In pragmatic terms, however, association to political parties was strategically used. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. The university of oxford held an academic consensus calling the indonesian occupation of east timor a genocide and yale university teaches it as part of. Government of the democratic republic of timor leste. East tim or is a country in southeast asia, officially known as democratic republic of ti mor leste. Chomsky in 1999 writes on us intervention and the indonesian governments bloody war in east timor since 1975. Political dynamics, development, and international involvement congressional research service 7 by the end of 2007, the government of east timor created the national recovery strategy program, which covers five areashousing, community trustbuilding, security and stability, social protection, and local socioeconomic development. Instead, the main focus of this study falls on the seat of australias government, canberra, during the period after december 1998 when prime minister john howard wrote to indonesias president b. The first inhabitants are thought to be descendant of australoid and melanesian peoples. A strange quirk of history also created the enclave of oecussi as portuguese territory. Jun 19, 2017 of course there were many incidents that accompanied east timor while still joining indonesia, including various means against the indonesian military, to a referendum that resulted in independence. The country comprises the eas tern half of the isla nd of timor and the nearby islands of atauro and jaco.
The invasion and occupation of east timor has to be understood, if not necessarily excused, in the context of the cold war. The united nations and selfdetermination in the case of. By 1747 there were two seminaries established in timor, in oecussi and in manatuto. Annex a brief history of east timor east timor human development report 2002 anthropological investigations indicate that the first people to arrive in timor, approximately 40,000 to 20,000 years bc, were of the vedoaustraloide type, similar to the vedas of ceylon. A geohistorical atlas of easttimor in 2002 translated into english in 2006, a history of christianism in east and west timor in 2004, a history of cartography and travel to timor island in 2006, and timorleste in search of. The 1991 dili massacre was a turning point for the independence cause and an east timor solidarity movement grew in portugal, the philippines, australia, and other western countries following the resignation of indonesian president suharto, a unsponsored agreement between indonesia and portugal allowed for a unsupervised popular referendum in august 1999. Balibo, a 2009 australian film about the balibo five, a group of australian journalists who were captured and killed just prior to the indonesian invasion of east timor. Indonesian occupation of east timor project gutenberg. A detailed statistical report prepared for the commission for reception, truth and reconciliation in east timor cited a minimum bound of 102,800 conflictrelated deaths in the period 19741999, namely, approximately 18,600 killings and 84,200 excess deaths from hunger and illness, with an estimated figure based on. The indonesian invasion of east timor, known in indonesia as operation lotus indonesian. Timorleste has made impressive progress since its historic achievement of. East timor politics and government 8 war on terrorism, 2001 8 united states politics and government 2001 8 indonesia politics and government 1998 8 east timor history autonomy and independence movements 7 political atrocities east timor 6 iraq war, 2003 4 east timor autonomy and independence.
Indonesian occupation of east timor project gutenberg self. Us approved 1975 indonesian invasion of east timor world. East timor is a parliamentary democracy, in which the president is head of state and the prime minister is head of government. Conflict profile east timor indonesia 1975 1999 shortly after obtaining independence from portugal in 1974, east timor or timorleste was invaded by indonesians who occupied the country until 1999. A number of books have been published about east timors history during the period 194599. The democratic republic of east timor or timor leste is a country in southeast asia. The two countries have defined most of their borders. East timor time line chronological timetable of events. After centuries of portuguese colonial rule in east timor, a 1974 coup in portugal led to the decolonisation of its former colonies, creating instability.
The i constitutional government, led by mari hamud alkatiri, was sworn in on 20 may 2002, on the same date that the independence of timorleste was proclaimed and of the first plenary meeting of the i legislature of the national parliament 11 following the political and military crisis of 2006, the prime minister presented his resignation, which was accepted by the president of the. In 1975, the portuguese army left, and east timor was invaded taken over by the indonesian army in 1975. It occupies the eastern half of the island of timor, the small nearby islands of atauro and jaco, and the enclave of ambeno. There shall be original citizenship and acquired citizenship in the democratic republic of east timor.
East timor the reader wiki, reader view of wikipedia. Explore timorleste holidays and discover the best time and places to visit. East timor includes the enclave of oecussi, which is located within west timor indonesia. The east timor genocide refers to the pacification campaigns of state terrorism by the indonesian new order government during the usbacked indonesian invasion and occupation of east timor. The rest of the island of timor, and the other islands that were later to become indonesia, were colonised by the dutch between the 17th and 19th centuries, and were known as the dutch east indies. On november 28, the democratically elected government of east timor, fearing an imminent indonesian invasion, proclaimed the democratic republic of east timor.
