Accomplice to Mass Atrocities: The International Community and Indonesia’s Invasion of East Timor
This paper examines early warning of, and political responses to, mass atrocities in East Timor in the late 1970s. Using newly-declassified intelligence and diplomatic records, it describes Indonesia’s invasion of East Timor in 1975 and its three year military campaign to crush the East Timorese res...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cogitatio
2015-11-01
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| Series: | Politics and Governance |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance/article/view/272 |
| _version_ | 1818472312597381120 |
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| author | Clinton Fernandes |
| author_facet | Clinton Fernandes |
| author_sort | Clinton Fernandes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper examines early warning of, and political responses to, mass atrocities in East Timor in the late 1970s. Using newly-declassified intelligence and diplomatic records, it describes Indonesia’s invasion of East Timor in 1975 and its three year military campaign to crush the East Timorese resistance. It shows that the campaign resulted in mass deaths due to famine and disease, and considers the United Nations’ response to the unfolding crisis. It evaluates the level of international awareness of the humanitarian crisis in East Timor by inspecting contemporaneous eyewitness reports by foreign diplomats from states with a keen interest in Indonesia: Australia, the United States, New Zealand and Canada. In contrast to a popular, highly lauded view, the paper shows that these states did not “look away”; rather, they had early warning and ongoing knowledge of the catastrophe but provided military and diplomatic assistance to Indonesia. The paper contrasts a counter-productive effort by civil society activists with a very effective one, and thus demonstrates the role that robust scholarship can play in terminating atrocities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T04:05:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-de45797df60040379a7518fb63d78ada |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2183-2463 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T04:05:21Z |
| publishDate | 2015-11-01 |
| publisher | Cogitatio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Politics and Governance |
| spelling | doaj.art-de45797df60040379a7518fb63d78ada2022-12-22T02:13:24ZengCogitatioPolitics and Governance2183-24632015-11-013411110.17645/pag.v3i4.272207Accomplice to Mass Atrocities: The International Community and Indonesia’s Invasion of East TimorClinton Fernandes0School of Humanities and Social Sciences, UNSW Canberra, AustraliaThis paper examines early warning of, and political responses to, mass atrocities in East Timor in the late 1970s. Using newly-declassified intelligence and diplomatic records, it describes Indonesia’s invasion of East Timor in 1975 and its three year military campaign to crush the East Timorese resistance. It shows that the campaign resulted in mass deaths due to famine and disease, and considers the United Nations’ response to the unfolding crisis. It evaluates the level of international awareness of the humanitarian crisis in East Timor by inspecting contemporaneous eyewitness reports by foreign diplomats from states with a keen interest in Indonesia: Australia, the United States, New Zealand and Canada. In contrast to a popular, highly lauded view, the paper shows that these states did not “look away”; rather, they had early warning and ongoing knowledge of the catastrophe but provided military and diplomatic assistance to Indonesia. The paper contrasts a counter-productive effort by civil society activists with a very effective one, and thus demonstrates the role that robust scholarship can play in terminating atrocities.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance/article/view/272atrocitiesAustraliacrimes against humanityEast TimorfaminegenocideIndonesiaresponsibility to protectR2PUnited Nationswar crimes |
| spellingShingle | Clinton Fernandes Accomplice to Mass Atrocities: The International Community and Indonesia’s Invasion of East Timor Politics and Governance atrocities Australia crimes against humanity East Timor famine genocide Indonesia responsibility to protect R2P United Nations war crimes |
| title | Accomplice to Mass Atrocities: The International Community and Indonesia’s Invasion of East Timor |
| title_full | Accomplice to Mass Atrocities: The International Community and Indonesia’s Invasion of East Timor |
| title_fullStr | Accomplice to Mass Atrocities: The International Community and Indonesia’s Invasion of East Timor |
| title_full_unstemmed | Accomplice to Mass Atrocities: The International Community and Indonesia’s Invasion of East Timor |
| title_short | Accomplice to Mass Atrocities: The International Community and Indonesia’s Invasion of East Timor |
| title_sort | accomplice to mass atrocities the international community and indonesia s invasion of east timor |
| topic | atrocities Australia crimes against humanity East Timor famine genocide Indonesia responsibility to protect R2P United Nations war crimes |
| url | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance/article/view/272 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT clintonfernandes accomplicetomassatrocitiestheinternationalcommunityandindonesiasinvasionofeasttimor |