East Timor: the Path of Democracy for the World's Newest Nation
The Conflict
In 1999 East Timor erupted in bloodshed following a vote for independence. East Timor had been ruled by Indonesia, and had voted in support of independence. Anti-independence militias attacked the people of East Timor.
Political
- During the Cold War, the West supported Indonesia's takeover of East Timor because of its emerging socialist regime.
- In 1999 the people of East Timor sought, campaigned for and won an election that would grant them independence from Indonesia.
Religious
• Indonesia is predominately Muslim. East Timor is predominately Catholic. The rebels who attacked the East Timorese were Muslims who did not want to see East Timor become independent from Indonesia. There has been some suggestions that the Indonesian army participated in or encouraged the killing.
In August 1999, the people of East Timor went to the polls to vote for their independence. After years of military occupation by Indonesia, the whole world watched what was to be a triumph of democracy for the eastern section of a small island four hundred miles north of Australia. The event became an international affair. To insure that the referendum was free and fair, a United Nations (U.N.) observer team registered voters and made sure polling stations were not tampered with.
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