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| Australia - East Timor Friendship Association (SA)
Inc AETFA, c/- Global Education Centre, 1st Floor Torrens Building 220 Victoria Square, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Web: http://www.communitywebs.org/AustEastTimorFriendship/: Email: William.Fisher@postgrads.unisa.edu.au | |
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East Timor facts
Australia - East Timor Friendship Association (SA) Inc. East Timor is a recently independent country in south-eastern Asia, northwest of Australia, at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago. East Timor includes the eastern half of the island of Timor, the Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion, and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco. A border is shared with Indonesian West Timor. The Portuguese settled in East Timor in the early 16th century establishing a colony that lasted until 1974 when they withdrew. A conflict between East Timor’s Timorese Democratic Union (UDT) and Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin) which many believe was instigated by Indonesia resulted in their occupation of East Timor which began under the pretext of peacekeeping and which lasted for over twenty years. Indonesia claimed East Timor as its 27th province – a claim which was never recognised by the United Nations. A campaign of systemic genocide followed over the next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 individuals lost their lives and Indonesian troops were responsible for some of the most terrible crimes against humanity in recent history, with thousands of stories still emerging of summary executions, brutal rapes, torture, sexual enslavement, forced labour, forced resettlement and forced sterilisations. The reign of terror and destruction which was imposed on the men, women and children in East Timor has shattered countless lives. It was only after the collapse of the Indonesian economy and the resignation of its President Suharto that the hope of self determination for East Timor became a reality under the new President, B.J. Habibie. The new hope for freedom and recovery however was not easily realised. On 30 August 1999, in a UN-supervised popular referendum, the people of East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia. During 1999-2001, pro-integrationist militias supported by Indonesia waged a campaign of indiscriminate violence in East Timor, with many killed and maimed. In late 1999, about 70% of the economic infrastructure of East Timor was laid waste by Indonesian troops and anti-independence militias. Almost all the buildings in Dili were destroyed and almost every person fled their homes to seek safety in the mountains or in West Timor. Over the next three years a massive international program, with 5,000 peacekeepers (8,000 at peak) and 1,300 police officers, led to substantial reconstruction in both urban and rural areas. By mid-2002, all but about 50,000 of the refugees had returned. It was not until 20 May 2002, East Timor was internationally recognized as an independent state and the world's newest democracy. The country faces great challenges in continuing the rebuilding of infrastructure and the strengthening of its infant civil administration. One long-term project is the development of oil resources in nearby waters, which will bring revenue to the country. Australia could contribute greatly to East Timor’s development by ensuring a speedy and fair resolution of these negotiations. East Timor will then be able to gain its fair share of the resources.
Map source: ETAN, East Timor Action Network, U.S.A.
http://www.etan.org
The facts
Papuan, and Chinese minority.
East Timor Facts source: Caritas Australia http://www.caritas.org.au