Misplaced Pages

#493506

72-820: An independence referendum was held in East Timor on 30 August 1999, organised by United Nations Mission in East Timor . The referendum's origins lay with the request made by the President of Indonesia , B. J. Habibie , to the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 27 January 1999, for the United Nations to hold a referendum, whereby East Timor would be given choice of either greater autonomy within Indonesia or independence . Voters rejected

144-457: A Jesuit high school just outside Dili . After leaving high-school for financial reasons in 1961, at the age of 15, he held a variety of unskilled jobs, while continuing his education at night school. In 1965, at the age of 19, he met Emilia Batista, who was later to become his wife. His nickname, "Xanana", was taken from the name of the American rock and roll band " Sha Na Na ", (which is pronounced

216-555: A unilateral declaration of independence , and therefore partially recognised or self-proclaimed states, like the Donbas status referendums . In the event of a vote against independence, there may still be a strong nationalist movement and calls for there to be a rerun of the independence referendum. For example, after two referendums in Quebec , the Parti Québécois has continued to raise

288-632: A "courageous and principled leader for the independence of the East Timorese people". Also in 2000, he won the first Gwangju Prize for Human Rights , created to honour "individuals, groups or institutions in Korea and abroad that have contributed in promoting and advancing human rights, democracy and peace through their work." In 2002, he was awarded the North–South Prize by the Council of Europe . Gusmão

360-679: A bitter internal struggle occurred between two rival factions in Portuguese Timor. Gusmão became deeply involved with the Fretilin faction, and as a result he was arrested and imprisoned by the rival faction the Timorese Democratic Union ( UDT ) in mid-1975. Taking advantage of the internal disorder, and with an eye to absorbing the colony, Indonesia immediately began a campaign of destabilisation, and frequent raids into Portuguese Timor were staged from Indonesian West Timor . By late 1975

432-504: A certain percentage of the vote or the electorate needs to be in favour of an option for it to be binding. Successful negotiations can be hard to achieve for nationalists, as governments can be reluctant to give up sovereignty. For example, nationalists planned to hold a referendum in Catalonia in 2014, but met opposition from the Spanish government. As a result, the referendum that went ahead

504-534: A large backlash. Senior members of the Fretilin party met on 25 June to discuss Alkatiri's future as the Prime Minister, amidst a protest involving thousands of people calling for Alkatiri to resign instead of Gusmão. Despite receiving a vote of confidence from his party, Alkatiri resigned on 26 June 2006 to end the uncertainty. In announcing this he said, "I declare I am ready to resign my position as prime minister of

576-558: A leading opponent of Fretilin. In March 1981, a secret national conference in Lacluta elected him head of Falintil , succeeding the slain Nicolau dos Reis Lobatos . In 1988, Gusmão became leader of the newly formed National Council of Resistance (CNRT). To avoid being seen as partisan, Gusmão left Fretilin for this. Under his leadership, FALINTIL relied more on clandestine underground networks and used small groups to attack Indonesian targets. By

648-442: A population largely missing or terrified. "An estimated 80 percent of schools and clinics were destroyed, less than a third of the population remained in or near their homes, markets had been destroyed and transportation either stolen and taken across the border or burned, while telephone communications were nonexistent." Most of the trained professionals in East Timor happened to be Indonesian or Indonesia sympathisers, who largely left

720-1030: A regional police force. The Indonesian government would retain control of defence, employment law, economic and fiscal policies and foreign relations, whilst Indonesian laws already in force would have continuity in the territory. The autonomous government would have had competence over all matters not reserved for the Government of Indonesia, including the right to adopt a coat of arms as a symbol of identity. It would be able to designate persons as having "East Timorese identity" and could limit rights of land ownership for persons without this identity. A traditional civil code could also have been adopted. The SARET could enter into agreements with local and regional governments and international organisations for economic, cultural and educational purposes. The SARET would have been entitled to participate in cultural and sporting events where other non-state entities are able to participate. The United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) included

792-523: A seat in parliament as the first name on the CNRT's candidate list. The CNRT allied with other parties to form a coalition that would hold a majority of seats in parliament. After weeks of dispute between this coalition and Fretilin over who should form the government, Ramos-Horta announced on 6 August that the CNRT-led coalition would form the government and that Gusmão would become Prime Minister on 8 August. Gusmão

