Beginning of East Timor Occupation

Date: December 7, 1975 • Location: Rome, Italy

This milestone marked the outbreak and beginning of this historic period, which spanned 1975–1999.

The Indonesian military began a lengthy occupation of East Timor under the pretext of anti-colonialism.

The Indonesian occupation of East Timor began in December 1975 and lasted until October 1999. After centuries of Portuguese colonial rule in East Timor, the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal led to the decolonisation of its former colonies, creating instability in East Timor and leaving its future uncertain. After a small-scale civil war, the pro-independence Fretilin declared victory in the capital city of Dili and declared an independent East Timor on 28 November 1975.