Great Timor

With United Timor ( Timor Indonesian Raya, English Great Timor) a united, completely independent from Indonesia island of Timor is called. So far, the island in the independent state of East Timor and the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara belonging West Timor is divided.

Background

Before taking possession by the two European colonial powers Portugal and Netherlands Timor was divided into many small kingdoms that by alliance systems in the three major spheres of influence Sonba'i ( Portuguese: Servião, Dutch:. Zerviaen or Sorbian ) to the west, Wehale in the center and the area in the east, which the Portuguese later in the province of Belu: included (also Belus or Behale ). In addition, there were links between the rich, which is why the entire island was connected together in a network. Spiritual Center was Laran in the realm of Wehale.

After the Portuguese attempt the Dutch in 1749 to expel from their previously small Timorese sphere to Kupang in the Battle of Penfui ended in a disaster, closing much of the Liurai ( Timorese petty kings ) West Timor from 1756 contracts with the Dutch East India Company. Including a certain Jacinto Correa, King of Wewiku - Wehale and Grand Duke of Belu, who signed the Treaty of dubious Paravicini also on behalf of many areas in central Timor. However Wehale was no longer powerful enough to pull all of his vassals on the side of the Dutch. Thus, the eastern former vassals Wehales remained under the flag of Portugal, while Wehale itself fell under Dutch rule. The final border demarcation between the colonial powers was not defined until 1916. It corresponds to a large extent, the current border. The Dutch part of Timor became independent as part of Indonesia in 1949, while the East remained as Portuguese Timor until 1975 the colony. On 28 November 1975, FRETILIN declared East Timor's independence, but only nine days later occupied Indonesia, the half of the island and made it in 1976 to its 27th province. Neither the Declaration of Independence, nor annexation was recognized internationally. There was a guerrilla war, which directly and indirectly claimed the lives of nearly a quarter of the population of East Timor. After the independence referendum in East Timor in 1999, in which the majority of residents arguing for a complete separation from Indonesia, there has been a recent wave of violence, raged in the pro- Indonesian militias. The United Nations took control and dismissed the country including 2002, in Independence.

Despite colonial and national separation, the links from the time Wehales persisted across borders. Especially the traditional ties of the ethnic groups on either side of the border ( Tetum, Bunak and Kemak ) stayed until after the colonial period exist. Thus, for example, was very interested in a union of their old sphere of influence, the family of the former rulers of Atsabe - Kemak. One reason to why Guilherme Gonçalves, the last messenger of Koronel Atsabe - Kemak 1975 one of the founders of the party APODETI was propagated a connection Portuguese Timor in Indonesia. Only later did he distanced himself from the Indonesian regime.

Situation after East Timor's independence from Indonesia

Back in 2001, warned members of the Indonesian military that the independence of East Timor could cause secessionist movements in West Timor. In the Region of North Central Timor ( Timor Tengah Utara ) near Atambua East Timorese separatists had local support received by the Catholic Diocese of Atambua. 2005, a local Commission warned again of a "Greater Timor- grouping " in West Timor.

Public came such a grouping in this time not on a large scale, especially since neither the East Timorese Government or to the local major parties supported this idea, but is clear for membership of West Timor to Indonesia and more relies on good neighborly contacts. Only since 2011 has been declared Manuel Tilman from the Klibur Oan Timor Asuwain ( COTA ) the union of the parts of the island as his project, though not at this time. With this aim it is to far space alone in the East Timorese politics.

When the inhabitants of both sides of the border, despite the longstanding links no ambitions to unite can be seen, although still home to a large number of refugees from East Timor in the western part. One reason for this are the ethnic groups at the respective peaks of the island, which can wholesale Timor- idea abgewinnen less traditional. In the West, the majority of the population is the ethnicity of Atoin Meto, which is also present in East Timor only in the enclave of Oecusse and otherwise rather was in competition with Wehale and in the East dominating Tetum. East Timor itself was temporarily shaken by internal conflicts along the old border between Wehale and Belu. In the state capital Dili it came to 2008 regularly bloody street fighting between youth gangs, whose members are from the two parts of the country Loro Sae ( East) and Loro Munu (western East Timor) originate. Highlight was the unrest in East Timor in 2006.

Documents

• History of Timor - Technical University of Lisbon (PDF file, 805 kB)