Indonesia and Timor-Leste

After World War II, when the Dutch East Indies became the autonomous nation of Indonesia, that nation’s leaders pursued an ancient tradition which embraced the neighbouring islands of Timor and Papua New Guinea.  The western section of each of those islands came quickly under Indonesian control as West Timor and Irian Jaya.

With a change in the political regime in Portugal in 1974, East Timor ceased to be a Portuguese colony.  As they withdrew, Portuguese officials advised the Timorese to choose one of three options: to retain links with Portugal,  to integrate with Indonesia or to become an independent nation.  Those options gave rise to three political parties, each one favouring one option.  A brief civil war resulted in the independence group, Fretilin, taking control.  

During those years, Indonesia also experienced civil unrest.  Although they at first publicly supported the right of the Timorese people to choose their destiny, a militarily dominated leadership planned and carried out an offensive movement which began   from their base in West Timor in October 1975.  Falintil, the armed wing of Fretilin, continued to resist as a guerrilla force in the mountains, but of the capital city Dili was captured and in the following year in August 1976 President Suharto signed a law which incorporated East Timor as the 27th Province of Indonesia.

With some recognition by neighbouring countries, and  despite calls from the United Nations Security Council to withdraw, Indonesian control tightened over the following twenty years.  Bahasa Indonesia became the language of government and education, repressive policies were imposed and thousands of Timorese citizens were killed in massacres  such as those carried out near Viqueque,  Liquica  and at the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili.

In 1999 the new President Habibie and Foreign Minister in Indonesia accepted international advice to hold a referendum in East Timor.  An overwhelming vote for independence was followed by savage destruction and killing by withdrawing troops.  In May 2002 the Democratic Republic of East Timor was formally declared.