Pull my Daisy Pull my daisy Tip my cup Cut my thoughts for coconuts Jack my Arden Gate my shades Silk my garden Rose my days Bone my shadow Dove my dream Milk my mind & Make me cream Hop my heart on Harp my height Hip my angel Hype my light Heal the raindrop Sow the eye Woe the worm Work the wise Stop the hoax Where's the wake What's the box How's the Hicks Rob my locker Lick my rocks Rack my lacks Lark my looks Whore my door Beat my beer Craze my hair Bare my poor Say my oops Ope my shell Roll my bones Ring my bell Pope my parts Pop my pet Poke my pap Pit my plum - AG, JK & NC - 1951 - 1961
After a couple of weeks of feeling like an empty-headed, whining pack mule, I thought I should write/publish something - anything - so here is an unfinished post from the end of May... will now return to dishing out delicious love to those most deserving...
...Was reminded recently of yet another 'massacre' in which the US played a significant role - the fight for East Timorese independence following the annexing of their state to Indonesia in 1976..
The support of the US for Indonesia from 1975 - 1999 was originally given out of a strategically-motivated desire to maintain a positive relationship with a government whose anti-communist regime was seen as an essential bastion against the spread of communism in South-East Asia. During this time, it is estimated that up to 180,000 East Timorese were killed by Indonesian troops or died of enforced starvation and other causes resulting from the Indonesian occupation.
Whilst supporting roles were played by Australia, Portugal, the UN, UK and France, it was the considerable US political and military support, that were fundamental to the Indonesian invasion and occupation of East Timor. Not until the intervention of President Bill Clinton in 1999 did the Indonesian government accept the deployment of an International force into the territory, finally paving the way towards East Timorese self-determination.
The idea was that this process of self-determination would take 10-15 years by which time a 'democratic' Indonesia would be able to persuade the East Timorese to stay Indonesian, with all the health, educational, security and transport services that entailed. The miscalculation was that the then Indonesian President - Jusuf Habibie would agree to this timetable. No one expected him to call a referendum in a matter of months.
Habibie's colossal miscalculation was that he would easily win it, that the East Timorese would vote to stay Indonesian. But they voted overwhelmingly for independence.
The UN's miscalculation was that it could rely on the Indonesian army to keep the peace and calmly accept defeat while the UN (East Timor was now a United Nations protectorate) ushered the new nation into being. Instead, it acted like a retreating army with a strategy of scorched earth - until stopped by Australian soldiers.