SECTION 10

#1732884085494

864-426: A territory. This could come in the election of politicians or parties with separatist policies, or from pressure from nationalist organisations . Negotiations for the terms of an independence referendum may take place between the nationalists and the government which exercises sovereignty over the territory. If terms can be agreed, then the independence referendum can be held with its result binding, and respected by

936-509: A triumphant reception and a heroes welcome from thousands of East Timorese on his return to Dili. In the 2018 general elections , Gusmão represented the CNRT in the Alliance for Change and Progress (AMP) trio and entered parliament at number one on the list. However, he renounced his mandate already for the first session on 13 June. On 5 July, Gusmão was appointed Minister of State of the Council of

1008-401: Is "Consultative Minister" and Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment. In the 2017 parliamentary elections in East Timor, Gusmão succeeded in entering parliament as the CNRT's list leader. However, the CNRT suffered heavy losses and came a close second behind Fretilin. On 4 August 2017, Gusmão announced his resignation as CNRT party leader. However, this resignation was not accepted at

1080-399: The 2012 parliamentary elections in East Timor, Gusmão succeeded in re-entering parliament. With the CNRT as the strongest party, he also leads the new government as Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. Alfredo Pires took over as Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources. Again, Gusmão renounced his seat in parliament. At the beginning of 2015, Gusmão announced his intention to reshuffle

1152-484: The 6th prime minister of East Timor since 2023, previously serving in that position from 2007 to 2015. A former rebel, he also served as East Timor's first president since its re-establishment of independence, from 2002 to 2007. Gusmão was born in Manatuto , in what was then Portuguese Timor , to parents of mixed Portuguese-Timorese ancestry, both of whom were school teachers. His family were assimilados . He attended

1224-601: The District Court and the National Police had already removed the belongings of seven families in Becusi Craic when Xanana Gusmão intervened with media attention. He ordered the police officers to carry the families' belongings back into the houses and waited until they had finished the job. As a result, Judge Zulmira Auxiliadora Barros da Silva, who had ordered the evictions, was publicly defamed. The events became known as

1296-490: The Same and Ainaro area on 14 November 1990 with Operasi Senyum ("Operation Smile"). Four days earlier, a woman had been captured who testified during interrogation that the rebel leader was staying at a nearby mountain. Xanana Gusmão, however, probably escaped one night before the attack. After the attack, in which twelve battalions and four helicopters were deployed, the military claimed to have found about 100 fighters. Also found

1368-401: The international community . Independence referendums can be held without the consent of a national or the federal governments, then the international community will rely on several other factors, e.g. were the local people oppressed by the central government or not, to decide if the result can be recognized or not. Various issues can be discussed in negotiations, such as the date and timing of

1440-504: The "Aimeti Laran case" and the "Becussi Craic". In April 2023, the Conselho Superior da Magistratura Judicial (CSMJ) issued a press release expressing regret for the judge's "campaign of professional disparagement" and criticising the "total obstruction" of the execution of the sentence with the media present. The CSMJ concluded that the judge had acted correctly, declared its solidarity with the judicial officials involved and insisted on

1512-530: The East Timorese people to decide between the two options, which were either "Do you accept the proposed special autonomy for East Timor within the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia?" or "Do you reject the proposed special autonomy for East Timor, leading to East Timor's separation from Indonesia?". The Indonesian government did not invest much time or resources in demonstrating to the people of East Timor

SECTION 20

#1732884085494

1584-400: The Fretilin faction had gained control of Portuguese Timor and Gusmão was released from prison. He was given the position of Press Secretary within the Fretilin organisation. On 28 November 1975, Fretilin declared the independence of Portuguese Timor as "The Democratic Republic of East Timor", and Gusmão was responsible for filming the ceremony. Nine days later, Indonesia invaded East Timor . At

1656-681: The Indonesian Penal Code (rebellion), Law no. 12 of 1951 (illegal possession of firearms) and Article 106 (attempting to separate part of the territory of Indonesia). He spoke in his own defence and he was appointed with defence lawyers before the commencement of his trial. The sentence was commuted to 20 years by the Indonesian President Suharto in August 1993. He was taken to Jakarta 's maximum security prison, Cipinang . Although not released until late 1999, Gusmão successfully led

1728-538: The Indonesian soldiers were looking for him. In November 1992, a campaign for his capture was finally successful in a large-scale operation by the Indonesian military with Gusmão apprehended in a tunnel under the family home of Aliança Araújo in Lahane near Dili and taken to Bali . In May 1993, Gusmão was tried, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Indonesian government. He was found guilty under Article 108 of

