We liberated the country... ...now we liberate the people of East Timor
About East Timor
The Peoples' Plight
From 1975 to 1999, East Timor suffered one of the most brutal occupations in history. One third of the Timorese population perished. Women were forcibly sterilised, torture centers were commonplace.
In 1999, when East Timor was granted its independence through a UN sponsored referendum, anti-independence militia were set loose upon the country. More than a thousand people were killed, including foreign journalists. 85% of the buildings -- virtually every school and every business -- were burned.
The tiny country of just about a million people was saved by the involvement of the international community and strong, non-violent Timorese leaders. Today it has emerged, literally from the ashes, as a fledging democracy.
Recent turmoil in East Timor reflects the challenges of building peace and democracy in the twenty first century. Steps taken, again by the international community working with strong non-violent leaders in the country, have averted a civil war. But the job is far from done.