12 September 1999
E&OE…………………………………………………………………………………….
Just very briefly, I had a meeting with the President a few minutes ago. I think it’s fair to say that the situation is evolving. I can’t say much more than that. I hope to have probably a further discussion with him later tonight or early tomorrow morning.
The other thing that I should mention is that both of us agreed that on the strength of feeling and concern felt by other leaders here in Auckland in the bilateral discussions that we have had there is no doubt that there is a very strong sense and I think both of us perhaps even stronger than we expected. But we did have a very good discussion. He is very focussed on the subject as I am and as I say the situation is evolving and I don’t want to say any more than that.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, do we have a reaction to the massacre in Dare…
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I keep getting reports and I haven’t had a detailed report of that. I have been, as you know, tied up at meetings and I have just come from the meeting with the President. I have…there’s been a reference made to the reports, I know no more than that.
JOURNALIST:
Are you hopeful that something will evolve from tonight’s…
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I am not going to get into that game Russell.
JOURNALIST:
….in Jakarta?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I am not going to get into that game. I am simply telling you what I think is appropriate for me to say.
JOURNALIST:
Are you still happy with the American commitments? Have they changed at all as a result of your immediate talk with the President?
PRIME MINISTER:
I remain happy but more particularly because they are the people who need to be satisfied, the military in Australia are happy. The question of what is said about the detail of that, as I said to you in the earlier news conference, is a matter for the President or the American Defence Secretary. They have their Constitutional proprieties and processes and you are aware of the role of Congress and so forth. But that’s a matter for the American President.
JOURNALIST:
Do we have any more intelligence at all or information about the situation in Jakarta?
PRIME MINISTER:
Not that I want to comment on.
JOURNALIST:
You said that there was a strong…
PRIME MINISTER:
Don’t read too much into that.
JOURNALIST:
You said there was a strong sense, stronger than you thought previously among the..[inaudible]…strong sense of what?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, that something had to be done, that it was a situation that couldn’t be allowed to go on. I think it’s also fair of me to report that the Singaporeans have responded positively to a request for involvement and I think you are going to have quite a significant ASEAN involvement if there is a peacekeeping force in East Timor. You have got the Thais, the Singaporeans, the Malaysians and the Philippinos. May I say that is a very good thing because this is something that should be done on a regional basis with Australia playing her part as a fully-fledged participant in the region. Two more and then I must go and get ready. Matt.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, despite the outrage and the feeling that something has to be done if Indonesia says no there’s still no way that we can…
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, let’s deal with each situation as and when it arises.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, would Australia accept leadership of any peacekeeping groups by another nation?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, that doesn’t arise. We have been asked by the Secretary-General, we have already been asked by the Secretary-General and we have accepted it so the situation doesn’t arise.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, in the absence of Indonesian cooperation on this issue you can see the pressure, the international pressure for economic sanctions is growing and the eager Finance Minister [inaudible] have finished their meeting in Finland and have decided to support the withholding of IMF and the World [inaudible]. I mean, so far you haven’t really looked at the questions…
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes I have.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
No. Yes I have, I have looked at it. What I have said is that the processes that are now in train are more likely if they succeed to deliver the outcome we want than other processes. I haven’t ruled other things out and I expressly do not rule other things out. But let’s not clutter the highway with too many cars.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, you had talks with Dr Ginandjar this morning…
PRIME MINISTER:
I did.
JOURNALIST:
Did that shed any light on the thinking in Jakarta?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, it was a useful discussion.
JOURNALIST:
Has the Secretary-General or Mr Clinton …
PRIME MINISTER:
You have got a very liberal interpretation of two more.
JOURNALIST:
Has the Secretary-General or Mr Clinton been in touch with Dr Habibie today?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I don’t know. I mean, I don’t normally inquire of who people…I don’t ask either of them, sort of, who they ring. I am afraid I can’t answer that question. They may have. I have been in touch with the Secretary-General today and I have seen the President and I may talk to other people tonight and I don’t really want to say any more than that.
[ends]