On December 7, 1975, Indonesia, with the clandestine support of Western powers including the US, the UK, and Australia, invaded the small nation of East Timor. During this covert operation, two Australian television crews attempting to document the invasion were murdered.
Eighteen years later, in 1993, with the Indonesian military still occupying East Timor, journalist John Pilger and director David Munro infiltrated the country to capture the harrowing reality of the occupation. By then, approximately 200,000 East Timorese—one-third of the population—had been killed by the Indonesian forces, a tragedy described by the CIA as one of the worst mass murders of the 20th century.
This powerful documentary utilizes covertly obtained footage of the East Timorese countryside, internment camps, and even Fretlin guerrillas. It also includes poignant interviews with Timorese exiles like Jose Ramos Horta and Jose Gusmao, alongside perspectives from Australian, British, and Indonesian diplomats. Pilger’s film is a gripping and heart-wrenching exposé of the atrocities committed in East Timor and the international complicity that allowed it to happen.
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