1999 East Timorese crisis

1999 East Timorese crisis
	Part of the Indonesian occupation of East Timor, Decolonisation of Asia and the Fall of Suharto
	; Destroyed houses in Dili
Date	April 1999 – 2002
Location	East Timor
Result	East Timorese tactical victory Defeat of pro-Indonesian militia; Stabilisation of East Timor; East Timorese independence referendum; US embargo of military sales to Indonesia from 9 September 1999 to 22 November 2005; UK embargo of military sales to Indonesia from 11 September 1999 to 11 April 2012; Australia embargo military sales to Indonesia September 1999; European Union (EU) embargo military sales to Indonesia 16 September 1999 – 17 January 2000; Pro-Indonesia militia strategic victory 80% of East Timor's infrastructure destroyed by Scorched Earth Operation; Indonesia retains strong influence in East Timor;
Belligerents
East Timor; INTERFET; UNTAET	Pro-Indonesia militias Aitarak; Besi Merah Putih; Laksaur; Mahidi;
Commanders and leaders
John Howard; Peter Cosgrove; Jenny Shipley; Helen Clark; Sérgio Vieira de Mello; Brig. Gen. Paulo Pereira Guerreiro †;	Wiranto; Eurico Guterres
Strength
11,000 military and police	13,000 militias
Casualties and losses
17 killed (UNTAET personnel) 49 UN staff and NGOs captured later released;	15–19 killed; 301+ captured;
	1,400 civilians killed; 220,000+ refugees; 3 UNHCR staff killed; 2 journalists killed; 1 Indonesian soldier killed; 1 Indonesian police officer killed

The 1999 East Timorese crisis began with attacks by pro-Indonesia militia groups on civilians, and expanded to general violence throughout the country, centred in the capital Dili. The violence intensified after a majority of eligible East Timorese voters voted for independence from Indonesia. Some 1,400 civilians are believed to have died. A UN-authorized force (INTERFET) consisting mainly of Australian Defence Force personnel was deployed to East Timor to establish and maintain peace.

^ ^a ^b "53. Indonesia/East Timor (1976-2002)". uca.edu.
^ "BBC News | Asia-Pacific | Military sanctions against Indonesia". news.bbc.co.uk.
^ "U.S. Removes Six-Year Embargo Against Indonesia". Associated Press. 25 March 2015.
^ "Britain sells weapons to Indonesia after 13 year hiatus". The Telegraph. 11 April 2012.
^ "EU Arms Embargo to Indonesia Lifted Despite Worsening Situation in the Archipelago". Transnational Institute. 17 November 2005.
^ "BBC News | ASIA-PACIFIC | EU lifts arms embargo on Indonesia". news.bbc.co.uk.
^ "Timor-Leste dancing to Indonesia's tune despite 20 years of independence - UCA News". ucanews.com.
^ "Failed Humanitarian Intervention in East Timor". 6 April 2012.
^ "East Timor mourns death of UN peacekeeping force's top military observer". UN News. 9 September 2002.
^ "UNSC Authorizes UN Troops for East Timor".
^ Media, Kompas Cyber (22 September 2017). "13.000 Eks Milisi Timtim akan Demo Seminggu Tuntut Kompensasi". KOMPAS.com. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
^ "Facts and figures". United Nations. 31 March 2002. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
^ "The untold story of the daring NZ SAS mission to rescue UN personnel in West Timor". Stuff. 5 September 2020.
^ "Japan Self-Defense Forces Participation in UN Peacekeeping: An Idea Whose Time is Past". nippon.com. 5 December 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Files reveal East Timor clashes". www.etan.org.
^ "Documents link NZ forces with Aussie torture probe". NZ Herald. 20 March 2024.
^ Alcott, Louisa May; Smith, Michael Geoffrey; Dee, Moreen (2003). Peacekeeping in East Timor: The Path to Independence. Lynne Rienner Publishers. ISBN 9781588261427.
^ "ASIANOW - Peacekeepers capture suspected elite forces in East Timor - September 28, 1999". www.cnn.com.
^ "Remembering UNHCR colleagues killed in Atambua, West Timor, twenty years on". UNHCR. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
^ "3 U.N. Workers Dead in West Timor Rampage". ABC News. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
^ "Attacks on the Press 1999: East Timor". Committee to Protect Journalists. 22 March 2000. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
^ "NZ peacekeepers kill Indonesian soldier". NZ Herald. 20 March 2024.
^ "Interfet fires at Indonesian police near frontier post". www.irishtimes.com.

[embargo-1] "53. Indonesia/East Timor (1976-2002)". uca.edu.

[2] "BBC News | Asia-Pacific | Military sanctions against Indonesia". news.bbc.co.uk.

[3] "U.S. Removes Six-Year Embargo Against Indonesia". Associated Press. 25 March 2015.

[4] "Britain sells weapons to Indonesia after 13 year hiatus". The Telegraph. 11 April 2012.

[5] "EU Arms Embargo to Indonesia Lifted Despite Worsening Situation in the Archipelago". Transnational Institute. 17 November 2005.

[6] "BBC News | ASIA-PACIFIC | EU lifts arms embargo on Indonesia". news.bbc.co.uk.

[7] "Timor-Leste dancing to Indonesia's tune despite 20 years of independence - UCA News". ucanews.com.

[8] "Failed Humanitarian Intervention in East Timor". 6 April 2012.

[9] "East Timor mourns death of UN peacekeeping force's top military observer". UN News. 9 September 2002.

[10] "UNSC Authorizes UN Troops for East Timor".

[11] Media, Kompas Cyber (22 September 2017). "13.000 Eks Milisi Timtim akan Demo Seminggu Tuntut Kompensasi". KOMPAS.com. Retrieved 6 August 2023.

[12] "Facts and figures". United Nations. 31 March 2002. Retrieved 23 January 2023.

[13] "The untold story of the daring NZ SAS mission to rescue UN personnel in West Timor". Stuff. 5 September 2020.

[14] "Japan Self-Defense Forces Participation in UN Peacekeeping: An Idea Whose Time is Past". nippon.com. 5 December 2016.

[auto1-15] "Files reveal East Timor clashes". www.etan.org.

[16] "Documents link NZ forces with Aussie torture probe". NZ Herald. 20 March 2024.

[17] Alcott, Louisa May; Smith, Michael Geoffrey; Dee, Moreen (2003). Peacekeeping in East Timor: The Path to Independence. Lynne Rienner Publishers. ISBN 9781588261427.

[18] "ASIANOW - Peacekeepers capture suspected elite forces in East Timor - September 28, 1999". www.cnn.com.

[19] "Remembering UNHCR colleagues killed in Atambua, West Timor, twenty years on". UNHCR. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.

[20] "3 U.N. Workers Dead in West Timor Rampage". ABC News. Retrieved 6 August 2023.

[21] "Attacks on the Press 1999: East Timor". Committee to Protect Journalists. 22 March 2000. Retrieved 12 November 2020.

[22] "NZ peacekeepers kill Indonesian soldier". NZ Herald. 20 March 2024.

[23] "Interfet fires at Indonesian police near frontier post". www.irishtimes.com.

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