Britain and Portuguese Timor 1941–1976 : 1941-1976

In Timor’s chequered history, many other nation states have been involved. The prime purpose of this book is to examine the role of the British in Timor’s past. Timor was not a part of the British empire, nor important to its commerce. However, Timor had a long relationship—indeed its longest—with Portugal. Britain’s interest was thus largely indirect. Indirect as it was, this interest had two peaks, marked by the Second World War and by the decolonisation of Southeast Asia. These are recognised in this book, with the former being the concern of the first four chapters, and the latter the focus of the last four. The book concludes with an account of the Indonesian incorporation of Timor into its territory. During this time, reporting by British diplomats was still copious and perceptive. Britain—which had by now withdrawn from Singapore—adopted only a very limited policy-making role. But though its interest was more indirect than ever, its role had implications for the independence that the Timorese finally secured. Tarling suggests from this that post-colonial states are successor states of empire.