There was some disquiet towards policy with the Australian public, because of the deaths of the Australian journalists and arguably also because the actions of the Timorese people in supporting Australian forces during the Battle of Timor in World War II were well-remembered.
Ada beberapa keresahan terhadap kebijakan dengan masyarakat Australia, karena kematian wartawan Australia dan bisa dibilang juga karena tindakan rakyat Timor dalam mendukung pasukan Australia selama Pertempuran Timor dalam Perang Dunia Kedua yang tidak terlupakan.