Agreement

5 May Agreements on East Timor, 1999

· New York

Indonesia and Portugal asked the UN to consult the East Timorese on special autonomy within Indonesia, and agreed in advance what would follow either result.

What happened

The two governments asked the Secretary-General to put a proposed special autonomy within Indonesia to East Timorese inside and outside the territory.[1] They recorded different positions: Indonesia saw autonomy as a final solution, Portugal as a transitional arrangement pending self-determination.[2]

If voters rejected autonomy, Indonesia would end its links with East Timor and authority would pass to the UN for a transition towards independence.[3] Indonesia remained responsible for security during the process.[4]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: On 5 May 1999 Indonesia and Portugal signed an Agreement in New York asking the UN Secretary-General to put a proposed special autonomy for East Timor within Indonesia to East Timorese inside and outside the territory in a direct, secret and universal ballot.

    • Government of Indonesia; Government of Portugal and Secretary-General of the United Nations, Agreement between the Republic of Indonesia and the Portuguese Republic on the question of East Timor, with the agreements on the modalities for the popular consultation and on security (United Nations, 5 May 1999) link, arts. 1 and 7, pp. 6 and 8. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: The Agreement records Indonesia’s position that autonomy would be a final solution with full recognition of Indonesian sovereignty, and Portugal’s that it would be transitional pending an act of self-determination under UN auspices.

    • Government of Indonesia; Government of Portugal and Secretary-General of the United Nations, Agreement between the Republic of Indonesia and the Portuguese Republic on the question of East Timor, with the agreements on the modalities for the popular consultation and on security (United Nations, 5 May 1999) link, preamble, p. 5. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: If the autonomy proposal was accepted, Indonesia would implement it and Portugal would seek East Timor’s removal from the UN list of non-self-governing territories; if it was rejected, Indonesia would end its links with East Timor, restoring the status the territory held under Indonesian law before 17 July 1976, and authority would pass to the UN to begin a transition towards independence.

    • Government of Indonesia; Government of Portugal and Secretary-General of the United Nations, Agreement between the Republic of Indonesia and the Portuguese Republic on the question of East Timor, with the agreements on the modalities for the popular consultation and on security (United Nations, 5 May 1999) link, arts. 5–6, p. 7. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
  4. 4.

    Claim: Indonesia was responsible for maintaining peace and security so that the consultation could take place free of intimidation and violence.

    • Government of Indonesia; Government of Portugal and Secretary-General of the United Nations, Agreement between the Republic of Indonesia and the Portuguese Republic on the question of East Timor, with the agreements on the modalities for the popular consultation and on security (United Nations, 5 May 1999) link, art. 3, p. 6. Government perspective or primary official source Source record

Source note

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