Reluctant Saviour

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.