Download or read book Challenge the Strong Wind written by David Webster and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2020-03-01 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1975, Indonesian forces overran East Timor, which had just declared independence from Portugal. The occupation lasted twenty-four years. Challenge the Strong Wind recounts the evolution of Canadian government policy toward East Timor during that period. Canada initially followed key allies in endorsing Indonesian rule, but Canadian civil society groups promoted an alternative foreign policy that focused on self-determination and human rights. Ottawa eventually yielded to pressure from these NGOs and pushed like-minded countries to join it in supporting Timorese self-determination. David Webster draws on untapped government and non-government archival sources, demonstrating that a clear-eyed view of international history must include both state and non-state perspectives.