Jakarta, 25 June 1975
O.JA0259 CONFIDENTIAL RouTINE
Portuguese Timor
Colonel Sigit, former Indonesian Attache in Canberra and presently Assistant for Operations at Defence Area Command No. 2 which covers Timor told the Naval Attache recently that the Indonesians were concerned that if Portugal retained sovereignty over Portuguese Timor there was an inherent danger that the Soviet Union would use Portugal as a cover to channel Soviet aid and influence into the territory. This could leave Indonesia with a ‘Cuba’ at its back door.
- This Indonesian concern is not new, but it is significant in the light of an indication we have had recently that Indonesia may now prefer to see Portugal not retain control over Portuguese Timor in the foreseeable future.
[NAA: A10463, 801/13/11/1, x]