In anticipation of its liberation from Portugal, the citizens of East Timor formed two main political parties - the Timorese Democratic Union (UDT) and the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN). In hopes to disrupt peaceful steps toward independence, Indonesia persuaded the UDT to withdraw from the coalition. The UDT seized power, but FRETILIN fought back, and drove many of the members of the UDT over the Indonesian border into West Timor. In 1975, Indonesian armies invaded East Timor, claiming that intervention was necessary to keep the peace. Many of the East Timorese were forced to settle in Indonesian-controlled towns and camps, and over 100,000 died i

The United States media has done its best to ensure that its citizens are in the dark about their Indonesian alliance and the events in East Timor. Coverage of East Timor's state was significant until Indonesia's first invasion - when it all but disappeared from American newspapers. During the five months before the first attack, the Los Angeles Times ran sixteen articles dealing with East Timor, but following the invasion did not mention the country once until 1979 - four years later. The editorial aspect of the media was effectively silenced on the matter, and newspapers printed almost no condemnation of the Indonesian attacks. The Los Angeles Times, for example, has only run one editorial criticizing Indonesian human rights violations, and failed to mention that mass amounts of military aid were being supplied to Indonesia's military government by president Reagan at the time that it was printed. Three respectable papers - the Globe, the New York Times, and the Washington Post - have run a handful of editorials on the matter, but all share the same fault - not one mentioned the role of the United States in the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. Reports often referred to East Timor as a part of Indonesia, which implied the struggle to be a separation movement rather than a foreign invasion - in fact, the Washington Post falsely stated that the East Timorese were voting on "whether to remain a part of Indonesia." Years of neglect to recognize the United States' affiliation with the happenings in East Timor have resulted in just what the government wanted - a misled public.

By failing to recognize the consequences of its actions, the United States' support has indisputably played a direct role in the deaths of more than 200,000 East Timorese. Over $1.25 billion in weaponry has been sold to Indonesia since 1975. The United States has not only refused to express disapproval of t

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Approximate Word count = 1285
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)