Popular Consultation Day – August 30, 2024

History of Popular Consultation Day

Diving through the crystal clear depths, watching behemoth-sized whales playing on the surface of the water, and admiring stunning mountains and beautiful white-sand beaches; all are specialties of East Timor. East Timor is an island country in Southeast Asia, located near Indonesia and sharing a maritime border with Australia. The history of the region starts around 42,000 years ago with the earliest migrations from present-day Australia, China, Malaysia, and India. The modern history of the country can be categorized into three sections: the Portuguese era, the Indonesian era, and finally, the independent era.

Before colonization, Timor was a part of Indian and Chinese trading networks. Traders visit Timor looking for aromatic sandalwood, honey, and wax. However, these resources drew the attention of Europeans as well, and they reached the island and established their outposts by 1769. The Portuguese rulers used the country as a trading post for the export of sandalwood and coffee. Portuguese rule ended following the Portuguese revolution of 1974.

The Portuguese rule was followed by the Indonesian invasion. The political unrest created after the Portuguese decline and the growing influence of communist ideas in the region disturbed Indonesia, which did not like the idea of a communist state inside the Indonesian archipelago. The Indonesian occupation continued until 1999. It was a period marked by conflicts, political unrest, violence, and brutality. The new Indonesian president, B.J. Habibie, agreed to the referendum to let the people of Timor make their own decision. They were given a choice between staying in Indonesia with greater autonomy or separating the nation to form East Timor. A new nation was created.