ABSTRACT
On November 28, 1975 the dominant political party of Timor Leste, FRETILIN, made its independence declaration as the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste. The Indonesian invasion had already commenced with the unflinching support of those nations that had important geo-political interests in Southeast Asia-namely the United States and Australia. Six months later, in 1976, Indonesia incorporated East Timor as its 27th province-Timur Timor. Indonesian sovereignty, however, was not recognized by either the East Timorese or the United Nations. FRETILIN troops withdrew into the mountains and commenced a 24-year-long resistance war against the invaders. The Armed Forces for the National Liberation of East Timor (FALINTIL) deftly pursued the idea of a free and independent East Timor. Guerilla warfare tactics commenced after Nicolau Lobato died in 1979 and Xanana Gusmão took up the FALINTIL leadership (Soares 2000:59). This chapter considers some of the significant events and developments
that impacted the lives of the East Timorese people under the 24-year Indonesian “custody”; particularly those with consequences for the current dynamics of nation building processes in Timor Leste. The overview of this slice of history will consider the issues of development, human rights abuses, and the resistance movement under Indonesian occupation.
