Timor-Leste: A Belated, Long, and Troubled Decolonization

Abstract:The decolonization of Timor-Leste was the last episode of a comparatively belated process: the end of the Portuguese empire. Singular among its equals, this case failed to produce a genuine self-determination outcome, as the territory was invaded by its neighbor, Indonesia, installing a neo-colonial situation and exercising a brutal, repressive rule that endured for twenty-four years. A UN sponsored self-determination referendum (30 August 1999) allowed the East Timorese to express their deep feelings, and 78.5% rejected integration into Indonesia and chose Independence. The UN stepped in for a two-and-a-half year transition period in preparation for Independence, and in 2002 the new nation was granted statehood and membership of the United Nations. This short piece provides an overview of the belated, long and troubled process, and introduces the individual papers that address specific aspects of its history.