INDEPTH: EAST TIMOR
Profile
CBC News Online | June 1, 2006
The residents of the eastern half of the island of Timor have had little say in the governing of their affairs for most of the past 450 years — since Europeans first came across the island. The region had been incorporated into Chinese and Indian trading routes for two centuries by the time Portuguese explorers arrived.
The Portuguese developed a trading relationship with the inhabitants of the island, which was rich in sandalwood and spices. By the middle of the 16th century, Portugal began to colonize the region. What is now East Timor was known for centuries as Portuguese Timor. The other half of the island was colonized by the Dutch and was known as West Timor.
The Dutch and the Portuguese clashed often over the region. The two sides battled for influence until they agreed on the current border in 1906. In 1942, the Japanese Imperial Army invaded and occupied the island until 1945. Based in the island's rugged interior, Allied forces along with Timorese volunteers staged a bloody guerrilla campaign against the Japanese. As many as 70,000 Timorese were killed.
After the war, the Portuguese retained control of its colony. On Dec. 27, 1949, the Dutch recognized the independent Republic of Indonesia, which included West Timor and the rest of its Dutch East Indies colonies.
In April 1974, the Portuguese government was overthrown in a military coup. The new government concluded that conditions at home were too unstable to deal with overseas territories, especially with guerrilla wars sapping resources in Angola and Mozambique. Portugal decided to divest itself of its colonies — but did so without an organized plan. East Timor was abandoned.
Political tensions in East Timor heated up with two factions — the Timorese Democratic Union (UDT) and the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETLIN) — vied for power.
On Aug. 14, 1975, the UDT took control in the capital, Dili. FRETLIN fought back, leading to a brief but bloody civil war. By the end of September, FRETLIN troops pushed UDT forces into Indonesian West Timor.
Shortly after FRETLIN's victory, Indonesian troops began incursions into East Timor. On Nov. 28, 1975, FRETLIN declared East Timor an independent state. Nine days later, the Indonesian army invaded. Indonesian president Suharto — a staunch ally of the United States — alleged that FRETLIN was communist and backed by China. Indonesia ignored a call by the UN Security Council that it withdraw its troops from East Timor.
Indonesia annexed the region and declared East Timor its 27th province in July 1976. The Timorese were not asked to determine their own political future through a free vote.
Indonesia's occupation was brutal. It's estimated that up to 250,000 people were killed as the military suppressed opposition to Jakarta's control of East Timor. By the late 1980s, Indonesia switched tactics and tried to win support by pumping money into the region — while still suppressing political opposition.
In the 1990s, Suharto had to deal with troubles of his own in Jakarta. Protests against his regime became widespread, and the United States withdrew support. By 1997, he was forced to step down. His chosen successor — B.J. Habibe — was named president.
On Jan. 27, 1999, Habibe announced a referendum for the people of East Timor. They would be allowed to choose between autonomy within Indonesia or independence. The UN, Portugal and Indonesia worked out details of the referendum, which was held on Aug. 30, 1999. Turnout was estimated at 98.6 per cent of the eligible electorate, which voted 78 per cent in favour of independence.
Jakarta did not take the results well. Timorese militias — organized and supported by Indonesia — struck back, killing an estimated 1,300 people and destroying much of the infrastructure. At least 300,000 people were pushed into West Timor as refugees.
Within a few weeks, an international peacekeeping team was deployed. It took about 8,000 foreign troops to keep the peace. By the end of September, the violence was over. East Timor was in a shambles, with irrigation and water-supply systems, schools, and nearly all of the electrical grid destroyed.
The UN remained to hold order. On May 20, 2002, East Timor was declared fully independent. It remains Asia's poorest country with the world's lowest per capita income of $400 US. However, it does have a thriving coffee industry and the potential for significant income from offshore deposits of oil and natural gas.
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Area: 15,007 sq. km
Population: 1,062,777
Religions: Roman Catholic 90 per cent, Muslim 4 per cent, Protestant 3 per cent
Official Languages: Tetum, Portuguese
Independence: Nov. 28, 1975 from Portugal, May 20, 2002 (internationally recognized date of independence from Indonesia)
Population below poverty line: 42 per cent
Literacy rate: 58.6 per cent
Source: CIA Fact Book
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