The ensuing civil war, primarily between Fretilin and UDT, set the stage for external intervention and provided the justification Indonesia needed to act. It is estimated that between 100,000 and 200,000 Timorese lost their lives during this period, a staggering number considering the pre-invasion population.
Indonesian Takeover East Timor Justification and Historical Context
The National Council of Maubere Resistance (CNRM), led by Fretilin, waged a persistent guerrilla campaign from the mountainous interior. Long-Term Impact and Casualties The occupation that followed was one of the most devastating periods for the East Timorese people.
Thousands of civilians were killed in the initial attacks, with many dying in the Dili massacre where Indonesian forces opened fire on a crowd at the Santa Cruz cemetery. The infrastructure of the new state was systematically dismantled, and the economy was integrated into Indonesia's system, effectively stripping the Timorese of their means of subsistence and traditional governance structures.
Indonesian Takeover East Timor Justification: Examining the Civil War and External Intervention
Portugal, burdened by its own internal politics, had declared East Timor a non-self-governing territory in 1960, yet moved slowly toward granting it full independence. The Mechanics of the Invasion On the morning of December 7, 1975, Indonesian warships positioned offshore began bombarding the capital, Dili.
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