UN General Assembly
1978

212. I should like to draw the attention of the United Nations to the question of East Timor. My Government recognizes East Timor as an integral part of Indonesia. I visited East Timor earlier this year and I was convinced that, during the long period when that Territory was under the previous administration, there was little or no development in the social, economic or political field. However, while acknowledging the fact that East Timor is now an integral part of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea would like to reiterate its previous position, that is, that the people of East Timor were not allowed their right to self-determination. My Government would have also liked the international community to have had more say in the matter. We regret that this did not happen and that the international community was not properly consulted.