Dennis Debney

Checkmate Dennis Debney

Checkmate is a political cliffhanger with Australia's future on the line. It is Australia's worst nightmare, Indonesia seeks to annex the Kimberley Region in Australia's North West with the support of the traditional owners of the land - the Aboriginal people. Played out against a backdrop of nations on the verge of panic by predictions of a rise in sea level due to global warming, Indonesia manoeuvres to occupy the sparsely-populated region without the use of military force. If it succeeds, the ANZUS Treaty would not be activated as it provides for military support by USA only in the event of armed conflict. But Indonesia is not the only threat to Australia's security. China has wide ranging business interests in Australia and would react to any military confrontation between Australia and Indonesia by moving in troops to protect its investments. Australia has to decide whether to attempt to win a Pyrrhic victory, or accept the new reality and share ownership of the Australian land mass.