Independence from Indonesia has been a long time coming for the people of East Timor. It follows 450 years of colonization and a quarter of a century of brutal occupation by Indonesia.

During those last 25 years, a third of the population - more than 250,000 people - were killed or allowed to die through starvation and disease. In August 1999, 78 percent of the population voted in a referendum for independence. A massive backlash by supporters of the Indonesian military followed.

A team from CSW Hong Kong and Australia has recently been on a fact-finding visit to the country, their fourth since the 1999 referendum. Before the referendum, the military warned that if the people voted for independence ‘blood will run like rivers’. Father Domingos da Silva Soares told CSW that if the United Nations had not stepped in ‘we would have been finished’. One tactic used to divide the people was to turn Catholics and Protestants against one another. "Indonesia wanted to destroy the unity of East Timor," said Fr Domingos. An Assemblies of God pastor added that churches had been burnt down and 1,000 AoG members had fled to West Timor to escapethe violence.

On May 20th, 2002 after two and a half years of United Nations transitional government which followed 24 years of brutal Indonesian occupation and over 400 years of Portuguese colonial rule, East Timor finally became an independent, sovereign nation. However, the transition is not expected to be an easy one.

Many observers believe East Timor is not entirely ready for full self-government. It has been devastated by years of war and destruction. Its young people have grown up in a culture of violence and many political parties are just self-interested clans. Jane Penfold of the British Office told CSW that the UN had been slow to prepare the Timorese for independence. Meanwhile, at least 50,000 refugees remain in West Timor, in camps controlled by the militia. Intimidation is rife.

A nun, Sister Lourdes, told CSW that she had made many visits to the camps to try to persuade the refugees to return. But each time she called a meeting, militia would ride into the room on motorbikes, rev their engines and intimidate the people. Eventually, Sister Lourdes and a priest addressed the militiamen about ‘coming home to the Father’s house’. As she spoke about returning not only to East Timor, but to God, repenting, and seeking forgiveness, several of the gunmen broke down in tears and some were converted. They then helped Sister Lourdes speak to refugees about returning to East Timor.

Juvencio de Jesus Martins was sentenced to seven years for calling for independence. He said the Christian faith of the East Timorese people was an essential part of their struggle and without God they could not have survived.

Now that Independence Has Been Established

CSW therefore makes the following recommendations to the international community:

• That the United Nations establish an international tribunal to bring to justice those outside East Timor who are responsible for crimes against humanity in East Timor from 1975-1999;
• That governments, non-governmental organizations and individuals lobby the United States of America to support the establishment of a war crimes tribunal;
• That the United Nations, governments, non-governmental organizations and individuals continue to provide assistance to East Timor in developing its own systems of justice, human rights and law;
• That international support for East Timor continue, but be more focused on capacity building and creating an environment of independence rather than dependency;
• That international organizations monitor developments in East Timor closely, especially political and religious freedoms;

Source: Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) Hong Kong/Australia