East Timor’s road to independence – achieved on 20 May 2002 – was long and traumatic.
The people of the first new nation of the century suffered some of the worst atrocities of modern times.
Human rights activists claim that at least 200,000 Timorese — about one quarter of the 1975 population – died as a result of Indonesia’s 25-year occupation, which ended in 1999. In its impact, this makes the genocide in East Timor far worse than the ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia, and more comparable to Rwanda in and Cambodia under Pol Pot .
Indonesia invaded shortly after Portugal withdrew in 1975 and forcefully tried to subdue a resentful people and guerrillas fighting for independence.
World powers were accused of contributing to the subsequent calamity by turning a blind eye or by actively supporting the occupation by supplying weapons.
Indonesia finally agreed in 1999 to let the East Timorese choose between independence and local autonomy. Militia loyal to Indonesia, apparently assisted by the military, tried in vain to use terror to discourage a vote for independence.
When the referendum showed overwhelming support for independence, the loyalists went on the rampage, murdering hundreds and reducing towns to ruins. An international peacekeeping force halted the mayhem and paved the way for a United Nations mission which helped East Timor back onto its feet.
As one of Asia’s poorest nations, East Timor will rely on outside help for many years. The infrastructure is poor and the country is drought-prone.