[asia-apec 637] Summary of Documents Re: PM Implicated in APEC 97 Crackdown

[Jonathan Oppenheim]

Documents are available through
http://www.cs.ubc.ca/spider/fuller/apec_alert
 
Documents  Regarding PM Involvement into APEC Crackdown 



1.1-1.2 		July 18th, 1997 	Memo from the Ambassador
to Indonesia, Gary Smith

Anti-Soeharto "wanted" posters put up in various Canadian cities  become a
topic of intense diplomatic discussion at the highest level.  

2 	July 30th Memo Re: meeting between Minister of Foreign Affairs
Lloyd Axworthy and Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas 

"Alatas said ...if it caused concern to Canadian government because
agitation of these groups could not be controlled and dignity of President
[Soeharto] was sullied, the President would rather not come to Canada."

"The minister [Axworthy] said he apologised for the poster campaign. It
was outrageous and excessive and not the way Canadians behaved."

3		Aug 11th 	Draft Comments for Letter from Lloyd
Axworthy 

"With respect to security arrangements for the APEC Economic Leaders
Meeting...you have my assurance that the interests/concerns of the
Indonesian government will be given the utmost consideration.... Security
measures...will not permit demonstrators on any sidewalks immediately
adjacent to the Hotel Vancouver or on any access route into the Hotel."


*4		Aug 27		Notes of RCMP Supt. Wayne May

"Walk through of sites and meeting with PMO - Jean Carle [Director of
Operations], Peter Vanderloo [Executive Director of ACCO]...Security
perimeter will need to be adjusted at UBC Re: Protestors. PM specific wish
that this is a retreat and leaders should not be distracted by demos,
etc."

5		Aug 27 		Email from RCMP Insp. Bill Dingwall to
Supt. May

"Jean Carle does not want the demonstrators close at all!"

6.1-6.2		Sept 3 		Lloyd Axworthy's letter to Minister Ali
Alatas

"I have conveyed the security concerns of President Soeharto to Prime
Minister Chretien.  I can assure you that [demonstrators] will not be
permitted in close proximity to the President."
 
7		Sept 4		Email from Insp. Bill Dingwall to Cpl.
Peter Koleyak 

"Jean Carle (PMO Director of Operations) and Robert's (Vanderloo) request
to have demonstrators pushed back a bit further than originally
planned...In addition, Robert is considering placing plants/trees at the
foot of Gate 4 so that when the leaders depart they will be surrounded by
trees, etc. (aesthetically pleasing.) This also helps with the sight
lines."
 
8		Sept. 12th 	Email from Dingwall to Cst. Don Merkel Re:
coverings to block sight lines

9.1-9.4		Sept. 12th 	Re: Delivery of Axworthy's Letter on AELM
security measures.

"address both the physical security and "proximity" concerns"

*10.1-11		Sept. 19th 	Memorandum for the Prime Minister
and Talking Points.

"Ambassador Parwoto [Indonesia's Ambassador to Canada] is apparently
skeptical about the degree to which
Canada is prepared to take action to avoid embarrassment to President
Soeharto.  Your [Chretien's] meeting with him will serve as an important
opportunity to underline the importance Canada attaches, at the highest
levels, to President Soeharto's attendance at the AELM, and seriousness
with which it intends to address his physical security in Vancouver."

"Please convey to the President my [Chretien's] intention to telephone him
personally in the coming days to discuss his participation in the
Vancouver APEC Leaders' Meeting."

"Canada will be taking particular care to ensure the President's stay is a
pleasant and rewarding one.  His personal security is assured, and steps
will be taken to preserve his comfort."  

12.1-12.2 	Oct. 1 		Memorandum for the PM Re: Invitation
Letters to APEC Leaders

"Your letter to Indonesia's President Soeharto contains additional
language acknowledging his personal concerns and
stressing your determination that all arrangements will be taken to ensure
an uneventful stay in Vancouver."

"Your letter to Chinese Taipei's President Lee has..."

*13.1-13.2	Oct. 2nd 	Fax from Cpl. Koleyak to S/Stg. Peter
Montague

"They are very worried about any embarrassing incident, such as a
demonstration or somebody calling him [Soeharto]
a name or throwing an object at the motorcade.... I assured them that if
there was a demonstration on a major motorcade route, we would take an
alternate route to avoid potential embarrassment.... They asked us to
control what the media publishes respecting the President and they were
told that that would be impossible."  

"Ambassador Parwoto asked us what would happen to one of their FSO's
[Foreign Service Officer] if he pulled his gun and shot someone during the
Visit.  They were told uncategorically that such a situation would not be
tolerated and to keep their guns out of sight."

14.1-14.2	Oct. 3 		Letter from Jean Chretien to Soeharto

"I understand you have had discussions with my Minister of Foreign Affairs
on the arrangements for the Vancouver meetings.  I have directed my
officials to spare no effort to ensure that appropriate security and other
arrangements are made for your stay in Canada as our guest." 
   
