117. Telegram 026805 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Indonesia, February 6, 1975, 0006Z.1 2

TELEGRAM
Department of State
026805

R 060006Z FEB 75

FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO AMEMBASSY JAKARTA INFO
AMEMBASSY LISBON
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA

STATE 026805

E.0. 11652: GDS
TAGS: PFOR, PO

SUBJECT: INDONESIAN INTENTIONS TOWARD PORTUGUESE TIMOR
NOFORN, CONTROLLED DISSEM, NODISEM ABROAD, BACKGROUND USE ONLY

1.
YOU WILL HAVE SEEN [text not declassified] REPORTING THAT SUGGESTS INCREASED INDONESIAN CONCERN OVER COURSE OF EVENTS IN PORTUGUESE TIMOR AND POSSIBLE GOI DECISION TO TAKE TERRITORY BY FORCE NEXT SUMMER AS CLIMAX TO STEPPED UP INFILTRATION CAMPAIGN.
2.
USG IS PREPARED ACCEPT ANY DISPOSITION OF PORTUGUESE TIMOR ISSUE WHICH IS IN ACCORD WITH WISHES OF TIMORESE POPULACE, AND HAS NO DESIRE TO BECOME INVOLVED IN ANY WAY IN PROCESS OF DETERMINING TERRITORY’S FUTURE. WE RECOGNIZE THAT UNION WITH INDONESIA IS PERHAPS MOST VIABLE SOLUTION, PROVIDED POPULACE ACQUIESCES. INDONESIAN MOVE TO TAKE TERRITORY BY FORCE, HOWEVER, WOULD CREATE SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES FOR US AND WOULD BE LIKELY TO SET BACK OUR EFFORTS TO AVOID OVERLY PRECIPITOUS TERMINATION OF AID PROGRAMS.
3.
WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT INDONESIAN INTENTIONS TOWARD PORTUGUESE TIMOR IN LIGHT THESE [text not declassified] REPORTS. IF INDONESIAN MOVE AGAINST TERRITORY DOES APPEAR IN OFFING, WOULD ALSO APPRECIATE ANY THOUGHTS YOU HAVE AS TO HOW GOI MIGHT BE DISSUADED WITHOUT OUR BECOMING ENTANGLED IN ISSUE. KISSINGER
  1. Source: National Archives, Record Group 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Secret; Exdis. Sent for information to Lisbon and Canberra. Drafted by Ingraham; cleared in EUR/IB and INR/REA; and approved by Habib.
  2. The Department asks for Embassy assessment of the Portuguese Timor situation.