1800-674: The Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment by President Francisco Guterres. Due to the conflict with the President of the Republic over the appointment of CNRT ministers, Gusmão stayed away from the scheduled dates of his swearing-in ceremony and eventually renounced his position in the VIII Government . However, he continued to have responsibility for the Maritime Boundaries Office and continued negotiations with Australia until 2022. On 18 December 2019, Gusmão

1872-463: The Sun Rises , a 2006 documentary about him and East Timor. According to director Grace Phan, it's an "intimate insight into the personal transformation" of the man who helped shape and liberate East Timor. On 21 June 2006, Gusmão called for Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri to resign or else he would, as allegations that Alkatiri had ordered a hit squad to threaten and kill his political opponents led to

1944-523: The UN Security Council on September 15 named InterFET , which was largely constituted by Australian Defence Force personnel under the command of Major-General Peter Cosgrove , to be deployed to East Timor to restore order and to establish and retain peace. When the UN returned to East Timor from 22 October after being forced to leave for genuine fear for its members, they found the territory destroyed with

2016-596: The United Kingdom arrived in East Timor and in June 1998 affirmed that the East Timorese people should have the final decision regarding the region's commitment to Indonesia. In July, in the United States Senate , a resolution backed a United Nations led and supervised referendum for the East Timor to decide their attachment to Indonesia. On July 24, President Habibie decreed a series of withdrawals of Indonesian forces from

2088-589: The United States and Australia in the 1990s, a UN-sanctioned, Australian-led international peace-keeping force ( INTERFET ) entered East Timor. Upon his return to his native East Timor, he began a campaign of reconciliation and rebuilding. In 1999, Xanana Gusmão was elected speaker of the National Consultative Council (NCC), a kind of transitional parliament during the UN administration of East Timor. On 23 October 2000, Gusmão also became spokesman for

2160-535: The benefits of retaining its autonomy with the state. The months leading up to the referendum were characterised by intimidation and acts of violence committed by pro-integrationist militia groups. In March 1999, U.S. military intelligence noted "close ties" between the military and local militias, "many created by Indonesian Special Forces and Intelligence officers". It specifically mentioned "Wiranto's decision in early 1999 to provide hundreds of weapons to militia groups". The new Indonesian leader President Habibie prior to

2232-499: The details of the requested referendum. The referendum was to be held to determine whether East Timor would remain part of Indonesia, as a Special Autonomous Region, or separate from Indonesia. The referendum was organised and monitored by the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) and 450,000 people were registered to vote including 13,000 outside East Timor. The UN Consultation, originally scheduled for 8 August 1999,

1999 East Timorese independence referendum - Misplaced Pages Continue

2304-415: The displacement and forcible relocation of thousands of people to West Timor ". The report thus confirms how the militia initiated violence was conducted to create the illusion of a civil conflict between East Timorese, and how the Indonesian army was "responsible for the intimidation, terror, killings and other acts of violence" committed in East Timor throughout 1999. A multinational force was authorized by

2376-425: The extraordinary party congress and was later simply ignored. The CNRT went into opposition, which is why Gusmão lost his ministerial post. He also renounced his seat in parliament after the first day of the session. In the border disputes between Australia and East Timor, Gusmão worked as East Timor's chief negotiator. After the successful conclusion of the new Timor Sea border treaty on 6 March 2018, he received

2448-403: The government and also to resign early himself. On 5 February, he informed his coalition partners that he intended to propose former Health Minister Rui Araújo as his successor and resigned by writing to President Taur Matan Ruak . The President accepted his resignation and appointed Araújo to form a new government. The handover of office took place on 16 February. In the new government, Gusmão

2520-671: The government), the referendum is also called the East Timorese people's consultation ( Konsultasi rakyat Timor Timur ), since the referendum required the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) resolution to revoke its previous 1978 resolution if the majority of voters rejected the proposal. Indonesia had initially invaded East Timor in December 1975, soon after the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor ( Fretilin ), had declared

2592-463: The government...so as to avoid the resignation of His Excellency the President of the Republic [Xanana Gusmão]." The 'hit squad' accusations against Alkatiri were subsequently rejected by a UN Commission, which also criticised Gusmão for making inflammatory statements during the crisis. Gusmão declined to run for another term in the April 2007 presidential election . In March 2007 he said that he would lead

