Jakarta – A chronoloy of major events since East Timorese voted for independence from Indonesia on August 30, 1999.

Aug 30, 1999: East Timorese vote for self-determination in record numbers in a UN-supervised ballot.

Sept 4: Announcement of the vote results shows 78.5 percent of East Timorese voted for independence from Indonesia.

Sept 5: Militia attacks begin, most press and UN staff evacuate as Dili burns, population flees.

Sept 6: Hundreds are slain by militia in the border town of Suai including two priests. Refugees forced out to West Timor in their thousands at gunpoint. Nobel laureate Bishop Carlos Belo's refugee-packed house is attacked. Belo escapes.

Sept 9: The UN announces it is reversing its decision to evacuate UNAMET headquarters in Dili, citing a revolt by staff who refuse to abandon the refugees in their compound.

Sept 13: Indonesian government reverses opposition to dispatch of UN authorized peace keepers.

Sept 15: UN authorizes use of foreign peace-keeping force.

Sept 20: An Australian-led force (Interfet) arrives in East Timor to quell the militia violence.

Sept 21: Financial Times journalist Sander Toenes is killed in Dili by uniformed men.

Sept 22: Nobel Laureate Ramos Horta meets then Indonesian foreign minister Ali Alatas to plead for the protection for some 250,000 refugees forced into West Timor and now threatened by the militia who followed them there.

Sept 24: The UN Commission on Human Rights calls a special session on East Timor, sets up an inquiry.

Sept 29: Indonesia says it will not be bound by any UN Human Rights tribunal.

Sept 30: UNHCR says militia are terrorizing refugees in West Timor.

Oct 8: Indonesia's Komnas-HAM launches its own inquiry into the East Timor violence, which eventally holds then-armed forces chief Wiranto as "morally responsible."

Oct 11: Indonesia accuses UNTERFET of border violation, shooting a policeman during a border skirmish.

Oct 18: Independence leader Xanana Gusmao says 50 people massacred in the enclave of Oekussi.

Oct 22: Gusmao, president of the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT), makes a triumphal return to East Timor after being freed from years in Indonesian jails.

Oct 25: UNTAET (the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor) created by the UN Security Council.

Nov 3: Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas-Ham) condemns militia violence and urges the military to disband them.

Nov 19: UNAMET chief Ian Martin finally leaves Dili.

Feb 21: 2000 Interfet completes handover to the UN peacekeeping force in East Timor.

Jul 15: A transitional cabinet is sworn in in East Timor.

Jul 24: New Zealand soldier Leonard Manning becomes the first UN peacekeeper fatality, shot by suspected militiamen amid an upsurge of militia activity in both East and West Timor. A Nepalese soldier is killed shortly after.

Aug: CNRT holds its first congress, Gusmao retracts on his refusal to stand for president. Militia step up attacks against UN workers, forcing a halt to operations.

Aug 30: East Timorese celebrate the first anniversary of their independence.

Sept 1: Indonesia names 19 people including three generals as suspects in the Timor violence.

Sept 6: Militia attacks UNHCR workers in Atambua, killing three.

Sept 7: The United Nations evacuates all its workers from West Timor.