Portuguese governments of 19741976, at the time of the collapse of the. Timor was first colonized by the portuguese in 1520. Isaacson gives a figure of 100,000 deaths resulting from the occupation, or oneseventh of the population, and there are good judges who put this. Since independence, formerly suppressed political tensions within the modern nationalist. The portuguese colonization and the problem of east timorese. The i constitutional government, led by mari hamud alkatiri, was sworn in on 20 may 2002, on the same date that the independence of timor leste was proclaimed and of the first plenary meeting of the i legislature of the national parliament 11. Saigon had fallen, and it looked as though east timor might also go communist. Australia and east timor reach historic international.
The crossing covers a crucial time in east timors history. The impotence of the portuguese government in the 70s opened the door for indonesia to declare its desire to absorb what amounted to a microscopic nation occupying half of a small island in the indonesian archipelago. East timor is the culmination of the historical resistance of the timorese people. Author of more than ten books on southeast asia, the malay world and indonesia, his books on timor include. A geohistorical atlas 2006, and in french, a history of christianity in east and west timor 2004 and a study of the economic and political perspectives of the country 2008. Dec 19, 2001 us approved 1975 indonesian invasion of east timor by frank gaglioti 19 december 2001 previously secret documents published by the national security archive at george washington university prove. The state shall recognise and value the norms and customs of east timor that are not contrary to the constitution and to any legislation dealing specifically with customary law. The portuguese first arrived in timor in the 16th century, and in 1702 east timor came under portuguese colonial administration. A brief history of east timor new internationalist. History of east timor, experience the modern and ancient historic past events, people and governments of east timor lonely planet.
East timor and the struggle for independence springerlink. For a long time, portugal controlled the east timor and called it the colony of portuguese timor. Timorleste earlier east timor government website covers all areas of government responsibility. The indonesian occupation of east timor began in december 1975 and lasted until october 1999. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading historical dictionary of east timor historical dictionaries of asia, oceania, and the middle. Tales from timor leste 2003 posted on september 29. Historical dictionary of east timor historical dictionaries of asia, oceania, and the middle east book 79 kindle edition by gunn, geoffrey c download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. East timor or timorleste officially the democratic republic of timorleste portuguese. Dec 31, 2012 the uns administration of east timor, from the violent departure of indonesia in september 1999 to formal independence in may 2002, in effect midwifed the birth of its 191st member state. Here are links to each of his 24 monthly newsletters.
He has published more than twenty books on the region, including east timor, a country at the crossroads of asia and the pacific. The nation of east timor occupies the eastern half of the island of timor as well. Indonesias occupation of east timor was marked by violence and brutality. The missionising work of the dominican friars, however, was hampered by a rather tense relationship with the colonial administrative government on east timor. Congressional budget justification document, book ii, released may 2009.
After indonesia, east timor s closest neighbor is australia, 400 mi to the south. Historical dictionary of east timor historical dictionaries. This website provides online articles and links on history, culture and news of east timor. From the 16th century onwards, east timor was a portuguese colony known as portuguese timor. This island nation, situated between indonesia and australia, was a portuguese colony for four centuries, enjoyed a brief period of independence following portugals carnation revolution in the mid1970s, but was then invaded by indonesia and endured more than two decades of violent occupation by that country before. Australian council for overseas aid acfoa, report on visit to east timor for the acfoa timor task force, acfoa, canberra, november 1975. The president is directly elected to this largely ceremonial post. Fretilin, for example, ostensibly related the figure of lu olo to the history of the. Indonesia occupied east timor from december 1975 to october 1999.
In 2005, the commission for reception, truth and reconciliation in east timor reported on human rights violations in period of indonesian rule and the year before and offered the first national history of east timor driven by timorese oral histories. The democratic republic of timor leste also sometimes east timor is a country in oceania comprising the eastern half of the island of timor, the nearby islands of atauro and jaco, and oecussiambeno, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within indonesian west timor. It comprises the eastren hauf o the island o timor, the nearby islands o atauro an jaco, an oecusse, an exclave on the northwastren side o the island, athin indonesian wast timor. Operasi seroja, began on 7 december 1975 when the indonesian military invaded east timor under the pretext of anticolonialism. Dossier on east timor, containing 26 documents, with eyewitness accounts from students in east timor, canberra, 1982. A geohistorical atlas of east timor in 2002 translated into english in 2006, a history of christianism in east and west timor in 2004, a history of cartography and travel to timor island in 2006, and timor leste in search of.