2664-628: The immediate post- Suharto period. As the follow-up step to Habibie's request, the United Nations organised a meeting between the Indonesian government and the Portuguese government (as the previous colonial authority over East Timor). On 5 May 1999, these talks resulted in the "Agreement between the Republic of Indonesia and the Portuguese Republic on the Question of East Timor" which spelled out

2736-546: The involvement of "240 international staff, 270 civilian police, 50 military liaison officers, 425 U.N. volunteers , and 668 local East Timorese staff for translation and driving," along with the additions of East Timorese people who were hired to help run the referendum. Special four wheel drive vehicles were flown into East Timor by the United Nations in order to cope with local conditions. All vehicles were fitted with radios which, together with 500 hand-held radios. The 5 May Agreement contained strict criteria on who could vote in

2808-483: The matter and instead announced that he wanted to hold talks with all parties. On 20 May 2022, Ramos-Horta took up his second term as President. In October 2022, several families in Dili's Aimeti Laran and Becusi Craic neighbourhoods were to be evicted from their homes. The landowner had enforced this in court, while the families justified their right to live there by saying they had been living there for decades. A team from

2880-535: The mid-1980s, he was a major leader. During the early 1990s, Gusmão became deeply involved in diplomacy and media management, and was instrumental in alerting the world to the massacre in Dili that occurred in Santa Cruz on 12 November 1991. Gusmão was interviewed by many major media channels and obtained worldwide attention. As a result of his high profile, Gusmão became a prime target of the Indonesian government. Indonesian troops (TNI) attempted to capture Gusmão in

2952-422: The new National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) into the parliamentary election planned to be held later in the year, and said that he would be willing to become prime minister if his party won the election. He was succeeded as president by José Ramos-Horta on 20 May 2007. The CNRT placed second in the June 2007 parliamentary election, behind Fretilin, taking 24.10% of the vote and 18 seats. He won

1999 East Timorese independence referendum - Misplaced Pages Continue

3024-537: The next three years he was actively involved in peaceful protests directed at the colonial system. It was in 1974 that a coup in Portugal resulted in the beginning of decolonisation for Portuguese Timor, and shortly afterwards the Governor Mário Lemos Pires announced plans to grant the colony independence. Plans were drawn up to hold general elections with a view to independence in 1978. During most of 1975

3096-459: The poll, as well as voter eligibility. For these instances, common electoral practice is often widely used, although there can be deviations, as seen with the lowering of the voting age for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum . Other issues to be negotiated include what question or questions should be on the ballot, and what the voting options could be. Independence referendums can offer options of greater autonomy as well as, or instead of,

3168-556: The proposed special autonomy, leading to their separation from Indonesia . This led to mass violence and the destruction of infrastructure in East Timor, before the UN Security Council ratified the resolution on 15 September for the formation of a multinational force ( INTERFET ) to be immediately sent to East Timor to restore order and security and end the humanitarian crisis. East Timor would officially achieve recognised independence on 20 May 2002. By many Indonesians (including

3240-600: The prospect of holding another referendum, and the Scottish National Party has said that there should be a repeat of the 2014 referendum now that the United Kingdom has left the European Union . Xanana Gusm%C3%A3o José Alexandre " Xanana " Gusmão ( Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuˈzɛ ɐlɨˈʃɐ̃dɾɨ ʃɐˈnɐnɐ ɣuʒˈmɐ̃w] ; born 20 June 1946) is an East Timorese politician. He has served as

3312-458: The province were not balanced by any measurable benefit to Indonesia. Due to this unfavourable cost-benefit analysis , the most rational decision would be for the province, which was not part of the original 1945 boundaries of Indonesia, to be given democratic choice on whether they wanted to remain within Indonesia or not. This choice was also in line with Habibie's general democratisation program in

3384-419: The rank of corporal. During this time, he married Emilia Batista, with whom he had a son Eugenio, and a daughter Zenilda. He has since divorced Emilia, and in 2000, he married Australian Kirsty Sword , with whom he had three sons: Alexandre, Kay Olok and Daniel. In 1971, Gusmão completed his national service, his son was born, and he became involved with a nationalist organisation headed by José Ramos-Horta . For

3456-443: The referendum. Those eligible to vote were defined as "persons born in East Timor", "persons born outside East Timor but with at least one parent having been born in East Timor", and "persons whose spouses fall under either of the two categories above". East Timorese living in exile overseas could also vote if they could get to polling centres in Portugal and Australia. In total, 200 registration centres were established in order to allow

