[asia-apec 663] Van Sun: Cdn PM replies to APEC accusations

[David Webster]

Last Updated: Thursday 17 September 1998      TOP STORIES
---------------------------------------------------------
Chretien says APEC elite were promised 'no danger'
The Vancouver Sun

Vancouver Sun and Southam Newspapers

Canadian officials involved in the conduct of last
November's APEC conference assured foreign leaders the
event would be peaceful and they faced no danger coming
to Vancouver, Prime Minister Jean Chretien revealed
Wednesday.

     [Image]      When violence did break out it was student demonstrators
                  at the University of B.C. who were pepper-sprayed,
                  man-handled and arrested.

                  Chretien revealed the high-level "no danger" assurances
                  in an Ottawa interview during which he was questioned
                  about RCMP officers pepper-spraying demonstrators
                  protesting the presence on their campus of then
                  Indonesian President Suharto.

                  "You know, we had visitors," Chretien said in the
                  interview with Southam News, "and we had all these
                  people, when they come they ask questions about the
                  organization.

                  "The United States ask a lot of questions. The Chinese
                  ask a lot of questions . . . and we have to tell them,
                  'don't worry, it will be peaceful and there will be no
                  danger for any one of you.' That's normal routine."

                  Chretien was cautious responding to questions about the
                  incident, in which 40 people -- including two Indonesian
                  security officers -- were arrested after more than 1,000
                  people began tearing down a fence separating them from
                  the 18 leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
                  forum.

                  He was also defensive about his initial response to the
                  pepper-spray attack, which he dismissed at the time with
                  the quip: "For me, pepper , I put it on my plate."

                  Asked if he now regrets the joke, he told Southam News:

                  "(At the time) I didn't know what they (reporters) were
                  talking about. I didn't know. I didn't know what it was.
                  I had not seen anything. I was not even aware. So I
                  said, pepper for what, for me pepper is for something
                  else. I didn't know what it was."

                  Chretien would not comment when asked if he directed the
                  RCMP in its handling of the situation, or when asked if
                  he would testify at the inquiry investigating the
                  affair.

                  "I don't reply to hypothetical questions. I said what I
                  had to say and let the inquiry do its job, that's all."

 _ _ _
 \   /    "Long words Bother me."
  \ /           -- Winnie the Pooh