Video A Debt of Honour - Australia East Timor War Documentary - 44min long

AAR Galileo

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This extraordinary untold tale of two companies of Australian soldiers serving in East Timor, separated by 60 years, their actions inextricably bound by a debt of honour. During the Second World War a tiny group of Australian soldiers faced overwhelming odds against a huge Japanese force. These men of the 2nd Independent Company with the support and friendship of the native Timorese people held back enemy troops from Australia's doorstep. Many years later, the United Nations together with Australian Peacekeepers returned to East Timor to restore peace and security.

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On the ground, we certainly had the best intentions, some of us were aware of the WW2 history, and we could all see with our own eyes what Indonesia had done to the place. But today, it feels like a bit of a natural gas grab and I wonder just how much of an altruistic act it was from the Australian government?
 
The US quietly slipped in there as well. Long term leases for choice pieces of real estate to the north being traded for military and financial aide. I found it funny how quickly they jumped back into bed with the Portuguese considering the widespread dislike they have for them from their colony days.
 
I believe that our government (Aust) did almost everything to not get dragged into Timor but to give credit, once the decision was made we jumped in with both feet.

@digrar , you're right about our assistance not being completely altruistic. We "negotiated" our way into a large slice of the natural gas resources that rightly lie in East Timor's EEZ, much to ET's disgust although there wasn't a lot they could do about it.

Much honour gained in our work done there in East Timor (Timor Leste),very proud of the work done by our lads and lasses but also some downright dirty tricks played out by our government of the day before, during and after.
 

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