East Timor and Indonesia -- Destabilisation and war -- The politics of starvation -- Regeneration in the 1980s -- Santa Cruz and the aftermath -- Chaos and order -- The juventude -- The tide turns -- Fracturing the bi-partisan consensus -- Military body language.
Summary:
This book presents a history of the struggle for independence by East Timor, after it was invaded by Indonesia in 1975. The occupation, which lasted 24 years, was immediately resisted through guerrilla warfare and clandestine resistance. A continuum of effort - between the armed freedom fighters in the mountains, the resilience of urban supporters, and international activism and support - eventually brought about liberation in September 1999. Given that the Timor rebels did not have a land border with a friendly state, nor an external supplier of weapons, nor a liberated area in which to recover between guerrilla operations, their successful resistance is unique in the history of guerrilla warfare and independence struggles. Equally uncommon was an unexpected weapon in the struggle: a remarkable display of strategic non-violent action. This is the first study to integrate all the major factors in East Timor's independence struggle.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.