Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a public holiday in East Timor (Timor-Leste) that takes place every year on December 7. The event honors those who died fighting for freedom from Indonesia during the Indonesian rule. East Timor is a Southeast Asian island nation. In the early 16th century, the Portuguese arrived and declared it a Portuguese colony in 1702. East Timor was captured by Australian and Dutch forces in 1941, and Japanese forces in 1942, during World War II. East Timor was restored to Portugal in 1945, although it was abandoned by the Portuguese in 1974.

The Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin) declared independence from Portugal on November 28, 1975. East Timor was invaded by the Indonesian military on December 7, 1975, and became the 27th Indonesian province in 1976. The major members of Fretilin were able to retreat into the interior and fight the Indonesian soldiers. The Indonesian occupation lasted 24 years and was marred by cruelty and bloodshed. Approximately 200,000 people perished as a result of massacres, starvation, and disease. Memorial Day is commemorated on December 7th, the day of the invasion.