FED: Aust s oppn to peacekeeping force a disgrace Labor

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-1999
FED: Aust s oppn to peacekeeping force a disgrace Labor

CANBERRA, Aug 1 AAP - Australia's continuing opposition to a United Nations peacekeeping
force in East Timor was a disgrace, Labor's foreign affairs spokesman Laurie Brereton said
today.

Mr Brereton's comments come as Foreign Minister Alexander Downer denied a rift with the US
over its reported advances for cooperation on peacekeeping plans for East Timor ahead of the
August 30 independence vote.

"What he didn't deny is that Australia has consistently argued against peacekeepers in East
Timor," Mr Brereton told the Ten Network.

"It has consistently said that any consideration of the matter would be entirely premature
and behind the scenes it's been saying to the international community that it doesn't believe
there should be any peacekeepers until Stage Three of the (transitional arrangements for the
ballot).

"That means that the most difficult stage, that is immediately after the ballot, will not
see any Australian commitment to peacekeepers or any campaign for it and that's a disgrace."

Australia had spent years building a strong relationship with Jakarta, he said.

"Now is the time to put some weight on the bridges we've built. Now is the time to express
a strong and forceful view to them and that's something that the Australian government has
gone out of its way not to do."

Australia had run a policy for the past two decades of always giving Indonesia what it
wanted and never offending it in respect of East Timor, Mr Brereton said.

He said he had not given up hope of being allowed to visit the territory.

"That remains to be seen. Of course in the past, it hasn't been for want of trying on my
part."

He said he had been nominated as the ALP representative for the Australian observers' group
to oversee the poll.

"That observer group will be operating under the auspices of the United Nations. I'm very
hopeful that I'll have, belatedly, the opportunity of visiting."

Mr Brereton dismissed claims by Labor colleagues, including former prime minister Gough
Whitlam, that he had mishandled the East Timor situation.

"I don't think that's the case at all. I mean there have been a couple of bruised egos in
the Labor Party, but overwhelmingly, universally, in the Labor Party we are very pleased that
we've reviewed our approach and that we've set the agenda on East Timor."

AAP daw/bm

KEYWORD: TIMOR BRERETON

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