Keith Suter – Thirty years ago, one of last century's most brutal conflicts began when Indonesia invaded the former Portuguese colony of East Timor.
About 10 per cent of the East Timorese people were killed. Their resistance lasted until 1999, when Indonesia finally packed up and left. Much of Timor's history is a story of invasion.
Archaeological evidence suggests the original inhabitants may have arrived 120,000 years ago but successive settlers and invaders probably eradicated all trace of these earliest Timorese.
The island was settled by Melanesian peoples at some period, possibly during the last ice age when land bridges connected many islands of the Malay Archipelago. The Melanesians were eventually marginalised by more advanced peoples from what is today Indonesia and who arrived in boats.
By the time the Portuguese arrived in about 1520, the country was known mostly for its sandalwood products. The Portuguese initially only established trade with the Timorese but after the Dutch established themselves on the west of the island in 1613, the Portuguese consolidated their interests in the north and east. The Netherlands and Portugal agreed to set boundaries to their holdings in Timor under treaties in the 19th century.
The island remained in Dutch and Portuguese hands up to World War II. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Dutch allowed Allied troops to be sent to the island in case of Japanese attack.
In February, 1942, Japan invaded. Many Allied troops were captured but some launched guerilla operations with the help of the local people. After the war, East Timor remained in Portuguese hands.
Portugal was the last European country to hold an overseas empire. In 1974, its military rebelled because it was exhausted from fighting colonial wars in Africa.
Following the break-up and subsequent chaos in the Portuguese global empire in the mid-1970s, the leftist Fretilin group won a brief civil war in East Timor and then declared independence in 1975. Indonesia quickly invaded.
The Indonesians did not want an unstable, leftist country on its doorstep, fearing the Timor experience would encourage separatist movements elsewhere in Indonesia.
The UN Security Council called on Indonesia to withdraw but Indonesia ignored the demand. Australia, contrary to international law, recognised Indonesia's occupation.
But the East Timorese fought for their independence. About 200,000 people were killed. On a per capita basis, this was one of the most violent wars of the 20th century. Indonesia was militarily assisted by the US, Britain and Australia.
It seemed to Canberra it would be better for Indonesia to run East Timor. Successive Australian Governments stuck to the policy.
Australia's support for Jakarta was controversial. The East Timorese had been allies of Australia in World War II. There was a debt of blood. "We will never forget you", said leaflets dropped by the departing Australian forces.
A chance for independence arose in 1998, after the Indonesians overthrew President Suharto, who had been in control of the country since a violent coup in 1965. There was economic chaos at home and the incoming president was anxious to reduce the country's liabilities.
A referendum was held in September 1999 to ask the East Timorese whether they wished to stay in Indonesia or become independent. Independence won the vote. There was then a reign of terror in which about 1500 people were killed by Indonesian-backed militia.
In September 1999, the Australian Government was forced by outraged domestic opinion to act to stop the violence. An interim Australian military force was deployed, while the UN Secretary-General gathered an international peacekeeping force together. The UN Mission of Support for East Timor (UNMISET), which began in 2000, ended its role in May 2005.
Along with the country's deep poverty, it had many basic issues to sort out. For example, what should be the national language? Portuguese was spoken by the ruling elite in colonial days, while the local people spoke a variety of local languages. After 1975, Indonesian became the language of the ruling elite. Should the country revert to Portuguese or opt for English, the international language? The government has gone for Portuguese.
Dr Jose Ramos-Horta, the foreign minister, has said that "the most fragile sector of the administration... is the judiciary. We have very few trained judges, prosecutors, lawyers. Most foreign business would not trust our judiciary.
"Small-time offenders languish in jail without trial. And there are no short-term solutions. We are committed to create a strong and independent judiciary – but this is many years off."
One foreign problem comes from Indonesia. There has been a remarkable change since the overthrow of Suharto. Timor-Leste, as the East Timorese call their country, shares a common land border with West Timor and there are constant fears the militia will again attack. The militia also still hold captive some East Timorese kidnapped in 1999.
In August 2005, the UN released a report on the prosecution of serious crimes committed in East Timor in 1999. Its Commission of Experts recommends further steps be taken to ensure those responsible are held to account. The experts have recommended if Indonesia does not do better within the next six months, then the UN Security Council should create an ad hoc criminal tribunal.
Finally, during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor, Australia (contrary to the UN Security Council) negotiated an agreement with Indonesia to divide up oil and natural gas in the seabed south of East Timor. Now Timor-Leste is independent Australia has had to negotiate a new treaty. But the Indonesians gave generous amounts of territory to Australia and Timor-Leste has been unwilling to do so.
Last week it was reported a deal had been made dividing up the seabed. A formal agreement will be signed next month. But any short-term financial gain may be a loss for Australia. An economically failed state may require another Australian military intervention – or risk another Indonesian one.