The Timorese deputy considered that the signing of the agreement between Portugal and Indonesia for the holding of a referendum on the self-determination of East Timor was a “light of hope.”
“It was a way to free ourselves from military oppression, it meant that at the end of the tunnel there was already a light of hope, of joy, of course, but it was a process,” said David Dias Ximenes, “Mandati”, coordinator of the 1999 referendum. and deputy of the Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor (Fretilin).
On May 5, 1999, Portugal and Indonesia signed an agreement at the United Nations that determined the holding of a referendum on the self-determination of Timor-Leste.
The Portuguese side was represented by Jaime Gama, then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, and by his Indonesian counterpart, Ali Alatas, and by Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations.
The agreement determined the holding of the referendum, organized by the United Nations, and the Timorese had to answer whether they accepted a “special autonomy” that integrated Indonesia or if they rejected it, “which would lead to the separation of East Timor from Indonesia.”
More than 78% of Timorese rejected “special autonomy,” which would lead to the restoration of the country’s independence.
The announcement of talks between Portugal and Indonesia led to an increase in violence in East Timor, which intensified further after the announcement of the referendum result.
“We knew well that when the security process was handed over to Indonesia it was the same as having the thief watching the house, but, nevertheless, it was a process that we had to adhere to so that the solution did not drag on any longer. more,” said the former member of the Timorese Clandestine Front.
David Dias Ximenes highlighted that the Timorese adhered to the “process” and that despite it being a “risk situation” they had to accept it.
“We usually say that when we want something it is with sweat and tears, here it was with a lot of blood, sweat and tears,” lamented the deputy, considering, however, that it was an “opportunity” and that they could not deny it.
With the result of the referendum, Indonesia left East Timor with pro-Indonesian militias leaving a trail of horror and violence and the United Nations transitional authority entered, which governed the country until the restoration of independence on May 20, 2002.
Source: Observadora
