Nearly fifty years following the Indonesian annexation of East Timor, this tiny, former Portuguese colony remains in the international spotlight. 'Forgotten Island' takes us back to the genisis of the Australian-Indonesian relationship, seeking to answer the question as to why liberal Australia, led by an erudite social democrat in Gough Whitlam, looked away and even became culpably involved in Indonesia's 1975 invasion of Timor, contrary to the principles Australia and Whitlam espoused. (back cover) |