Challenge the Strong Wind: Canada and East Timor, 1975–99In 1975, Indonesian forces overran East Timor, just days after it declared independence from Portugal. Canadian officials knew the invasion was coming and endorsed Indonesian rule in the ensuing occupation. Challenge the Strong Wind recounts the evolution of Canadian government policy toward East Timor from 1975 to its 1999 independence vote. During this time, Canadian civil society groups and NGOs worked in support of Timorese independence activists by promoting an alternative Canadian foreign policy that focused on self-determination and human rights. After following the lead of key pro-Indonesian allies in the 1970s and ’80s, Ottawa eventually yielded to pressure from these NGOs and pushed like-minded countries to join it in supporting Timorese self-rule. David Webster draws on previously untapped government and non-government archival sources to demonstrate that a clear-eyed view of international history must include both state and non-state perspectives. The East Timor conflict serves as a model of multilevel dialogue, citizen diplomacy, and novel approaches to resolving complex disputes. |
Contents
5 | |
19 | |
A Clash of Narratives 198491 | 63 |
Trade vs Human Rights 199198 | 117 |
Changing the Narrative 1998 Onwards | 185 |
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activists ambassador Amnesty International APEC Asia Working Group Asian Australian author’s possession Axworthy Barreto Soares Belo Bishop campaign Canada Asia Canada-Indonesia Canadian aid Canadian Catholic Canadian churches Canadian embassy Jakarta Canadian Foreign Policy Canadian government Canadian policy CAWG Chrétien CIDA Costa Lopes Dan Heap DEA to Canadian December delegation New York Development and Peace DFAIT Dili diplomacy diplomats document in author’s East Timor Elaine Brière email to DFAIT embassy in Jakarta ETAN Newsletter ETAN papers ETAN’s External Affairs February Foreign Affairs Fretilin global government’s human rights IETP independence Indo Indonesian government Indonesian rule invasion Jakarta to DEA January José Ramos-Horta letter McDougall ment military Mulroney November October officials Ottawa Citizen Oxfam Canada political Portuguese protest Raymond Chan Santa Cruz massacre self-determination Sharon Scharfe Suharto Svend Robinson Timor-Leste Timorese resistance Toronto trade Vancouver vote World wrote Xanana Xanana Gusmão Zealand