US Endorsed Indonesia's East Timor Invasion: Secret Documents
The United States offered full and direct approval to Indonesia's 1975
invasion of East Timor, a move by then-president Suharto which
consigned the territory to 25 years of oppression, official documents
released Thursday show.
The documents prove conclusively for the first time that the United
States gave a 'green light' to the invasion, the opening salvo in an
occupation that cost the lives of up to 200,000 East Timorese.
General Suharto briefed US president Gerald Ford and his secretary of
state Henry Kissinger on his plans for the former Portuguese colony
hours before the invasion, according to documents collected by George
Washington University's National Security Archive.
When Ford and Kissinger called in Jakarta on their way back from a
summit in Beijing on December 6, 1975, Suharto claimed that in the
interests of Asia and regional stability, he had to bring stability to
East Timor, to which Portugal was trying to grant autonomy.
"We want your understanding if we deem it necessary to take rapid or
drastic action," Suharto told his visitors, according to a long
classified State Department cable.
Ford replied: "We will understand and will not press you on the issue.
We understand the problem you have and the intentions you have."
Kissinger, who has denied the subject of Timor came up during the
talks, appeared to be concerned about the domestic political
implications of an Indonesian invasion.
"It is important that whatever you do succeeds quickly, we would be
able to influence the reaction in America if whatever happens, happens
after we return.
"The president will be back on Monday at 2:00 pm Jakarta time. We
understand your problem and the need to move quickly but I am only
saying that it would be better, if it were done after we returned."
The invasion took place on December 7, the day after the Ford-Suharto
meeting.
Kissinger has consistently rejected criticism of the Ford
Administration's conduct on East Timor.
During a launch in 1995 for his book "Diplomacy," Kissinger said at a
New York hotel it was perhaps "regrettable" that for US officials, the
implications of Indonesia's Timor policy were lost in a blizzard of
geopolitical issues following the Vietnam War.
"Timor was never discussed with us when we were in Indonesia,"
Kissinger said, according to a transcript of the meeting distributed
by the East Timor Action network -- which advocated independence for
East Timor.
"At the airport as we were leaving, the Indonesians told us that they
were going to occupy the Portuguese colony of Timor. To us that did
not seem like a very significant event."
The documents also show that Kissinger was concerned at the use of US
weapons by Indonesia during the East Timor invasion.
By law, the arms could only be used in self defense, but it appears
that Kissinger was concerned mostly on the interpretation of the
legislation -- not the use of the weapons.
"It depends on how we construe it, whether it is in self-defense or is
a foreign operation," he is quoted as saying.
The eastern part of the island of Timor, situated north of the
Australian coast, was invaded by Jakarta in 1975 and annexed the
following year.
After a 25-year independence campaign and guerrilla war, the territory
voted overwhelmingly for independence in August 1999 in a referendum
which triggered a wave of murderous violence by pro-Jakarta militias.
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| User: "Leigh_Bee" |
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| Title: Re: US endorsed Indonesia's East Timor invasion |
07 Mar 2004 04:54:21 PM |
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DaarkSyde <DaarkSyde@GrantlandSucks.com> wrote in message news:<jk3m4058da80r55b6f0mdtdvu1j5ta7vij@4ax.com>...
US Endorsed Indonesia's East Timor Invasion: Secret Documents
The United States offered full and direct approval to Indonesia's 1975
invasion of East Timor, a move by then-president Suharto which
consigned the territory to 25 years of oppression, official documents
released Thursday show.
The documents prove conclusively for the first time that the United
States gave a 'green light' to the invasion, the opening salvo in an
occupation that cost the lives of up to 200,000 East Timorese.
SNIP>
After a 25-year independence campaign and guerrilla war, the territory
voted overwhelmingly for independence in August 1999 in a referendum
which triggered a wave of murderous violence by pro-Jakarta militias.
They were commies then, besides who gets the payoff?
Also there were many other places under the sovereignty of Jakarta who
had a similar fate, look to West Irian for a disaster in the making.
might be some big changes for that Archipelago this year.
LB
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