Highlights of East Timor's history
DILI, East Timor (JP): Long before East Timor became a Portuguese colony, the island was part of various kingdoms that ruled the region, the Sriwijaya and later the Majapahit kingdom.
The Portuguese came to the island in 1512, following their conquest of Maluku. Initially, the Portuguese came as traders as Timor was rich with sandalwood, spices and other crops. Only later on did the Portuguese decide to colonize the region.
The Dutch came to Timor in 1613 and soon clashed with Portugal over trade in the area. In 1851, the colonial powers decided to divide the island. The west went to the Netherlands and the east to Portugal.
Portugal opened coffee and rubber plantations in East Timor, but the people could not enjoy the harvest because most of it was exported to Portugal. In 1908, Portugal imposed high taxes on all East Timorese between 16 and 60 years old. Strict measures were meted out to those who failed to pay the tax.
The people often rebelled, trying to free themselves from their colonial shackles. Hundreds of thousands East Timorese were killed in at least 500 different revolts that took place between the 16th century and the time Portugal left the territory in 1975.
On April 25, 1974, a political revolution called Revolucao dos Cravos broke out in Portugal, overthrowing the fascist dictatorship of Salazar-Caetano, and sweeping an idealistic anti- colonial set of left-wingers into power. This brought changes to East Timor, which was then ruled by Governor Colonel Alves Aldeia. In June 1974, Lisbon gave East Timor three options: to continue its association with Portugal, to become independent, or to integrate with Indonesia.
Three major political parties emerged in East Timor following the withdrawal of the law banning the establishment of political parties in the region.
The first was the Uniao Democratica Timorese (UDT) or the Timorese Democratic Union. One of its founders, Mario Carrascalao, later became a governor of East Timor.
The second was the Associacao Social Democratica Timorense (ASDT) or Association of Timorese Social Democrats, whose key members included Ramos Horta. ASDT later changed its name into the Frente Revolucionaria de Timor Leste Independente (Fretilin), or the Revolutionary Front for the Independence of East Timor.
The third party was Associacao Popular Democratica Timorense (Apodeti) or Timorese Popular Democratic Association.
There were three other smaller parties. The first was the Associacao Popular Monarquica Timorense or the Popular Association of Monarchists of Timor, which was later renamed Kota, Klibur Oan Timur Aswain, or the Sons of the Mountain Warriors. The second was Partindo Trabalhista, the Labor Party, and the third was the Associacao Democratica Integracau Timor- Leste Australia or the Democratic Association for the Integration of East Timor into Australia.
Fretilin demanded independence for East Timor, Apodeti wanted to integrate with Indonesia, while UDT wanted to continue the association with Portugal.
In November 1974, East Timor was sent a new governor, Colonel Lemos Pires, who was tasked with decolonizing the territory. Pires backed Fretilin as he believed that the mission should be carried out quickly and at low cost.
In the meantime, the three main political parties in East Timor fought. Things got worse and worse. There were armed clashes, especially between supporters of Fretilin and UDT. With Pires' support, Fretilin gained power in the region.
Civil war broke in August 1975 when UDT launched a coup d'etat against Fretilin. Apodeti later joined forces with UDT. At their request, Indonesia sent "volunteers" to help them in the battle against Fretilin, which was backed by Pires.
On Nov.28, 1975 Fretilin declared an independent East Timor state, but both Indonesia and Portugal rejected the unilateral declaration.
On Nov.30, 1975, the other four parties, UDT, Apodeti, Kota and Trabalhista made a counter statement, in what was later called the Balibo declaration, proclaiming East Timor to be part of Indonesia.
Pires tried to contact Portugal, Indonesia and Australia in a last ditch attempt to seek a peaceful settlement, but it was too late.
The governor hastily abandoned East Timor, leaving a bloody war behind, according to Joao Mariano de Sousa Saldanha in The Political Economy of East Timor Development.
Bilveer Singh, the author of East Timor, Indonesia and the World: Myths and Realities, says that on Dec. 7, 1975 Indonesia sent 10,000 troops to East Timor led by Brig.Gen. L.B. Moerdani. On the same day, Portugal broke off diplomatic ties with Indonesia. Portugal also called on the UN to act.
On Dec.18, the four political parties opposed to Fretilin formed the Provisional Government of East Timor with Arnaldo doe Reis Araujo, the president of Apodeti, as its leader. Fretilin, however, resisted and the war continued for a few more months.
UDT said that at least 60,000 people were killed in the civil wars between August 1975 to February 1976.
An open general assembly was held at the Regional People's Assembly in Dili, on May 31, 1976. A petition was signed, requesting President Soeharto to accept the integration of East Timor to Indonesia.
Representatives of the Provisional Government of East Timor flew to Jakarta on June 6, 1976, to present the petition to President Soeharto. In response, Soeharto sent the Minister of Home Affairs, Gen. Amirmachmud, to East Timor for talks. The minister reported back that it was the people's wish to be integrated by Indonesia.
On July 16, 1976, the Indonesian House of Representatives passed a bill on the integration of East Timor into the country. President Soeharto signed it into law the following day, and East Timor officially became Indonesia's 27th province. (sim)
This article is based on Bilveer Singh's East Timor, Indonesia and the World, Myths and Realities, published by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, Singapore, 1995, and Joao Mariano de Sousa Saldanha's The Political Economy of East Timor Development, published by Pustaka Sinar Harapan, Jakarta, 1994.