41

Minute from Arriens to Furlonger and Dan

Jakarta, 30 September 1974

SECRET

Discussion with Harry Tjan

I saw Harry Tjan this morning. The following were the main points of interest, some of which I expect you will wish to have cabled.

Portuguese Timor

  1. Tjan said that he had now developed what he called a ‘grand design’ on the future of Portuguese Timor, which had been submitted to the President. The first stage consists of securing legal access by Indonesia to Portuguese Timor through economic cooperation. Australia will be invited by Indonesia and Portugal to join in this cooperation. The second stage will be to invite the UN to send a team to inspect conditions in Portuguese Timor. At the earliest this would take place in 1975, but probably not unti11976. The third stage would be a referendum, the result of which would be ensured by the territory’s exposure to Indonesian influence.
  2. Tjan said that the President had endorsed the plan as the ‘basic guidelines’ for Indonesian policy. It still remained, however, for the plan to be converted into operational terms by Ali Murtopo.1

[matter omitted]

[NAA: A10463, 801/13/1111, iii]

  • 1 Tjan went on to explain that the situation in Portuguese Timor had become ‘very fluid’. Mousinho appeared to be more favourably disposed to Indonesia after his visit; there was a move, not encouraged by Indonesia, to form a radical action group within Apodeti; Pires had called for unification of the island. He also asked about a report from Lim Bian Kie in New York that Willesee believed Whitlam had gone too far in endorsing Indonesian incorporation, and that Malik’s suspicions of Australian motives had been heightened by information about the Defence Department’s original policy in favour of independence.