East Timor, 1959-2001

Component identifier:

Series 13

Content Summary:

Feith played an active role in working towards achieving independence for East Timor, following its invasion and occupation by Indonesia in 1975. In his submission to the Senate Inquiry into East Timor in 1982, Feith argued that Australian policy should be more heavily influenced by Australians involved in people-to-people relationships with Indonesians. To this end, he played a major role in the establishment of the journal Inside Indonesia, which became an influential source for information and opinion about Indonesia.

The massacre of approximately 250 Timorese youths in Dili in 1991 drew international attention to conditions in East Timor, resulting in an escalation of support for the independence movement. The bulk of the papers in this series date from this time onwards.

The files in this series contain papers relating to East Timor, accumulated by Feith in roughly chronological order, with most bearing the title 'East Timor'. The papers within each file comprise correspondence, cuttings, journal articles, writings by others and ephemera. There is also a group of unfiled papers comprising writings by others, which relate specifically to East Timor. They include reports, press articles, essays, testimonials and Hansard debates.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The bulk of the papers were donated to the Library in 2002 by Herb Feith's widow, Betty, and his son, David Feith. Also in 2002, smaller groups of papers were donated by Professor John Legge, Dr Gerry van Klinker and Daniel S. Lev.

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