At the request of the Frente Revolucionário de Timor-Leste Independente (FRETILIN), the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal held a session on East Timor in Lisbon from 29 June to 2 July 1981. The session examined the consequences of the territory’s decolonisation process and Indonesian military occupation, as well as the serious violations of the Timorese people’s rights, particularly their right to self-determination.
Based on the documentation and testimonies gathered, the Tribunal examined Portugal’s responsibilities in the decolonisation process, analysed Indonesia’s invasion and occupation of the territory and considered the role of the international community in the face of the protracted conflict.
In its jìJudgement, the Tribunal recognised the right of the East Timorese people to self-determination, affirmed Indonesia’s responsibility for aggression and violations of international law, and concluded that the policies of repression and forced assimilation constituted genocide. The Tribunal also called on the international community to adopt effective measures to ensure respect for the right to self-determination and the protection of the Timorese population.
Requesting organisations: Frente Revolucionário de Timor-Leste Independente (FRETILIN)
Documentation:
The Judgment is available in Italian