オーストラリアにおける東ティモールの民族自決を求める初期の運動 : フライ連邦議会議員（1974～84）に着目して

Abstract

This paper concerns the history of Australia’s international support for the selfdetermination and independence of East Timor, a former Portuguese colony that was invaded by Indonesia under President Suharto in December 1975 and unilaterally annexed in July 1976. The Australian support mobilized many people and lasted until August 1999, when the popular consultation was held in East Timor following the decision to make it happen by Indonesian President Habibie, who had replaced Suharto the previous year. This article centers on its early phase and a leading activist and public figure, Ken Fry (1920–2007), who served as a member of the Australian Federal Parliament (Australian Labor Party - ALP) from 1974 to 1984. The paper is divided into five sections. The first section explains the importance of this topic. The second, third and fourth sections, respectively, look at lasting tensions between the Australian policy accommodating Indonesia’s annexation policy for East Timor and Australian support for East Timor’s right to selfdetermination and independence during the periods of the Whitlam government (ALP), Fraser government (Liberal–Country), and Hawke government (ALP). The fifth section briefly explains how this Australian support, which had declined due to the Fraser and Hawke government policies, became revitalized in the 1990s when the international community paid greater attention to East Timor. This paper argues that the Australian support made a remarkable contribution to the shift of the Australian policy under the Howard government, including the government’s action of sending a letter urging President Habibie to hold direct negotiations with East Timor leaders in December 1998 and ultimately to the resolution of the question of self-determination for East Timor. It did so by continuingly insisting on the importance of the issue and straining bilateral relations with Indonesia, even making it difficult for the Indonesian president to visit Australia.