ForgottenDiaries.org

East Timor

Capital: Dili

Ethnic Groups: Malayo-Polinesian, Melanesian/Papuan, Mesticos

Official Languages: Tetum and Protuguese

Government: Parliamentary Republic

East Timor had been administered by Portugal until the fall of the Caetano regime in 1974. Chaotic decolonisation measures led to the emergence of several political parties: the pro-independence FRETILIN (Frente Revolucinoaria de Timor Leste Independente), the pro-Portuguese UDT (Uniao Democratic de Timor); and the pro-Indonesia Apodeti (Associacao Populer Democratica di Timor), as well as two smaller parties. A civil war between the UDT and FRETILN erupted in August 1975. On 28 November 1975, the FRETILIN unilaterally declared independence.

Twenty-two years of poor administration and serious human rights abuses kept popular support for FRETILIN high and turned the Catholic Church into the most important independent institution allowed in East Timor. Huge numbers of East Timorese died in the first ten years of occupation as result of violence and famine caused by forced resettlement. A figure of 200,000 deaths is often cited but quite difficult to prove exactly, and possibly too high; nevertheless, the enormity of Timorese losses is unquestioned. East Timor began to open up in 1989 after the papal visit, but got world's attention after the 12 November 1991 Santa Cruz massacre, when Western journalists caught Indonesian forces firing on unarmed, pro-democracy supporters on camera.

At this point, the UN had not yet recognized Indonesia’s annexation of East Timor. Desultory talks under the UN's auspices aimed at finding a political solution which could be acceptable to both Indonesia and Portugal, started anew following the fall of Indonesia's President Soeharto in May 1998.

A set of agreements between the Indonesian and the Portuguese governments, signed in New York on 5 May 1999, entrusted the UN to conduct a "popular consultation" to determine whether East Timorese supported autonomy within Indonesia or wished to separate. The UN Security Council Resolution number 1246 created the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) to organize and administer the ballot, which took place in 1999. With 98.6 per cent turnout, 78.5 per cent of population voted against autonomy, and de facto voted for independence. Militia violence, already widespread before the ballot, escalated after the results and was supported by the Indonesian security forces. Hundreds of thousands of East Timorese were forced into West Timor, and most of country’s infrastructure burned to the ground. In May 2002, East Timor became the independent country of Timor-Leste.

The UN and international community acknowledge crimes against humanity committed in East Timor between January and October 1999, but justice efforts so far have failed (November 2004). In the best interests of maintaining good relations with Indonesia, the Timor-Leste government has not backed the idea of the creation of an international tribunal.