President Suharto arrives for visit

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32838, 11 February 1972, Page 1

President Suharto arrives for visit

(Neu> Zealand Preet Aeeociation) WELLINGTON, February 10. Smail groups of demonstrators at Wellington Airport and the Town Hall made little impact on President Suharto of Indonesia, who apparently only noticed them once when he smiled and waved at a small knot of banner- carrying protesters on the route from the airport to the city.

The President attended a reception and formal dinner at Government House tonight, his second and final engagement of the day.

Earlier, he had been welcomed to the city at a reception by the Mayor of Wellington (Sir Francis Kitts). Tomorrow the President and other senior members of his party—including the Foreign Minister (Mr Adam Malik) and the Minister of National Development (Professor Widjojo Nitisastro) — will have talks with the Cabinet and officials in the morning and a State luncheon before leaving for Auckland.

The President and his large party—which includes five bodyguards and five security men—arrived at Wellington Airport at 2 p.m. in a chartered Air New Zealand Electra.

They were welcomed to New Zealand by the Gov-ernor-General (Sir Arthur Porritt), and the Prime Minister (Mr Marshall).

President Suharto inspected a 100-man guard of honour from the R.N.Z.A.F. A 21-gun salute was fired and four Skyhawk jets flew past. Near the airport terminal about 40 Indonesians —some

students at Victoria University—were lined up in brightly coloured national costumes.

The president and his wife stopped, and two small Indonesian girls presented Mrs Suharto with a bouquet. The President bent and gave each girl a kiss.

Protesting group As the party left the airport they passed a group of about 15 demonstrators. The President smiled and waved at them.

A similar sized group, some bearing a placard identifying them as members of the Victoria University of Wellington Labour Club, waited outside the Town Hall.

They yelled: "Suharto 5.5.,” and “We don’t want you, Suharto.” The visitors gave no sign that their presence had been noted.

At the Mayoral reception, Sir Francis Kitts said that the President was “among friends” in New Zealand. He presented President Suharto with a laige book of New Zealand birds —the President is a keen ornithologist—Mrs Suharto a textbook on New Zealand plant life.

In return, the visitors gave Sir Francis Kitts a model of a Celebes Island fishing boat made of shell and silver and mounted in a glass case. Tonight about 50 people demonstrated outside Government House where President Suharto and senior members of his party are staying, but there were no incidents. Police outnumbered the demonstrators.

Tonight’s formal dinner and reception were closed to the press.

Mr Malik Mr Malik, president of the United Nations General Assembly, told an N.Z.P.A. staff reporter tpnight that relations between New Zealand and Indonesia were “always good.” "But we always like to see improvements in all

fields,” he said. Mr Malik said he would be

meeting his opposite number (Sir Keith Holyoake) for talks, “probably tomorrow” but he declined to say if there was anything specific to be discussed. Mr Malik said he always travelled with President Suharto on foreign visits by the Indonesian leader, but returned to New York if he was needed at the United Nations.

“It’s very quiet in New York at the moment,” he said.

As official guests arrived at Government House demonstrators threw an evil-smell-ing "borer bomb” under a vehicle carrying minor members of the Indonesian party. Several cars slowed as the acrid smoke engulfed the driveway. Police confirmed that the President was already in Government House, where he had been since about 4.30 p.m., and only minor members of the Indonesian party were involved.