Issue and Opponent: In 1975, Portugal decolonized East Timor, allowing the citizens to declare their independence. However, in the same year, an Indonesian army under the order of President Suharto of Indonesia invaded and annexed East Timor. During this invasion, 60,000 East Timorese were killed. Since then, East Timorese has resisted Indonesian occupation and authority. In 1980, to shut down guerilla activities, the military massacred 200,000 East Timorese. This effectively shut down a majority of the guerilla activity at the time. However, in 1989, a group of students who received a scholarship to study in Indonesia created the National Resistance of East Timorese Students, also known as Renetil. Their goal was to bring national and international awareness to the brutality of Suharto’s regime and the horrors of the Indonesian occupation. They waited for the most timely moment to stage their protest and gain as much exposure as possible. Dilemma Action: In 1989, during the mass where Pope John Paul II was invited to give a homily, the activists launched their first public protest where a group of youths ran to the altar and shouted, “Long live the Pope, Long live East Timor.” They also held up banners saying “Free East Timor” and “Indonesia, get out.” This then garnered significant media coverage, both nationally and internationally. This qualifies as DA since the protests were against an oppressive regime that was capable of harassing and arresting the protesters, even if no law banned such protests. This action helped rally the public behind their mission to make East Timor independent.
Outcomes: This action successfully embarrassed the Indonesian government in front of a high-ranking religious official and gained mass amounts of exposure. It influenced more students and individuals to join the cause. This dilemma action influenced a myriad of similar protests by students in the future. The occupation of Indonesian forces, they continued to remain in East Timor for another 11 years. This student protest was part of a larger campaign to gain back East Timor’s independence and freedom from the Indonesian occupation forces.