a Twitter thread from @redstreamnet

1.

Centuries of colonial rule and a genocidal occupation finally ended for East Timor on this day in 2002, becoming the first new sovereign state of the 21st century. Independence was won through the resistance led by socialist revolutionary guerrillas and international pressure. 🧵

2.

Portugal colonized East Timor in the 16th century, while the Dutch colonized the western part, which later became Indonesia. Portugal abandoned their colony in 1974 following the Carnation Revolution.

3.

The Marxist-Leninist Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN) declared independence in 1975, leading to an Indonesian invasion to prevent a communist state, causing the death of up to 20% of the population.

4.

FRETILIN's guerrilla fought relentlessly, inspired by Mao Zedong, Amilcar Cabral, and Cuba's anti-imperialist resistance. In 1998, a popular uprising in Indonesia forced dictator Suharto to resign, paving the way for a referendum, resulting in a majority voting for independence.

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