Referendum or popular consultation

East Timor popular consultation, 1999

In a UN-run ballot, 78.5% of voters rejected special autonomy within Indonesia, opening a transition towards independence.

The vote

Jurisdiction
East Timor
Organising authority
United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET), at the request of Indonesia and Portugal
Legal character
Legally bindingNot held under a domestic referendum law. In the 5 May 1999 Agreement Indonesia and Portugal set out in advance the steps each would take for either result, including ending Indonesia’s links with East Timor if autonomy was rejected.[1] This classification is an editorial reading of those commitments and needs review.
Geographical scope
East Timor, with polling also at locations abroad
Who could vote
People aged 17 or over born in East Timor, born elsewhere with at least one parent born there, or married to someone in either group, voting inside or outside the territory.[2]
Question on the ballot
“Do you accept the proposed special autonomy for East Timor within the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia? (ACCEPT) — or — Do you reject the proposed special autonomy for East Timor, leading to East Timor’s separation from Indonesia? (REJECT)”
Reported results[3][4][5][6][1]. Percentages: share of valid votes.
OptionVotesOfficial %Calculated %
Accept the proposed special autonomy within Indonesia 94,388 21.5% 21.5%
Reject the proposed special autonomy, leading to separation from Indonesia 344,580 78.5% 78.5%
Valid votes
438,968
Invalid votes
Not reported
Blank votes
Not reported
Total ballots cast
Not reported
Registered electorate
451,792
Turnout
Not reported

The announced percentages equal each option’s share of 438,968 votes, the sum of the two announced counts. Invalid ballots were not reported in the sources consulted, so no official turnout figure is given; Ian Martin, head of UNAMET, gives turnout as 98.6% of registered voters.

Assessments of the vote

A declared result and an assessment of the vote’s legal effect or legitimacy are different claims. Each is attributed.

  • UN Security Council (resolution 1272, 1999) · Governmental assessment

    Regarded the outcome as an accurate reflection of the views of the East Timorese people.[7]

Limitations and competing accounts

The ballot, first set for 8 August 1999, was held on 30 August after registration was delayed amid militia violence.[8][9] The question is given as worded in the English text of the modalities agreement; ballot papers in other languages were not checked.

Immediate outcome

Voters rejected the proposed special autonomy by 344,580 to 94,388; the Secretary-General said they had expressed their wish to begin a transition towards independence.[3][4]

What happened next

Violence followed the announcement and a multinational force was authorised on 15 September 1999. Indonesia’s People’s Consultative Assembly recognised the result on 19 October, UNTAET was established on 25 October, and East Timor became independent on 20 May 2002.[10][11][12][13][14]

What happened

UNAMET registered 451,792 voters, and on 30 August 1999 they were asked to accept or reject special autonomy within Indonesia.[5][15][6] On 3 September the Secretary-General announced 344,580 votes (78.5%) against autonomy and 94,388 (21.5%) in favour.[3]

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: 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
  2. 2.

    Claim: People aged 17 or over could vote if born in East Timor, born elsewhere with at least one parent born there, or married to someone in either group.

    • 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, annex II, section C, pp. 24–25. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: On 3 September 1999, after the Electoral Commission had certified the results, the Secretary-General announced 94,388 votes (21.5%) in favour of the proposed special autonomy and 344,580 (78.5%) against.

    • United Nations Secretary-General, People of East Timor reject proposed special autonomy, express wish to begin transition to independence, Secretary-General informs Security Council (United Nations, 3 September 1999) link, statement text. Source record
  4. 4.

    Claim: Kofi Annan told the Security Council that the people of East Timor had thus rejected the proposed special autonomy and expressed their wish to begin a transition towards independence. Attributed to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan

    • United Nations Secretary-General, People of East Timor reject proposed special autonomy, express wish to begin transition to independence, Secretary-General informs Security Council (United Nations, 3 September 1999) link, statement text. Source record
  5. 5.

    Claim: UNAMET registered 451,792 voters in East Timor and abroad.

    • United Nations Secretary-General, People of East Timor reject proposed special autonomy, express wish to begin transition to independence, Secretary-General informs Security Council (United Nations, 3 September 1999) link, statement text. Source record
    • United Nations Department of Public Information, East Timor – UNTAET: Background (United Nations, May 2002) link, para. 4. Source record
  6. 6.

    Claim: The agreed question asked voters either to accept the proposed special autonomy for East Timor within the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, or to reject it, “leading to East Timor’s separation from Indonesia”.

    • 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, annex II, section B, p. 24. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
  7. 7.

    Claim: The Security Council regarded the outcome as an accurate reflection of the views of the East Timorese people. Attributed to UN Security Council (resolution 1272, 1999)

    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 1272 (1999) (United Nations, 25 October 1999) link, preamble. Source record
  8. 8.

    Claim: On 11 June 1999 the Security Council established the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) to organise and conduct the consultation, then scheduled for 8 August 1999.

    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 1246 (1999) (United Nations, 11 June 1999) link, para. 1. Source record
  9. 9.

    Claim: Ian Martin, head of UNAMET, records that registration was postponed to 16 July because of logistics and insecurity, that militia violence and intimidation continued, and that the mission found the Indonesian military giving direct leadership to the militia. Attributed to Ian Martin (2003)

    • Martin, Ian, The popular consultation and the United Nations mission in East Timor — first reflections, Out of the Ashes: Destruction and Reconstruction of East Timor (ANU E Press, 2003) link, pp. 129–130. Source record
  10. 10.

    Claim: After the result was announced, pro-integration militias, at times supported by elements of the Indonesian security forces, carried out a campaign of violence, looting and arson; the UN reports that many East Timorese were killed and as many as 500,000 displaced, about half of them leaving the territory. Attributed to United Nations Department of Public Information (2002)

    • United Nations Department of Public Information, East Timor – UNTAET: Background (United Nations, May 2002) link, para. 5. Source record
  11. 11.

    Claim: After Indonesia accepted international assistance on 12 September 1999, the Security Council on 15 September authorised a multinational force under a unified command, led by Australia, to restore peace and security and protect UNAMET.

    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 1264 (1999) (United Nations, 15 September 1999) link, para. 3. Source record
    • United Nations Department of Public Information, East Timor – UNTAET: Background (United Nations, May 2002) link, para. 6. Source record
  12. 12.

    Claim: On 19 October 1999 Indonesia’s People’s Consultative Assembly formally recognised the result of the consultation.

    • United Nations Department of Public Information, East Timor – UNTAET: Background (United Nations, May 2002) link, para. 9. Source record
    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 1272 (1999) (United Nations, 25 October 1999) link, preamble. Source record
  13. 13.

    Claim: On 25 October 1999 the Security Council established the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), with overall responsibility for administering the territory and all legislative and executive authority.

    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 1272 (1999) (United Nations, 25 October 1999) link, para. 1. Source record
  14. 14.

    Claim: East Timor became an independent country on 20 May 2002, when UNTAET was succeeded by a UN support mission.

    • United Nations Department of Public Information, United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (mission page) (United Nations) link, summary. Source record
    • Constituent Assembly of East Timor, Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (Government of Timor-Leste, 22 March 2002) link, preamble, PDF p. 9. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
  15. 15.

    Claim: The vote took place on 30 August 1999.

    • United Nations Secretary-General, People of East Timor reject proposed special autonomy, express wish to begin transition to independence, Secretary-General informs Security Council (United Nations, 3 September 1999) link, statement text. Source record
    • United Nations Department of Public Information, East Timor – UNTAET: Background (United Nations, May 2002) link, para. 4. Source record

Source note

Show in the notes list