the Business wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU9909/S00044.htm

Deutsche Bank - Job Ads Rise Sharply

- The trend number of job ads rose sharply by 2.1% mom in August and were 30.0% higher than August 1998 - this was the twelfth consecutive monthly increase in the series. See... Deutsche Bank - ANZ Job Ads: August [1] in the Business wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU9909/S00041.htm

Average Hourly Earnings Rise to $17.72

- Average total hourly earnings increased by 0.6 per cent between February 1999 and May 1999 to reach $17.72, latest figures from Statistics New Zealand show. See... Increase in Average Total Hourly Earnings [1] in the Business wire,

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU9909/S00042.htm

Shakeup For State Services Commission Announced

- State Services Minister Simon Upton has announced a major change of direction for the State Services Commission. The announcement is the key element of a major re-assessment of monitoring within the core public sector. See... New Direction For State Services Commission [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9909/S00134.htm

Lockwood's APEC Schedule

- Lockwood Smith has released his APEC Diary for this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. See... Lockwood's APEC Diary [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9909/S00138.htm

United NZ Conference "Overwhelming Success" - Dunne

- United New Zealand's annual conference, held at Ellerslie during the weekend, has been overwhelmingly successful according to party leader, Hon Peter Dunne. See... United Conference A Resounding Success [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9909/S00135.htm

Is Their Heart In The Knowledge Economy?

- Political parties are chattering about the `knowledge-based economy' phrase, but is their heart really in it? Scoop's Matthew Thomas reports in his Soapbox series. See... Soapbox 51: Taking the future seriously [1] in the Headlines wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9909/S00039.htm

Hobbs Wades Into Wellington Central Fight

- Labour Wellington Central candidate Marian Hobbs said she will be campaigning vigorously for local votes from National Party supporters in light of the almost certainty of National pulling out of the Wellington Central race. See... Hobbs offers alternative to National voters [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9909/S00131.htm

INCIS Nothing More Than Wanganui With Windows

- Long overdue answers to written questions put to the Minister of Finance are confirmation that Incis is nothing more than 'Wanganui with Windows', Labour police spokesperson George Hawkins said today. See... Wanganui with Windows [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9909/S00132.htm

New System For Paying Rural Doctors Negotiated

- The Health Funding Authority (HFA) has negotiated a new rural ranking scale for recompensing rural GPs. See... New scheme for paying rural GPs [1] in the General wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE9909/S00035.htm

Lockwood Speech - What APEC Means For NZ

- Hosting APEC in Auckland is huge for New Zealand - it will have spin-offs for tourism, hosting major events, and it will raise awareness of New Zealand all over the world. See... APEC: What it means for New Zealand Business [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9909/S00130.htm

Pressure Mounts Before Labour's Industrial Relations Announcement

- There promises to be intense interest and probably even more intense scrutiny of Labour's Industrial Relations Policy launch today. ACT Leader Richard Prebble said today Labour had given binding commitments to the trade union movement on industrial relations and promises to reveal the truth of the policy at a breakfast this morning. See... Prebble To Reveal Labour's True IR Policy [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9909/S00128.htm

Economic growth to Deliver 100,000 Jobs - English

- Treasurer and Clutha-Southland MP Bill English said today that economic growth was the best way to deliver more jobs in Southland, with 100,000 new jobs predicted nationwide over the next three years. See... Economic Growth Will Deliver 100,000 New Jobs [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9909/S00129.htm

© Scoop Media

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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