East Timor Genocide
How did blood-soaked invasion crushe dreams of freedom?
4.7 (36)
42 mins
Discover how Portugal's 1974 revolution sparked chaos in East Timor, allowing Fretilin to declare independence only for Suharto's Indonesia to invade in 1975, backed by US silence and Cold War fears of communism. Uncover decades of guerrilla resistance under Xanana Gusmao, culminating in the 1999 UN referendum, sparking militia revenge until peacekeepers halted the carnage.
Ep 1:
A Forgotten Island's Cold War Fate
East Timor's centuries as a Portuguese colony end in chaos, as revolution, rival factions, and Cold War fears set the stage for catastrophe.
Ep 2:
Invasion, Silence, and the Killing Years
With Washington's tacit blessing, Indonesia invades East Timor, unleashing decades of terror, starvation, and mass killing hidden from the world's eyes.
Ep 3:
Blood at Santa Cruz Cemetery
A funeral march turns into a massacre caught on camera, finally exposing East Timor's suffering to a global audience after 16 years of silence.
Ep 4:
Vote for Freedom, Answer with Fire
Despite militia terror, East Timorese vote overwhelmingly for independence—triggering a scorched-earth revenge campaign that nearly destroys the fledgling nation.
Ep 5:
The World That Looked Away
A reckoning with complicity: how superpowers armed the perpetrators, and why East Timor's genocide remains one of history's most forgotten tragedies.
Discussions (10)
Janna
Level 3 · 7 mo agoInvasion was Dec 7, 1975!
Christopher
Level 7 · 7 mo agoAs a former fed I am not surprised the US embassy provided a shooting list. Typical foreign policy.
Mort
Level 6 · 7 mo agoThat Kissinger quote is 100% accurate. He really did tell Suharto to succeed quickly because of the US arms involved. Declassified files prove the US gave their blessing right before the invasion.
