Britain, a former foreign secretary once declared, had no permanent allies, only permanent interests. Lord Palmerston, a 19th-century political giant, died 140 years ago but his legacy lives on.
Just-released diplomatic papers show the British government lied about Indonesian atrocities in East Timor in 1975, used its position as chair of the United Nations security council to shield Indonesia from criticism over the invasion and helped to cover up its murder of five western newsmen, including New Zealander Gary Cunningham.
The Australian public was outraged by the deaths, but Sir John Ford, Britain's ambassador in Jakarta, asked Australia not to press Indonesia for details. "We have suggested to the Australians that since we, in fact, know what happened to the newsmen, it is pointless to go on demanding information from the Indonesians which they cannot, or are unwilling to, provide," he cabled the Foreign Office eight days after the killings.
A few months later, Sir John advised his masters that Indonesian troops had gone on a murderous rampage in the East Timorese capital of Dili, but recommended the Foreign Office respond to any queries about atrocities by saying it had no information. The affair constitutes a shameful chapter in British history, but Britain was not alone in helping the anti-communist Indonesian dictator Suharto cover up his actions. Official papers released in Australia in September show the Australian government tacitly approved the invasion while publicly siding with the East Timorese.
Neither is New Zealand's record over East Timor stellar. For years, successive governments insisted the Indonesian "intervention" was "irreversible".
Unfortunately, the western perfidy over East Timor is not unique. A document recently uncovered in Paris suggests France knew atmospheric nuclear tests at Mururoa Atoll in 1966 posed a grave risk to the people of nearby Mangareva Island, but chose not to evacuate them for political and psychological reasons. As a result, 570 islanders were exposed to radiation levels 142 times higher than within the restricted zone at Chernobyl.
Other documents issued in London show the French government tried to blame the 1985 sinking of the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour on Britain's MI6 to deflect attention from then-president Francois Mitterrand.
Add to those cases the manipulation of intelligence by the US and Britain to justify the invasion of Iraq and it is no wonder people are becoming increasingly distrustful of their governments.
It may be that there are occasions when governments and officials are justified in dissembling for the greater good, but in the vast majority of cases, the public interest is best served by transparency and accountability.
Too often, secrecy is used to cloak incompetence, corruption and self-interest. Sunlight is the best disinfectant for all.
If the politicians and officials who succoured Suharto's government really think their actions were justified, they should explain to the families of the 200,000 East Timorese killed during the Indonesian occupation how their relatives' deaths served a higher purpose.