CIAO DATE: 11/2009
June 2000
The May 1998 departure of Indonesian President Suharto, following a 32-year dictatorship, raised hopes of independence for East Timor, where some 200,000 people had died since Indonesia’s 1975 invasion of the Portuguese colony. In January 1999, Suharto’s successor, Bucharuddin Jusuf (B.J.) Habibie, in an effort to appease the East Timorese and international community, suggested that a vote would be held on autonomy with or independence from Indonesia. Details of this referendum were set forward in the May 5 Agreement, signed by Indonesia, Portugal, and the United Nations.
Resource link: Observing the 1999 Public Consultation Process in East Timor [PDF] - 2.9M