15.1-15.2	Oct. 9th 	Ambassador Smith Re: Delivery of PM's
letter by Len Edwards

"The President therefore has decided to attend.  Step one has been
achieved.  Now we have to turn our attention to ensuring that he gets back
without too much difficulty."

*16.1-16.3 	Oct 21st 	Memo from Koleyak to S/Sgt. Peter Montague
[Security Liaison to Indonesia]

"The ambassador...wanted me to assure him that he could tell his President
that things were under control and there would be no reason for concern
regarding embarrassing incidents and that the President would not see any
major demonstrations.  I gave him my assurance that all procedures are in
place to address his concerns.... He then informed me that Prime Minister
Chretien had advised him that he could personally contact the Prime
Minister if he had any concerns with the security arrangements and the
Prime Minister had assured him that he would personally see to it that his
concerns were addressed."

17		Nov 9th 	Email from Supt. Wayne May to Insp.
Dingwall

"A bigger issue here is that any demo area will have to be endorsed by
ACCO and approved by PMO."

18		Post-APEC 	RCMP Q&A`s for media
 
"The Prime Minister's Office was not involved in RCMP security
arrangements"

RCMP Public Relations Officer John Buis also repeatedly insists to media
that PMO had no involvement in security arrangements.

19		Nov 11th 	Email from Supt. May to Supt. Thompsett
re: Sound Test - UBC

RCMP conducts sound test to ensure that demonstrators will not be heard.
During the protest on Nov. 25th, everyone with a megaphone was either
arrested, or had their megaphone confiscated.

*20		Nov. 14th 	Email from Insp. Dingwall to Supt. May

"If they hang banners towards the MoA [Museum of Anthropology - the site
of the Leaders' Summit], are they going to be visible through the trees?
Could we erect some sort of draping to cut off the view?  Secondly, they
are only leasing the building and I suppose that we could make the
argument that the exterior of the building is not being rented and the
University, as landlord, could remove them...  We could wait until game
day and remove them ourselves ... Common sense tells us we do not want
banners nor would the PMO's office. Having said that, banners are not a
security issue. They are a political issue. Who is looking after that? If
they are not going to be permitted, what is the authority for removing
them and who is going to do it?"

21		Nov. 20th	Email from Insp. Dingwall to Supt. May

"Supt. Thompsett advised that tent city will probably be moving down from
current location to [MoA]. Robert Vanderloo advised who in turn advised
PMO - who are very concerned.  Tomorrow #1 had planned to tour several
sites and this may be affectedWe will also need to examine options of
limiting media coverage should the decision be made to remove
them...(during the quiet hours, moving in buses, moving media back, etc.)"

*22-24		Nov. 21st.  	Various RCMP notes (P.L. Edwards,
Thompsett and Dingwall)

The PM directs the RCMP to arrest members of APEC Alert who are peacefully
camped out at the site of the Leaders' Summit.  Various "economies" are
scheduled to tour the site in the next few days.  The PM himself is
scheduled to visit the site on the 21st.  Various other documents show
that the APEC Threat Assessment Group (TAG) and RCMP do not believe that
the students pose any threat to the site. 

"PM "wants the tentors out.""

"PM says leave them until 6pm"

"PM wanted everyone removed."


25		Nov. 21st.  	Memo from Chris Brown (APEC-UBC Liaison)
to UBC President Piper

The Federal Government threatens the University that they will take over
the Summit site prior to the agreed date in order to arrest the students
camping there.

The University capitulates, and hands the site over to the Government.
Six students are arrested on the 22nd and 23rd and charged with mischief.
They are not released from jail until they sign a set of conditions which
include: "I will not participate or be found in attendance at any public
demonstration or rally that has gathered together for the sole purpose of
demonstrating against the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation or against any
nation participating in the so named conference."


26		Dec. 3 		Rick Anderson to Supt. Thompsett Re: APEC
Debriefing

The night before the Leader's Summit, the Tent City located at the
University of British Columbia includes over 80 tents, with 100-200 people
sleeping inside the occupied Student Union Building.  On November 25th,
the day of the Leader's Retreat, approximately 3000 people rally outside
the Goddess of Democracy statue and then march to the Summit.  During the
various protests, students are arrested for being protest organizers,
"saying foolish things," holding signs, walkie-talkies or megaphones.
Students involved in civil disobedience are pepper-sprayed rather than
being arrested, and students blocking one of the three motorcade exits are
pepper-sprayed out of the way without warning.  Almost all the woman
arrested are strip-searched and some have "cavity searches".  In all, 78
APEC related arrests are made at UBC in the weeks surrounding the Summit.  

"my recommendation is to never hold an APEC event at a University."