Under the supervision of the united nations, a national referendum to decide on either autonomy within indonesia or on independence from it was held, under u. Isaacson gives a figure of 100,000 deaths resulting from the occupation, or oneseventh of the population. The uns administration of east timor, from the violent departure of indonesia in september 1999 to formal independence in may 2002. Political dynamics, development, and international. Political dynamics, development, and international involvement congressional research service 7. After centuries of portuguese colonial rule in east timor, a 1974 coup in portugal led to the decolonisation of its former colonies, creating instability in east timor and leaving its future uncertain. The timor sea separates the island from australia to the south, and the indonesian province of east nusa tenggara lies to east timor s west. East timor simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The book pays particular attention to the historic. Australian government publishing service, official report of the australian parliamentary delegation to east timor, canberra, 1983. By 1749 the topasses controlled central timor and marched on kupang, but the dutch won the ensuing battle, expanding their control of western timor in the process. This is broken down into the following subject areas. It begins by examining the historical background of the conflict, showing how. After centuries of portuguese colonial rule in east timor, a 1974 coup in portugal led to decolonisation among its former colonies, creating instability in east timor and leaving its future uncertain. Beatrizs war a guerra da beatriz, a 20 drama film produced by east timor set during the indonesian invasion. The validity of the laws and other actions of the state and local government depends upon their. After indonesia, east timors closest neighbor is australia, 400 mi to the south. Sep 29, 2015 a strange quirk of history also created the enclave of oecussi as portuguese territory surrounded on three sides by dutch west timor and bordered on the north by the sea.
A second wave, which arrived around 3000 years bc, consisted of. Annex a brief history of east timor welcome to valdosta. The democratic republic of timorleste also sometimes east timor is a country in oceania comprising the eastern half of the island of timor, the nearby islands of atauro and jaco, and oecussiambeno, an exclave on the northwestern side of. The university of oxford held an academic consensus calling the indonesian occupation of east timor a genocide and yale university teaches it as part of its genocide. As well as physically rebuilding the country, east timor has had to create a civil service, police, judiciary, education, health system and so on, with staff recruited and trained from scratch. The overthrowing of a popular and briefly fretilinled government later sparked a violent quartercentury occupation in which between approximately. This book provides a comprehensive country overview of southeast asias newest nation, timor leste east timor. The timorleste institute for reconstruction monitoring and analysis lao hamutuk this site provides online bulletins and reports about reconciliation, environment, health, justice, human rights, agriculture, economy and government of east timor. Us approved 1975 indonesian invasion of east timor by frank gaglioti 19 december 2001 previously secret documents published by the national security archive at george washington university prove. While surveys demonstrate high levels of popular pride in east timorese history leach 2012, the very centrality of the resistance to east timorese nationalism has resulted in considerable political conflict over. Part of the perspectives on comparative politics book series pcp. The day after kissinger left djakarta in 1975, the armed forces of indonesia employed american weapons to invade and subjugate the independent former portuguese colony of east timor. This island nation, situated between indonesia and australia, was a portuguese colony for four centuries, enjoyed a brief period of independence following portugals carnation revolution in the mid1970s, but was then invaded by indonesia and endured more than two decades of violent occupation by that country before finally becoming a. His research focuses on the military, political violence and history in.
By 1702 the carmelite order was also present in east timor. History of east timor lonely planet travel information. East timor issue, proof manuscript of forthcoming book chapter. East timor has an exclusive economic zone of 70,326 km 2 27,153 sq mi. On the morning of december 7, indonesia responded by initiating a naval bombardment of the city of dili, followed by landings of paratroopers from the air and. During the 25 years of indonesian rule, armed and peaceful east timorese groups struggled to overthrow the occupier. Political dynamics, development, and international involvement congressional research service summary the democratic republic of timorleste gained independence on may 20, 2002, after a long history of portuguese colonialism and, more recently, indonesian rule. It was where i was to be working for 3 months as a livelihoods researcher and trainer with oxfam. Of course there were many incidents that accompanied east timor while still joining indonesia, including various means against the indonesian military, to a referendum that resulted in independence.
National history remains an important concern of east timorese public life. This book focuses on its cultural and ethnolinguistic diversity, and its political history from the preportuguese period up to 2009. With hardlytouched bestintheworld reefs to dive, dugongs to spot, mountains to climb, and ancient traditions that have survived the ravages of war, asias newest country offers some of the worlds last great offthebeatentrack adventures. East timor, island country in the eastern lesser sunda islands, at the southern extreme of the malay archipelago. It occupies the eastern half of the island of timor, the small nearby islands of atauro kambing and jaco, and the enclave of ambeno, including the town of pante makasar, on the northwestern coast of timor. East timors constitutional passage to independence copyright. Australia in 1995 which found that east timor is a territory without selfgovernment and the east timorese are a people with a right to selfdetermination.