Return
to Story Page
To print: Select File and then Print from your
browser's menu
Jakarta, Sept 4: Twenty-Four years have passed since Indonesia's then president Suharto ordered his troops into the former Portuguese colony of East Timor.
In the quarter century of brutal Indonesian occupation that followed at least 200,000 were killed there.
Since the historic referendum on independence from Indonesia or autonomy under Jakarta that was held on August 30, near anarchy has broken out on the eastern Indonesian island Timor.
Following are some of the most important events in East Timor's history.
1702:
East Timor became a Portuguese colony
April 25, 1974:
A military coup in Lisbon led to Portugal's decolonisation.
November 28, 1975:
After portuguese administrators left East Timor and a short civil war ended, the marxist party fretilin proclaimed East Timor a people's republic.
December 7, 1975:
Indonesian's military marched into East Timor.
July 17, 1976:
Indonesian's parliament annexed East Timor as its 27th province,celebrating it as ``integration''. The United Nations did not recognise the move and considered East Timor a ``non-autonomous territory'' under Portuguese authority.
1983:
The UN human rights commission in a resolution confirmed East Timor's Independence.
November 12, 1991:
Indonesian soldiers opened fire on mourners at a funeral of a leading independence activist in East Timor's capital Dili. Jakarta confirms 51 dead, but eyewitnesses said at least 180 people were killed.
November 20, 1992:
Rebel leader Xanana Gusmao was arrested, charged with subversion and sentenced to life in prison. Under foreign pressure, Suharto eased the penalty to 20 years in prison.
October 11, 1996:
East Timor's catholic bishop Carlos Belo and the self-exiled opposition leader Jose Ramos-horta were awarded the Nobel peace prize for their work towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict in East Timor.
May 21, 1998:
Suharto was forced to step down, leading the way to thepolitical question of East Timor's future. Suharto's successor BJ Habibie offered East Timor autonomy.
January 27, 1999:
For the first time, Indonesia promised East Timor independence if the East Timorese people denied Jakarta's autonomy offer.
February 10, 1999:
Gusmao was put under house arrest.
February 27, 1999:
Gusmao proposed a UN.-supported transitional government in East Timor.
May 5, 1999:
Indonesia and Portugal closed an historic pact of autonomy for East Timor.
August 30, 1999:
Peaceful referendum under UN supervision for the autonomy or independence of East Timor.
September 4, 1999:
UN security council announced East Timorese voted 78.5 per cent against autonomy and thus favoured independence.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
------------------------------------------------------------
This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
------------------------------------------------------------