01 February 2000

Green MP Flies To East Timor

Green MP Keith Locke left this morning with seven other MPs on a
delegation
to East Timor led by the Minister of Defence, Mark Burton.

The delegation will be visiting New Zealand's peacekeeping force in East
Timor.

"I'll be investigating what reconstruction aid the East Timorese need,
and
how New Zealand could best assist," said Mr Locke.

Before the visit, Mr Locke met with Volunteer Service Abroad, Oxfam, the
Community Housing Trust (which had developed a cheap, quality housing
construction system), and East Timorese representatives in New Zealand.

"Along with Amnesty International, I am concerned that the perpetrators
of
destruction and killings in East Timor are brought to justice. I want to
look at progress in the investigations of human rights violations, and
what
the international community can do to help," said Mr Locke.

Mr Locke can be reached in Darwin (Tuesday), East Timor (Wednesday and
Thursday) and Australia (Friday).

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