Sign of Hope

Date Source

1/2/00 Internet*

East Timor: A newly born country. We all probably know about East Timor’s history. A colony of Portugal, and then captured by the strength of Indonesia in the mid-‘70’s, East Timor didn’t believe that their sign of hope would come true. But they were wrong.

In the early parts of ’99, East Timor saw their opportunity of making their sign of hope come alive. Indonesia was in shreds, and under the power of Former President B.J. Habibie. East Timor rallied and begged President Habibie to let East Timor have independence. Under huge pressure on the East Timor issue, Habibie angrily granted East Timor a referendum.

Of course, the result was that a vast majority of the East Timorese wanted independence. Habibie immediately sent in the Indonesian Army to try to crush the strong East Timorese Hope and to threaten the East Timorese. The East Timorese started to form Anti-Indonesian militia to try and drive out the Indonesian Army and Pro-Jakarta militia. Thousands of Indonesians and Timorese were killed during this painful time. Under immense pressure from the international community, Indonesian troops pulled out of East Timor. East Timor’s sign of hope changed when the United Nations took control. An Australian-led peacekeeping force moved in to protect East Timor and maintain law and order. East Timor’s Hope of Independence was restored.

Soon after, we all know that Habibie signed the papers that led to East Timor becoming a country. If Habibie had done so before, thousands of East Timorese and Indonesian Troops would haven’t died in combat fighting each other. It was only a signature made by a pen that could have saved the thousands who died.

With Indonesia having a new President (Wahid), lots of things changed. East Timor began to seek relations with their ‘arched-enemies’, since they knew that they couldn’t become a nation alone and they needed help. Both countries are slowly starting to forgive each other. All along, East Timor’s sign of hope was a referendum.

*=http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/8881/Timor

Bibliography

*=http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/8881/Timor

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