The East Timorese independence referendum was a referendum

Referendum

A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...

 which was held throughout East Timor on 30 August 1999. The referendum's origins lay with the request made by the President of Indonesia

President of Indonesia

The President of the Republic of Indonesia is the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Indonesia.The first president was Sukarno and the current president is Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.- Sukarno era :...

, Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, to the United Nations Secretary-General

United Nations Secretary-General

The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat of the United Nations, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....

 Kofi Annan

Kofi Annan

Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...

 on 27 January 1999, for the United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

 to hold a referendum, whereby the Indonesian province will be given choice of greater autonomy within Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

 or independence.

In the preceding months, President Habibie had made various public statements whereby he mentioned that the costs of maintaining monetary subsidies to support the province were not balanced by any measurable benefit to Indonesia. Due to this unfavourable cost-benefit analysis

Cost-benefit analysis

Cost–benefit analysis , sometimes called benefit–cost analysis , is a systematic process for calculating and comparing benefits and costs of a project for two purposes: to determine if it is a sound investment , to see how it compares with alternate projects...

, the most rational decision would be for the province, which was not part of original 1945 boundaries of Indonesia, to be given democratic choice on whether they want to remain within Indonesia or not. This choice was also in line with Habibie's general democratisation program in the immediate post-Suharto period.

As the follow-up step to Habibie's request, the United Nations organised meeting between Indonesian government and the Portuguese

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 government (as the previous colonial authority over East Timor). On 5 May 1999, these talks resulted in the “Agreement between the Republic of Indonesia and the Portuguese Republic on the Question of East Timor” which spell-out the details of the requested referendum. The referendum was to be held to determine whether East Timor would remain part of Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

, as a Special Autonomous Region, or separate from Indonesia. . The referendum was organized and monitored by the United Nations Mission in East Timor

United Nations Mission in East Timor

The United Nations Mission in East Timor was established by Security Council Resolution 1246 on 11 June 1999 for a period up to 31 August 1999...

 (UNAMET) and 450,000 people were registered to vote including 13,000 outside East Timor.

The question

The two options in the referendum were:

• "Do you accept the proposed special autonomy for East Timor within the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia?"

or

• "Do you reject the proposed special autonomy for East Timor, leading to East Timor's separation from Indonesia?"

Result and reaction

Of the 451,792 registered voters 94,388 (21.5%) voted to accept the proposed autonomy and 344,580 (78.5%) voted to reject the proposed autonomy, turnout was estimated to be 95%.

The Indonesian government accepted the result on 19 October 1999 by repealing the laws that formally annexed East Timor to Indonesia. The United Nations passed a resolution establishing a transitional administration

United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor

The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor provided an interim civil administration and a peacekeeping mission in the territory of East Timor, from its establishment on October 25, 1999 until its independence on May 20, 2002 following the outcome of the East Timor Special...

 (UNTAET) in East Timor starting a transition process that would lead to independence in May 2002.

The Special Autonomy Proposal

The agreement between the Indonesian and Portuguese governments included a “Constitutional Framework for a special autonomy for East Timor” as an annex. The framework would establish a “Special Autonomous Region of East Timor” (SARET) within the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia.

Institutions of the SARET

• An executive branch consisting of a Governor (elected by the SARET legislature) and an Advisory Board
• A legislative branch, the Regional Council of People's Representatives
• An independent judiciary including Courts of First Instance, a Court of Appeal, a Court of Final Appeal and a Public Prosecutor's Office.
• A regional police force

Indonesian Government

The following competencies would have been reserved for the Government of Indonesia:

• Foreign relations
• Defense
• Economic and fiscal policies
• Continuity of Indonesian laws
• Employment laws

SARET

The autonomous government would have had competence over all matters not reserved for the Government of Indonesia. The SARET would have the right to adopt a Coat of Arms as a symbol of identity. It would be able to designate persons as having "East Timorese Identity" and could limit rights of land ownership for persons without this identity. A traditional civil code could also have been adopted. The SARET could enter into agreements with city and regional governments for economic, cultural and educational purposes. The SARET would have been entitled to participate in cultural and sporting organisations where other non-state entities participate.

External links

• UNAMET public information site