3528-412: The region. East Timor youths from July to September 1998 conducted a free speech campaign that demonstrated to the "UN and the Indonesian government their rejection of autonomy and endorsement of an UN-supervised referendum." The Indonesian government was going through a period of reform during this period. It had invested largely in East Timor and Habibie faced pressure to protect Indonesia's interests in

3600-510: The resistance from within prison with the help of Kirsty Sword. Prior to his release, the United Kingdom offered Gusmão political asylum to ensure his safety. The Xanana Room at the British Embassy in Jakarta commemorates this today. By the time of his release, he was regularly visited by United Nations representatives, and dignitaries such as Nelson Mandela . On 30 August 1999, a referendum

3672-576: The same as "Xanana" which is spelled according to Portuguese and Tetum spelling rules) who in turn were named after a lyric from the doo-wop song " Get a Job " written and recorded in 1957 by the Silhouettes . In 1966, Gusmão obtained a position with the public service, which allowed him to continue his education. This was interrupted in 1968 when Gusmão was recruited by the Portuguese Army for national service. He served for three years, rising to

SECTION 50

#1732884085494

3744-509: The situation and further pressured Indonesia. More pressure on Indonesia followed when two East Timorese leaders - Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo and José Ramos-Horta - received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996. B.J. Habibie succeeded Suharto in March 1998, and sought reform on the East Timor issue with international pressure mounting. Visiting diplomats from various countries such as Austria and

3816-603: The sovereignty of the judiciary. In the 2023 East Timorese parliamentary election , the CNRT won 41% of the votes and gained 31 seats out of 65 in the National Parliament. On 1 July 2023, Gusmao was sworn in as prime minister after his party's victory in the parliamentary election. In 1999, Gusmão was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. In 2000, he was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize for being

3888-403: The status quo. They can also put forward other constitutional questions to ballot. The questions that referendums ask may be revised if parties involved in negotiations consider them to be too leading . Negotiations notably need to address what would make a result binding. For some independence referendums, a simple majority is required for one option. In other cases, a quota can be used, where

3960-419: The subsequent National Council (NC). Gusmão was appointed to a senior role in the UN administration that governed East Timor until 20 May 2002. During this time he continually campaigned for unity and peace within East Timor, and was generally regarded as the de facto leader of the emerging nation. Elections were held in late 2001 and Gusmão, endorsed by nine parties but not by Fretilin, ran as an independent and

4032-779: The territory after the results of the referendum. The newly-elected People's Consultative Assembly accepted the result on 19 October 1999 by issuing a resolution, TAP MPR No. V/MPR/1999 , on the East Timorese referendum, repealing the previous TAP MPR No. VI/MPR/1978 that formally annexed East Timor to Indonesia. The United Nations passed a resolution establishing the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) that would administer East Timor until independence in May 2002 . Independence referendum An independence referendum typically arises first after political success for nationalists of

4104-528: The territory's independence. Indonesia annexed East Timor the following year, and under President Suharto , its occupation of the territory was often characterised by violence and brutality. Indonesian occupation and annexation of East Timor was not recognised by United Nations . Up until 1999, Indonesia was faced with constant pressure and criticism from the United Nations and the international community regarding its occupation of East Timor. The Dili massacre on 12 November 1991 increased international attention on

4176-437: The territory, particularly from Indonesia's security branches: Dephankam (Department of Defence and Security), TNI (Armed Forces) and Deplu (Department of Foreign Affairs). Hoping to have East Timor accepted by the international community as a legitimate part of Indonesia, on January 27, 1999, Habibie announced that East Timor would be permitted to vote on accepting "autonomy" within Indonesia. If special autonomy in Indonesia

4248-594: The time Gusmão was visiting friends outside of Dili and he witnessed the invasion from the hills. For the next few days he searched for his family. After the appointment of the Provisional Government of East Timor by Indonesia, Gusmão became heavily involved in resistance activities. Gusmão was largely responsible for the level of organisation that evolved in the resistance, which ultimately led to its success. The early days featured Gusmão walking from village to village to obtain support and recruits. In 1977, Gusmão

