RAAP—062
EAST TIMOR GENOCIDE
East Timor (Timor-Leste), located on an island shared with Indonesia, has a history shaped by colonial rule and conflict. In 1975, the Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor (Fretilin) gained support for independence from Portugal. Indonesia, fearing Fretilin’s left-leaning policies and potential influence on its own minority groups, launched an invasion in 1975, leading to a brutal occupation.
During the occupation, the Indonesian army targeted civilians, carrying out mass executions, widespread torture, and the destruction of villages. Fretilin led resistance efforts from mountain strongholds but struggled to support refugees fleeing violence. Many who returned to Indonesian-controlled areas were placed in resettlement camps with poor living conditions. The occupation caused an estimated 170,000 deaths between 1975 and 1999, about 25% of East Timor’s 1975 population. The 1991 Santa Cruz massacre, in which 270 civilians were killed, brought international attention to the crisis.
Following the fall of Indonesia’s military dictatorship, a 1999 referendum saw 78.5% of East Timorese voters supporting independence. Despite violent intimidation, international pressure forced Indonesia to relinquish control, and East Timor achieved independence. Decades of conflict left the nation impoverished and traumatized, with most perpetrators of atrocities unpunished. Today, Timor-Leste remains one of the world’s poorest countries, focusing on rebuilding state institutions and overcoming its legacy of underdevelopment.
During the occupation, the Indonesian army targeted civilians, carrying out mass executions, widespread torture, and the destruction of villages. Fretilin led resistance efforts from mountain strongholds but struggled to support refugees fleeing violence. Many who returned to Indonesian-controlled areas were placed in resettlement camps with poor living conditions. The occupation caused an estimated 170,000 deaths between 1975 and 1999, about 25% of East Timor’s 1975 population. The 1991 Santa Cruz massacre, in which 270 civilians were killed, brought international attention to the crisis.
Following the fall of Indonesia’s military dictatorship, a 1999 referendum saw 78.5% of East Timorese voters supporting independence. Despite violent intimidation, international pressure forced Indonesia to relinquish control, and East Timor achieved independence. Decades of conflict left the nation impoverished and traumatized, with most perpetrators of atrocities unpunished. Today, Timor-Leste remains one of the world’s poorest countries, focusing on rebuilding state institutions and overcoming its legacy of underdevelopment.