Jakarta, 14 March 1975
CONFIDENTIAL
Radio Kupang
Richardson told me yesterday that in broadcasts from Radio Kupang at the end of last week the Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and you were quoted as having supported Indonesia’s position on Portuguese Timor. The broadcasts had been extreme and apparently talked in terms of Indonesia taking over the territory.
I heard a part of one Radio Kupang broadcast while in Dili. The commentator was shouting, there was martial music and the sound of machine-gun fire. A song was played for the prostitutes in Dili. People in the Administration and others said this type of broadcast was common. In general the aim seemed to be to frighten the people and impress them with the military might of Indonesia. I understand that Radio Atambua is not as bad as Radio Kupang.
In your calls on people such as Ali Murtopo, Yoga and Malik, you might consider it worthwhile mentioning that we have heard reports that Australia’s position was being misrepresented by Radio Kupang.1
[NAA: Al0463, 801/13/11/1, ix]
- 1 Woolcott noted in the margin: ‘Yes. You should also make the point to Deplu’. In a briefing dated 6 March, for Willesee’s forthcoming visit to Malaysia, concern was also noted about ‘the strident tones of Antara reports. There seems to be an attempted “Sudetenisation” … with Antara portraying a highly exaggerated picture of repression of the pro-Indonesian groups in Portuguese Timor’.