PM invites Indonesian leader to visit

Prime Minister Helen Clark has invited Indonesia's President Abdurrahman Wahid to visit New Zealand this year, in spite of the threat of protests.

She extended the invitation in New York last week.

"He told me that he hoped to be able to come to both Australia and New Zealand later this year," the Prime Minister said on her return home yesterday.

The invitation comes amid criticism of her Government for allowing Indonesian naval chiefs to attend the Western Pacific Naval Symposium in Auckland in November.

Indonesian Human Rights Committee spokeswoman Maire Leadbeater has warned of protests if the President visits.

"He will be the subject of strong protests because he is the supreme commander of the Indonesian military - the buck has to stop somewhere."

The Government should not be accepting Indonesia's excuses that "rogue elements" were responsible for murderous violence, including last week's killing of United Nations staff in East Timor.

"Now is the time to be isolating the Indonesian military."

But Helen Clark said she saw the naval symposium as a chance to apply further pressure on Indonesia - "we do want to encourage greater professionalism in the Indonesian armed forces."

President Wahid had made efforts to control the military and should be supported for that, she said.

"When I spoke with the President last week, he said to me very specifically that he had more changes to make yet.

"People are trying. The results aren't always brilliant, but you really can't treat Wahid's Government as if it was Suharto's. I just don't think turning our back on the Wahid Government would be the sensible thing to do."

President Suharto, now facing charges of corruption, was Mr Wahid's predecessor.

Helen Clark also indicated that the Government would, in time, review its freeze on cooperation with Indonesia, but first there would have to be some effective action by Jakarta to clean up the mess in West Timor.

- NZPA

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