4320-535: The unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia. The institutions of the SARET would include an executive branch consisting of a regional governor (elected by the SARET legislature) and an advisory board; a legislative branch including the Regional Council of People's Representatives; an independent judiciary including Courts of First Instance, a Court of Appeal, a Court of Final Appeal and a Public Prosecutor's Office; and

4392-399: The vote, stressed the advantages of East Timor accepting special autonomy within Indonesia, referring to the importance of "national unity" and wanting the developmental effort in East Timor to continue onwards. Voters were presented with the two following options: The aftermath of the referendum results saw mass violence, killings and destruction targeted at the East Timorese. Mass violence

SECTION 60

#1732884085494

4464-459: Was a container with Gusmão's documents, a video camera and his typewriter. Among the documents were letters from the Pope and Bishop Carlos Belo . According to a traditional Timorese legend, some warriors were able to transform themselves into dogs to escape their captors. Picking up on this myth, the legend spread that Gusmão could also turn into a white dog and thus run around the village unnoticed while

4536-481: Was also appointed by Cabinet as the Blue Economy Representative. In the 2022 East Timor presidential elections , Gusmão ran Ramos-Horta as the CNRT candidate. Gusmão played a central role in the election campaign, pushing Ramos-Horta into the background. In the event of an election, Gusmão announced that Ramos-Horta would dissolve parliament and call early elections. Ramos-Horta was more cautious about

4608-403: Was based on the testimonies of East Timor peoples as well as United Nations staff. It concluded that the post referendum violence "took the form of vengeance" and included "executions, gender violence ("women were targeted for sexual assault in a cruel and systematic way"), destruction of 60 to 80 percent of both public and private property, disruption of up to 70 percent of the health services, and

4680-407: Was comfortably elected leader. Gusmão eventually won the presidential election on 14 April 2002 with 82.7% against his opponent Francisco Xavier do Amaral and the first president of East Timor when it became formally independent on 20 May 2002. Gusmão has published an autobiography with selected writings entitled To Resist Is to Win . He is the main narrator of the film A Hero's Journey / Where

4752-421: Was held in East Timor and an overwhelming majority voted for independence. The Indonesian military commenced a campaign of terror as a result, with terrible consequences. Although the Indonesian government denied ordering this offensive, they were widely condemned for failing to prevent it. As a result of overwhelming diplomatic pressure from the United Nations, promoted by Portugal since the late 1970s and also by

4824-430: Was initially delayed until 30 August due to the deteriorating security circumstances created by Jakarta-backed militia violence. The agreement between the Indonesian and Portuguese governments included a "Constitutional Framework for a special autonomy for East Timor" as an annexe. The framework would establish a "Special Autonomous Region of East Timor" (SARET), ( Indonesian : Daerah Otonomi Khusus Timor Timur ), within

4896-446: Was not accepted, then East Timor would be allowed independence. Many international and East Timorese leaders, including the jailed resistance leader Xanana Gusmão , asked for a five-to-ten year transition period, recognising that a quick all or nothing ballot could prove disastrous. In the preceding months, President Habibie had made various public statements whereby he mentioned that the costs of maintaining monetary subsidies to support

4968-578: Was reported in the region and the enclave of Oecussi-Ambeno saw 1,000 men, women, and children reportedly murdered immediately after the referendum. The International Commission of Inquiry on East Timor, released by the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in January 2000, established that the TNI and the militias of East Timor were complicit in the violence and destruction that took place, which

5040-493: Was sworn in at the presidential palace in Dili on 8 August. On 11 February 2008, a motorcade containing Gusmão came under gunfire one hour after President José Ramos-Horta was shot in the stomach. Gusmão's residence was also occupied by rebels. According to the Associated Press, the incidents raised the possibility of a coup attempt ; they have also described as possible assassination attempts and kidnap attempts. In

5112-528: Was the aide-de-camp to Fretilin political commissar Abel Larisina and organised supplies for civilians at the resistance base at Matebian . In November 1978, the base was destroyed by the Indonesians. But after Fretilin suffered some major setbacks in the early 1980s, including a failed 1984 coup attempt against Gusmão led by four senior Falintil officers, including Mauk Moruk , Gusmão left Fretilin and supported various centrist coalitions, eventually becoming

5184-420: Was unofficial and non-binding. In the event of a vote for independence, there may be negotiations on the terms of secession for the territory from the sovereign state. A declaration of independence for a new state is then made, and international recognition can follow, as well as membership of international organisations such as the United Nations . In cases involving non-binding referendums, this can lead to

#493506