[asia-apec 1032] GATT Watchdog Guns For "Arms For APEC" Bill

[Gatt Watchdog]

GATT Watchdog
PO Box 1905
Christchurch
Aotearoa/New Zealand

MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE USE

24 February 1999

"Arms For APEC" Bill Ill-considered and Abhorrent: Rerun of Vancouver APEC
Security Debacle Predicted For New Zealand

"Leave the Arms Act alone! The Arms Amendment Bill should be rejected and no
permission given to foreign security officers to carry arms in New Zealand
for APEC.  It is ill-considered and helps set us up for a rerun of the
outrageous security debacle which involved armed overseas security personnel
at APEC in Vancouver in 1997 and which continues to haunt the Chretien
government," says GATT Watchdog spokesman Aziz Choudry.  
 
"This bill will have a 'chilling effect' on the rights of New Zealand
citizens to lawful advocacy, protest and dissent. It panders to the dubious
security whims of other APEC "economies" - particularly the USA. It opens us
up to the spectre of intimidation and actual harm by armed overseas security
personnel, operating in an unfamiliar environment, with scant knowledge, or
regard of New Zealanders' rights," said Mr Choudry. 

Mr Choudry was in Vancouver at the time of the 1997 APEC Leaders Summit. Last
month he returned to meet with some of those most affected by the
controversial security operations, and had access to many files of official
documents relating to the matter.  An excerpt from these, and relevant
Canadian media items have been submitted to the Foreign Affairs Defence and
Trade Select Committee considering the law change.

"In 1997, Washington pressured Canada into allowing a small army of US
security officers to carry arms.  Documents show that one APEC economy -
thought to be the USA - even wanted to take part in a threat assessment group
to spy on Canadian organisations and individuals.  Armed security personnel
from eight countries were present in Canada for the APEC Summit." 

"And what happened? Indonesian security officers threatened to shoot Canadian
protesters, and repeatedly breached security protocols.  Canadian police
arrested five Indonesian security personnel, after a heavily-armed vehicle of
Mounties had tailed the Indonesians, and at one stage discussed the possible
scenario of having to shoot them. Canadian police have tried to blame their
own heavyhanded security operations at APEC '97 on the presence of the armed
Indonesian contingent."

A high-profile inquiry into over 50 complaints against Canadian police
reconvenes in March, with moves afoot to subpoena Jean Chretien after
evidence showing that the Prime Minister's Office was directly involved in the
APEC security operation, at which a crowd of non-violent protesters was
peppersprayed, and dozens violently arrested.

"It is naive to think that New Zealand will be able to independently set
security protocols or that overseas security personnel will be subject to the
authority of the Police Commissioner. US security personnel will greatly
influence - if not in large part determine the nature of security operations
for the Leaders Summit.  The government says it cannot even determine the
extent of traffic disruption to Auckland, whether postal and courier
deliveries, and waste collections will be carried out in Auckland unil "we
get a clearer picture of the security requirements of visiting delegations".
Who exactly is calling the shots here?  Obviously not Wellington".

"New Zealand security observers were present at Vancouver. If there is a
similar security crackdown around APEC 1999, and the government later becomes
embroiled in a similar scandal as that engulfing Ottawa, with armed overseas
security officers on the loose, they won't be able to say that they were not
warned."

"If New Zealand security forces cannot provide adequate security for APEC,
the government should never have offered to host it. The status quo was good
enough for CHOGM and Madeleine Albright's recent visit - why not the APEC
circus. New Zealand governments can stand up to Washington over nuclear ships
- but clearly not Clinton's armed Secret Service guys" .

"The security hype around APEC warrants the same caution as the over-inflated
claims about APEC's benefits. There is little or no acknowledgement of the
gulf that exists between preparedness to counter a genuine security threat to
VIPs and the desire to guarantee a "political embarrassment-free" APEC for all
involved.  It is the latter that has driven past APEC security
operations".

"The Weekend Australian dubbed APEC '98 in Kuala Lumpur "an event that swings
between the ominous and the ludicrous".  This proposed law change is both. But
all the armed security personnel in the world can't protect APEC from shooting
itself in the foot," he said.

GATT Watchdog spokesman Aziz Choudry will speak to the group's submission to
the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee on the proposed bill
at 10.30am tomorrow, Thursday 25 February.

For further comment contact Aziz Choudry (03) 3662803; or (021) 217 3039

For further information about the role of foreign security officers in the
APEC 1997 security operation in Canada, ph: Jonathan Oppenheim (+1) (604) 224
2482 or 822 1393 or Jaggi Singh (+1) (514) 526 8946