ABSTRACT
The experience of East Timor, following the invasion of the Portuguese colony by Indonesia in 1975, possesses unique characteristics as a case of genocide in a contemporary setting, in the terms of Article II of the Convention. As far as the Timorese are concerned there is another, historical dimension to their case. The Indonesian leader was he concerned at the impact military intervention in Timor might have on his personal standing as a leader free of the territorial ambitions that had, under Sukarno, threatened Indonesia with international isolation. Portuguese colonial practice was undeniably authoritarian in the time of Salazar, but its character had begun to change even before 1974, and since the April coup the change had been radical. The genocidal dimensions of the loss of life in East Timor emerged starkly in 1979-1980 when Indonesian authorities finally allowed a small number of international aid workers to survey the humanitarian needs of the province.
