Hoax: Indonesia Rejects Timor Leste's Request to Rejoin the Republic

A YouTube upload claims that Timor Leste submitted a request to rejoin the Republic of Indonesia, but the Indonesian government rejected it. The video also narrates that Indonesia was unwilling to accept Timor Leste back because it separated through a referendum organised by the United Nations on 30 August 1999. The video’s title reads: “INDONESIA FIRMLY REJECTS TIMOR LESTE’S REQUEST TO RETURN TO INDONESIA, REFUSES TO ACCEPT TRAITORS!” However, an investigation found no official statement from the Timor Leste government expressing a desire to rejoin the Republic of Indonesia. Furthermore, there is no official statement from the Indonesian government discussing or rejecting such a request. An examination of the 17-minute, 35-second video shows its content does not contain evidence or official statements supporting the claim in the title. The video largely discusses economic relations between Indonesia and Timor Leste, dependence on goods imported from Indonesia, infrastructure projects involving Indonesia, Timor Leste’s economic conditions, and the history of East Timor’s separation from Indonesia. No quotations were found from Timor Leste or Indonesian government officials stating there was a request to rejoin Indonesia. The claim in the video is merely the content creator’s opinion, speculation, and interpretation, unsupported by facts or official sources. Therefore, the claim that Timor Leste asked to rejoin Indonesia and was rejected by the Indonesian government is baseless information. Claim: Indonesia rejects Timor Leste’s request to rejoin the Republic of Indonesia. Rating: Hoax.