Canberra, 3 November 1975
RESTRICTED
Slogans on Indonesian Residences
Mr Kadri rang to advise that, during the night of 2-3 November, anti-Indonesian and pro-Fretilin slogans had been painted on six Indonesian residences, including the Ambassador’s residence.
- Kadri said that the slogan ‘fascist butcher’ had been painted on the driveway leading to the Ambassador’s residence and ‘free Timor’ had been painted on the gatepost at the exit from the Ambassador’s residence. I told Kadri that our understanding was that a static guard was on duty and asked where he was at the time. Mr Kadri did not know but assumed that he may have been in another part of the Embassy grounds when the painting took place. Kadri said that slogans had also been painted on the residences of the Defence Attache, the Military Attache, the Air Attache, the Economic Counsellor and the Administration Attache. A house at 40 Arthur Circle which had previously been occupied by the Cultural Attache but had since been vacated by him and was now privately occupied had also been painted.
- Kadri said that red paint had been used in all cases. He added that the residence of the Military Attache, which had been defaced on a previous occasion, had been heavily painted this time.
- I conveyed the Department’s regrets to Mr Kadri for these occurrences and, with his agreement, I undertook to arrange to have the slogans removed as soon as possible. Note: I later asked Mr Oliver1 to contact Australia Police to find out whether police enquiries had yielded any results. Mr Oliver will tell the Police that the Department is in favour of a hard line being taken with these vandals and will suggest that, even if the police are unable to identify the individuals concerned, they consider calling in some of the suspects for questioning. This will at least convey the impression that the police are pursuing the matter actively.
[NAA: A10463, 801/13/11/1, xvi]
- 1 John Oliver, Acting Head, Protocol Section, DFA.