East Timor

[Tamrin]

Reluctant Saviour: Australia, Indonesia
And The Independence Of East Timor

by Clinton Fernandes

[Book Review - Readings: Books, Music, Film - Linked Above]

The decision to liberate the people of East Timor, to take a stand on behalf of a small fledgling nation that cried out for help was trumpeted recently by John Howard as one of his governments proudest achievements. But what precisely was Australia s role in the independence of East Timor?

Over the years, successive Australian governments had worked to preserve Indonesian sovereignty over the territory and so it was surprising when in September 1999, the Howard government took the lead in assembling a multinational peacekeeping force to guarantee East Timor's independence. Reluctant Saviour explains why.

Clinton Fernandes exposes the role of the so-called Jakarta Lobby Australian officials whose policies supported the Indonesian military regime, and commentators who defend these policies in the public sphere. He argues that under their influence, the Howard government worked assiduously to support Indonesia s occupation of East Timor, trying hard to prevent a ballot on independence. When the situation became untenable and Indonesia was forced to hold the ballot, the government worked to reduce international pressure on Indonesia.

Finally he reveals that it was only pressure from activists and the broader public which forced the Howard government to send in a peacekeeping force and reluctantly help East Timor to achieve independence.

Clinton Fernandes is an expert on Australian/ Indonesian relations.

Huge protests around Australia helped in forcing the Howard government to intervene in East Timor.
When they did so, it was following an overwheming vote by the East Timorese for independence,
in the wake of horrendous violence, at the invitation of the provisional East Timorese government
and at the head of a United Nations' peacekeeping force

[Tamrin]

Australia prepared for war over East Timor: Downer

[Excerpt - Article, ABC Radio Australia, 16 November 2008 - Linked above]

Australia's former foreign minister, Alexander Downer, has revealed the former Australian government under John Howard developed contingency plans in the event the conflict over East Timor's independence ended up in war with Australia.

Militia loyal to Indonesia responded violently to news of East Timor's referendum and the violence continued after the vote for independence.

Australia led a United Nations sanctioned peace-keeping force in East Timor.

Rally demanding peace-keeping intervention outside Melbourne's GPO

[Tamrin]

International Force in East Timor

[Excerpt - Interfet Home page - Linked Above]

UNAMET and the popular consultation

... the Security Council, by resolution 1246 (1999), authorized the establishment of the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) on 11 June 1999. The 5 May agreements stipulated that, after the vote, UNAMET would oversee a transition period pending implementation of the decision of the East Timorese people. On 30 August 1999, some 98 per cent of registered East Timorese voters went to the polls deciding by a margin of 21.5 per cent to 78.5 per cent to reject the proposed autonomy and begin a process of transition towards independence.


INTERFET and the restoration of peace

Following the announcement of the result, pro-integration militias, at times with the support of elements of the Indonesian security forces, launched a campaign of violence, looting and arson throughout the entire territory. The Secretary-General and the Security Council undertook strenuous diplomatic efforts to halt the violence, pressing Indonesia to meet its responsibility to maintain security and order in the territory. On 12 September 1999, the Government of Indonesia agreed to accept the offer of assistance from the international community. The Security Council then authorized (S/RES/1264) the multinational force (INTERFET) under a unified command structure headed by a Member State (Australia) to restore peace and security in East Timor, to protect and support UNAMET in carrying out its tasks and, within force capabilities, to facilitate humanitarian assistance operations.

[Tamrin]

Indonesia accepts guilt over
East Timor human rights abuses

[Excerpt - Article by Angela Balakrishnan, guardian.co.uk, 15 July 2008 - Linked Above]

Indonesia's president today accepted a report that found his country was guilty of carrying out human rights abuse on a grand scale during East Timor's 1999 break for independence.

But Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono refused to go as far as issuing a full apology for the murders, torture and other crimes.

The 300-paged report handed over today to Yudhoyono and his East Timorese counterpart, Jose Ramos-Horta, follows an investigation by a bilateral truth commission, set up in 2005 into the bloodshed.

It found Indonesian soldiers, police and civil authorities engaged in an "organised campaign of violence" against independence supporters.

The commission concluded that Indonesia should apologise for the immeasurable pain and suffering that was caused.

[Tamrin]

Crisis in East Timor

[Excerpts - Article by by Anup Shah, Global Issues, 12 December 2001 - Linked above]

East Timor was ruled by Portugal for about 3 centuries. During World War II, thousands of East Timorese lost their lives helping Australia forces fight against the Japanese. East Timor was then invaded by Indonesia shortly after Portugal abruptly left, in 1975. This was the day after U.S. President Ford's visit to Indonesia, with what people have suspected as being a "green light" to invade. At that time, Indonesia had military, economic and political support from countries such as UK, USA and Australia, for various reasons including the oil and gas reserves, a strategic location, various trade and cheap labor related interests. 200,000 people are said to have been killed since 1975 -- one third of the entire East Timorese population. Meanwhile human rights abuses continued.

December 12, 2001 Update: Recently declassified documents from the U.S. and available at by the George Washington University's National Security Archive project web site confirm that "[Former U.S. President Gerald] Ford and [former Secratary of State Henry] Kissinger Gave Green Light to Indonesia's Invasion of East Timor, 1975"

[Tamrin]

1999 War in East Timor

[Tamrin]

Shadowy militias of East Timor

[Excerpt - article by Kieran Cooke, news.bbc.co.uk, 17 February 2000 - Linked above]

The violence which erupted after East Timor's vote for independence was instigated by pro-Jakarta militias.

There were believed to be at least 13 such groups operating in the territory in the run up to the referendum.

The most prominent was headed by a man called Eurico Guterres, who warned that East Timor would be turned into ''a sea of fire'' if it became independent.

Some of the militias had been in existence for a number of years. When it invaded East Timor in 1975 Indonesia recruited and armed groups of East Timorese to support rule by Jakarta.

[Tamrin]

Coroner says death of "Balibo five" was
premeditated war crime by Indonesian army

[Excerpt - Article, Reporters sans frontiers, 16 November, 2007]

Reporters Without Borders hails the work of New South Wales coroner Dorelle Pinch, who issued an inquest report today that establishes with great detail that the Indonesian army was responsible for the death of five British, Australian and New Zealander journalists in East Timor in 1975. The report clearly shows they were eliminated because they [knew] too much about Indonesia’s invasion of East Timor, which was just getting under way.

“The detailed and courageous inquest conducted by Dorelle Pinch shows that Indonesian army officers, including former special forces captain Yunus Yosfiah, are war criminals,” the press freedom organisation said. “It is deplorable that the Indonesian government immediately dismissed the findings of the Australian inquest.”