Peter Job, ‘Shrewdly Compromised’ Australia’s Brutal Sell-out of East Timor

When Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975 under the pretext of intervening in an existing civil war, Australia publicly defended their actions. But the terrible reality was that Australia’s leaders and diplomats knew the truth; that Indonesia had instigated the conflict for their own advantage, and moreover the Australians had been actively complicit in the turn of events which soon escalated into major atrocities. Both sides of politics must share the blame for one of the most shameful episodes in the history of our handling of foreign affairs. Joining us on the Afternoon Light Podcast is Dr Peter Job, who has spent many years exhaustively researching A Narrative of Denial.

Dr Peter Job is the author of A Narrative of Denial: Australia and the Indonesian violation of East Timor. He was involved in the East Timor support movement during the Indonesian occupation, including working on the radio link to Fretilin in 1978. He has a PhD in International and Political Studies from the University of New South Wales in Canberra.