[asia-apec 1192] CBC: New APEC documents foretell testimony of federal officials

[Brian Dawson]

[Note: also on the www.cbcnews.cbc.ca site: INDEPTH: The APEC files]

New APEC documents foretell testimony of federal officials 
WebPosted Fri Jul 9 08:09:14 1999 

VANCOUVER - New documents from the APEC inquiry obtained by CBC Radio, 
indicate federal officials scheduled to testify in the fall will give new 
explanations for the actions of the federal government. 

The hearings in Vancouver are examining police conduct towards protesters 
at the 1997 summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Conference. 

The new documents are unsworn statements meant to summarize what the 
commission staff anticipate two senior people involved in the APEC 
planning will talk about when they testify. 

One of the witnesses is the prime minister's former director of 
operations, Jean Carle. The other is Canada's former ambassador to 
Indonesia, Gary Smith. 

Both men played key roles in ensuring the Indonesians that their leader, 
Suharto, wouldn't be embarrassed by protests surrounding APEC meetings. 

Carle's role in the planning included sorting out details of the main 
meeting at the University of British Columbia. 

The new documents indicate Carle is expected to say it was concerns of 
safety over one protest zone near the law building that led to a dispute 
between him and the university. 

UBC had accused Carle of trying to push protesters out of sight. 

Carle is also expected to say both he and Jean Chretien were well aware of 
Indonesian officials' concerns that Suharto might suffer embarrassment by 
seeing demonstrations. 

In fact, the document says Carle will confirm that the prime minister was 
getting fed up with the continued reports about Indonesian worries. 

The document summarizing Smith's anticipated testimony says Smith told 
commission officials that staff with Indonesia's own human rights agency 
were worried that if demonstrations went ahead in Canada, Suharto might 
take a tougher line back home. 

This is separate from Smith's referals to Indonesians' concerns about 
embarrassment and humiliation at the hands of protesters. 

Jessie Read of the East Timor Alert Network in Ottawa says worries from 
Indonesia's human rights agency shouldn't have bothered Smith since many 
other Indonesian activists were urging Canadians to protest. 

"In 1997 the Indonesian human rights commission that Mr. Smith is quoting 
from, was still very much controlled by Suharto and his military regime," 
says Read. "So it's not surprising that some representatives of this 
commission would have discouraged protest." 

Carle couldn't be reached for comment by CBC Radio News. Smith, now Vice 
President of York University in Toronto refused to comment on the 
document. Both men are expected to testify at the inquiry later this year.