Category: Canada

A 1999 story: How Timor-Leste’s resistance gained Canada’s support, and why that matters

July 13, 2023

Timor-Leste’s independence came during a “window of opportunity” after the fall of the longtime Indonesian dictator Suharto in May 1998. Between then and early 1999, the Timor-Leste resistance was able to break through and win the support for some key countries for self-determination. That helped make the referendum in August 1999 possible, and also helped… More A 1999 story: How Timor-Leste’s resistance gained Canada’s support, and why that matters

Residential Schools in Canada

August 19, 2021

By Ann C. Macaulay CM MD FCFP FCAHS FRCPC (Hon) Family Physician in Kahnawá:ke, Quebec and Professor of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada One of the dark chapters of Canadian history is that of the Residential Schools. These schools were started by the Canadian government in the 1800’s to forcibly remove young Indigenous children… More Residential Schools in Canada

Policy brief: Canada–Indonesia relations, past and present

February 16, 2021

Canada is negotiating freer trade (a comprehensive economic economic partnership agreement) with Indonesia. It’s worth looking back at the history to see that trade alone is not enough. Here’s a policy brief making that point, originally published in 2019. By David Webster Original Publication: International Journal 2019, Vol. 74(3) 472–479 Abstract Canada–Indonesia relations recently passed their… More Policy brief: Canada–Indonesia relations, past and present

Canada and East Timor: declassified documents from 1999

September 30, 2019

Reprinted from Canada Declassified. Twenty years ago, the international community faced a humanitarian crisis in East Timor, a territory that had experienced 24 years of Indonesian military occupation. After the fall of longtime dictator Suharto in 1998, his successor B.J. Habibie first offered a special autonomy package to East Timor, and then agreed that it… More Canada and East Timor: declassified documents from 1999

Canada’s East Timor advocacy 20 years ago paves the way for leadership today

September 7, 2019

Can Canada make a difference in international affairs? Can middle powers matter when a global crisis hits? The story of the East Timor independence referendum, held 20 years ago this Aug. 30, says yes. Canadian documents tell the story of Canadian actions during the 1999 referendum. Two decades on, they show that bold and sustained… More Canada’s East Timor advocacy 20 years ago paves the way for leadership today

Reflecting on Reconciliation

May 30, 2019

By Maggie Helwig (Excerpted from Flowers in the Wall: Truth & Reconciliation in Timor-Leste, Indonesia and Melanesia; original here. To situate myself at the start—I am a settler in Turtle Island/Canada (henceforth referred to as “Canada” simply for convenience), of mixed English, Irish, and German ancestry, living on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of… More Reflecting on Reconciliation

Vérité et Réconciliation en Asie du Sud-Est: quelles leçons pour le Canada ?

February 1, 2019

Vérité et Réconciliation en Asie du Sud-Est: quelles leçons pour le Canada ? Un monument à la mémoire des victimes de la guerre du Timor-Leste. Le Canada a beaucoup à apprendre de deux Commissions de vérité et réconciliation (CVR) qui se sont tenues en Asie, et non seulement des leçons à enseigner aux autres. Auteur… More Vérité et Réconciliation en Asie du Sud-Est: quelles leçons pour le Canada ?

Canadian cabinet minister on the 1999 Timor-Leste referendum

August 30, 2018

Like most observers, Raymond Chan, Secretary of State (Asia Pacific), government of Canada, was impressed by the courage and determination of the Timorese people as they lined up to vote. The following transcript contains his remarks on observing the 1999 Timor-Leste referendum, republished for the 19th anniversary of the vote. Raymond Chan: East Timor press… More Canadian cabinet minister on the 1999 Timor-Leste referendum