East Timor

In this updated and much expanded edition of his celebrated book, Indonesia's Forgotten War: The Hidden History of East Timor, John Taylor tells in detail the story of what happened to this island people following President Suharto's downfall in the wake of the Asian economic crisis. The new Indonesian government conceded the right of the United Nations to organize the long delayed referendum giving the East Timorese a choice between continued association with Indonesia or independence.

Originally colonized by the Portuguese, East Timor was brutally invaded and occupied by Indonesian military forces in 1975. According to the UN, this resulted in the death of about a third of the population through massacres, starvation and disease. Subsequent events in Indonesia, however, have given rise to expectations of a fundamental change in its position on East Timor. Considering the potential for change against a backdrop of growing popular and political support for the Timorese cause, this book addresses its emergence as an issue of global importance. The authors set out to show how local, grassroots, individual, organizational and campaign initiatives have contributed to this state of affairs, in the context of an increased international-relations emphasis on ethics, international morality and human rights.

In his view, much if not all of the horror that plagued East Timor in 1999 and in the 24 preceding years could have been avoided had countries like Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and especially the United States, not provided Indonesia with valuable political, economic, and military assistance, as well as diplomatic cover.

One of the most troubling but least studied features of mass political violence is why violence often recurs in the same place over long periods of time. Douglas Kammen explores this pattern in Three Centuries of Conflict in East Timor, studying that region’s tragic past, focusing on the small district of Maubara. Once a small but powerful kingdom embedded in long-distance networks of trade, over the course of three centuries the people of Maubara experienced benevolent but precarious Dutch suzerainty, Portuguese colonialism punctuated by multiple uprisings and destructive campaigns of pacification, Japanese military rule, and years of brutal Indonesian occupation. In 1999 Maubara was the site of particularly severe violence before and after the UN-sponsored referendum that finally led to the restoration of East Timor’s independence. Beginning with the mystery of paired murders during East Timor’s failed decolonization in 1975 and the final flurry of state-sponsored violence in 1999, Kammen combines an archival trail and rich oral interviews to reconstruct the history of the leading families of Maubara from 1712 until 2012. Kammen illuminates how recurrent episodes of mass violence shaped alliances and enmities within Maubara as well as with supra-local actors, and how those legacies have influenced efforts to address human rights violations, post-conflict reconstruction, and the relationship between local experience and the identification with the East Timorese nation. The questions posed in Three Centuries of Conflict in East Timor about recurring violence and local narratives apply to many other places besides East Timor—from the Caucasus to central Africa, and from the Balkans to China—where mass violence keeps recurring.

With expert analysis and clarity of writing, James Dunn highlights the disturbing gap between the noble rhetoric and the heartless reality of international commitment and resolve East Timor: A Rough Passage to Independence is a story of political intrigue and the hidden world of international diplomatic deals. It is also the story of countless individuals, governments, and international bodies who, ultimately, pulled together to change the luck of this tiny island. From the days of colonial Portuguese rule, through the tumultuous years of the Indonesian invasion, to the present day this book is a disturbing portrayal of the complete failure of the international community to deal with the East Timor situation.

This book presents a history of the struggle for independence by East Timor, after it was invaded by Indonesia in 1975. The occupation, which lasted 24 years, was immediately resisted through guerrilla warfare and clandestine resistance. A continuum of effort - between the armed freedom fighters in the mountains, the resilience of urban supporters, and international activism and support - eventually brought about liberation in September 1999. Given that the Timor rebels did not have a land border with a friendly state, nor an external supplier of weapons, nor a liberated area in which to recover between guerrilla operations, their successful resistance is unique in the history of guerrilla warfare and independence struggles. Equally uncommon was an unexpected weapon in the struggle: a remarkable display of strategic non-violent action. This is the first study to integrate all the major factors in East Timor's independence struggle. The multi-dimensional perspectives addressed include: Indonesian, US, and Australian diplomacy * Indonesian military operations and activities against the populace * East Timorese resistance at all social levels * human rights abuses * the issue of oil * international diplomacy resulting from global solidarity activism. (Series: Sussex Library of Asian Studies)

Momentum and the East Timor Independence Movement: The Origins of America’s Debate on East Timor examines the campaigns by people in the United States on behalf of those seeking peace for East Timor. The diplomatic work of voluntary advisors and supporters living in the United States in the early years of the movement have not been thoroughly explored until now. Through in-depth interviews with twenty activists and intellectuals involved in the East Timor movement from 1975-1999 and qualitative data analysis on information obtained from these interviews, this book explores “momentum” and “turning points” as perceptions in the minds of individual movement actors. The author takes readers through a combination of historical events that shaped social movement actors' attitudes and started a social movement momentum sequence in 1995. The East Timor All Inclusive Dialogue, the Timorization of Indonesia, the public outcries, organizational evolution, and a number of other turning points in the movement represented a series of successes that led to East Timor's independence.

Timor-Leste will delight visitors with its fascinating mix of history, culture and natural beauty. Travellers visiting now will share in a unique and historical moment, experiencing a country that is stepping into a peaceful and democratic reality.

"In this updated and much expanded edition of his book, Indonesia's Forgotten War: The Hidden History of East Timor, John Taylor tells in detail the story of what happened to this island people following President Suharto's downfall in the wake of the Asian economic crisis. The new Indonesian government conceded the right of the United Nations to organise the long delayed referendum giving the East Timorese a choice between continued association with Indonesia or independence. At the very moment the historic vote was being counted, however, armed gangs organised by elements of the Indonesian military plunged the island into an orgy of killing, burning and forced flight. An appalled world witnessed their bloody defiance of the people's will and of the international community. John Taylor analyses the world' reaction to this new genocide of the East Timorese people, the belated despatch of a peacekeeping force, and the prospects of independence."--Jacket.

Colonial legacies -- Invasion and genocide -- Occupation and resistance -- Mobilizing the militias -- Bearing witness, tempting fate -- The vote -- A campaign of violence -- Intervention -- Justice and reconciliation.