Keeping the Issue Alive: TAPOL and the International Campaign for Self-Determination and Justice in East Timor

Abstract:As Portugal commenced decolonization in Timor-Leste and Indonesian military prepared to invade the territory, TAPOL warned of the humanitarian tragedy that would ensue. Throughout Indonesian occupation (1975–99), TAPOL advocated for the human rights of the East Timorese. Looking at the role and activities of one key activist organization provides a new approach to analyzing the Indonesian occupation of East Timor.This article explores the role of TAPOL in the international campaign for self-determination and justice in Timor-Leste, building support for Timor-Leste in Britain, and its interaction with a transnational solidarity movement. It positions this discussion within the context of transnational political activism and solidarity networks. It considers the extent to which international forces, particularly powerful Western governments, such as the British government, and institutions of global governance, such as the United Nations, responded to this movement. In so doing, it reveals the intersections between the local and the global within the broader international context of the Cold War.