The small country of East Timor is called "magical" in that magical land of Southeast Asia. You might be wondering why, right?
Because East Timor has set a record unique among small South-East Asian countries: while other Southeast Asian countries became sovereign after one independence, East Timor became independent twice. This makes one wonder, is East Timor different? Of course. What makes Timor-Leste unique is that it was occupied not only by Portugal, but also by neighbouring Indonesia. It wasn't until 2002 that it finally gained independent status.
Historically, East Timor's two independence were due to the following reasons:
First, Dutch activities on the island of Timor set the stage for East Timor's two independence. During the 16th century, a period of great discoveries, Portuguese and Dutch colonists established colonies around the world and plundered wealth.
Timor Island, as a place located in Southeast Asia, is no exception. The Portuguese quickly took a fancy to the island and entered Timor in 1556. Later, they established a colonial regime on the island of Timor and controlled the land. The Dutch also became a Portuguese rival on the island of Timor, and in 1613 began to establish a colony in the western part of the island. After more than 20 years of competition, the eastern and western parts of Timor were controlled by Portugal and the Netherlands, respectively.
Over time, the colonial pattern of Southeast Asia took shape. The eastern part of the island of Timor became a Portuguese colony, while the western part of the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. The Dutch had no ambitions for eastern East Timor, but the Indonesians of the Dutch East Indies wanted East Timor. This is a typical colonial phenomenon, and the emerging national independent state wants to inherit the political map and influence of the former metropolis in the region to show its capabilities.
Just as India and Vietnam both want to restore their suzerainty in the region, Indonesia sees itself as a leader among Southeast Asian nations.
Second, political changes in Indonesia directly led to East Timor's two independence. In 1945, Indonesia finally became independent. Although radical nationalists in Indonesia had hoped to annex East Timor, the diplomatic line of Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, dictated that they would not attack East Timor. Sukarno, the founding father of Indonesia, fought against Dutch colonial rule as a young man and published the Indonesian Indictment in court. Sukarno became Indonesia's first president after independence. Since Sukarno opposes the occupation of small countries by big countries, his diplomatic ideas are the Non-Aligned Movement, oppose the interference of Western powers in the affairs of Asian, African and Latin American countries, and promote the unity of the Asian, African and Latin American peoples.
This makes Sukarno invincible against East Timor, as it is inconsistent with his diplomatic principles.
However, Sukarno's pacifist diplomacy has aroused the resentment of radical nationalists and right-wingers in Indonesia. They wanted to occupy East Timor, and Sukarno's diplomatic route became their tool to achieve their goals. To realize their dream of building a "Greater Indonesia Nicaea", they must get rid of Sukarno.
In 1965, a military coup broke out in Indonesia, Sukarno was deposed, and the far-right nationalist soldier Suharto seized power. Suharto became Indonesia's second president and established bloody rule. Under his rule, at least 500,000 people were massacred in Indonesia.
Suharto pursued a pro-Western foreign policy, buying weapons in large quantities for expansion.
At the same time, he also secretly observed the situation in East Timor. In 1974, the Portuguese revolution took the opportunity to declare independence and establish the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. If the Indonesian president had been Sukarno or Sukarno's successor, Indonesia might not have invaded East Timor. However, the Indonesian president at the time was Suharto with expansionist ambitions. He slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people at home, and naturally he would not take tiny East Timor seriously.
In 1975, Indonesia sent 35,000 troops to attack East Timor in full-scale territory, compared with more than 2,000 people. After fierce fighting, the East Timorese army was forced to retreat into the mountains for guerrilla warfare, and Indonesia forcibly occupied all of East Timor and declared it an Indonesian province.
Indonesia's illegal aggression against sovereign countries aroused the indignation of the international community, and Portugal and Indonesia severed diplomatic relations.
However, with its strong military, Indonesia remains unchecked.
The reasons for Indonesia's occupation of East Timor are as follows:
First, the Dutch incorporated the western part of the island of Timor into the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. The Netherlands may not have ambitions for East Timor, but Indonesia, which inherited the Dutch East Indies, could have ambitions for East Timor. Although during the Sukarno administration, Indonesia was influenced by Sukarno's diplomacy, and the division and ownership of East Timor was not important. But that changed during Suharto's administration. Once East Timor declared independence, Suharto, influenced by radical nationalist ideas in the country, would certainly occupy East Timor.
Second, Indonesia was pro-Western, and the right-wing Indonesian government feared that East Timor would fall to the Soviet Union. In Suharto's view, once East Timor fell to the Soviet Union, East Timor was likely to incite Sukarnotists in the country to overthrow Suharto's right-wing rule.
To consolidate power, Indonesia must occupy East Timor and prevent the formation of a pro-Soviet government in East Timor.
The Indonesian military has launched a large-scale sweep of East Timor, even using weapons of mass destruction such as petrol bombs, in violation of international law. Under Indonesia's brutal rule, 75 per cent of Timor-Leste's population lives below the poverty line.
Indonesia has continued to rule East Timor for more than 20 years. In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the question of East Timor once again became prominent, and national independence forces in the country rose. After Suharto stepped down, Indonesia's new president, Habibie, decided to abandon Timor-Leste. Because after Suharto's ouster, the international community's dissatisfaction with Indonesia's occupation of East Timor has become stronger.
Faced with difficulties such as the arms embargo, Indonesia can only withdraw its troops from East Timor.
By the end of 1999, Indonesian troops had withdrawn from East Timor. United Nations peacekeepers are stationed to maintain order and establish an interim administration in East Timor. On 20 May 2002, the Interim Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste was formally established, marking East Timor's second independence. This small country is finally on the path of normal development.
All in all, the Dutch incorporated the western part of the island of Timor into the Dutch East Indies, paving the way for East Timor's two independences. The coup d'état and ambitious nationalism within Indonesia were the direct causes of East Timor's two independences.
Resources:
[1] History of Indonesia, Delacre, Commercial Press
[2] Outline of the History of East Timor, by Liu Xinsheng, World Book Publishing Company