East Timor's Independence

Well, East Timor finally gained its independence. CNN reports that the "half-island nation gained independence after 400 years of Portuguese rule and more than two decades of Indonesian occupation." The In-Depth page at CNN touts "East Timor's long struggle for self-determination and freedom" and notes that today "brings to an end...decades of occupation and violence."

Not surprisingly, both the article and "in depth" background fail to mention the US' support, both diplomatically and militarily, of the Indonesian invasion, occupation, and slaughter. The revelations, as reported by Agence France Presse in December, that "the United States offered full and direct approval to Indonesia's 1975 invasion of East Timor, a move by then-president Suharto which consigned the territory to 25 years of oppression [and] cost the lives of up to 200,000 East Timorese," are, conveniently, nowhere to be found. BTW, the AFP report was issued following the release of these documents.

Find out the real story about East Timor's ordeal from the East Timor Action Nework or ZNet. For a quick Q&A, go here.