Canberra, 23 October 1975,6.45 p.m.
O.CH282275 CONFIDENTIAL PRIORITY
Portuguese Timor
Ref. O.JA24621
We take it that Campbell already has enough briefing for his discussion with Moerdani. It seems to us here that the main points that we need to get over to the Indonesians about United Nations involvement in Portuguese Timor are:
- We think that some sort of United Nations involvement in Portuguese Timor at some stage relatively soon is inevitable.
- In these circumstances, we should like to exchange ideas with them about how the problem of Portuguese Timor might be approached in the United Nations.
- There is no Australian planning to take an initiative in the United Nations on Portuguese Timor.
Despite the rather negative response we have met with in conversation with Foreign Ministry officials in Jakarta on point (b), there are other signs that the Indonesians may in fact have taken it on board and are moving towards some contingency planning about discussion of Portuguese Timor in the United Nations.
[NAA: Al0463, 801113/11/1, xv]
- 1 17 October. It advised that Moerdani would be in New York on 24 or 25 October, and would like to see Campbell while there. In the event Moerdani did not contact Campbell, during what was presumed to be a very brief visit.