Draft:Portugal's last flag over East Timor

Colonial soldiers at the 1968 flag-raising ceremony in Portuguese Timor

Portugal's last flag over Timor was the last symbol of the colonial power's rule over its colony of Portuguese Timor.

Historical background

The municipality of Dili and the island of Atauro

After the Carnation Revolution in 1974, Portugal prepared its colonies for independence. However, civil war broke out in Portuguese Timor in August 1975 between the left-leaning Fretilin and the conservative Timorese Democratic Union (UDT). Portugal's governor Mário Lemos Pires was forced to evacuate all Portuguese administrative and military personnel and their families to the island of Atauro off the coast of the capital Dili on August 26 and 27. In the end, the Fretilin prevailed in the battle. Pires was urged by them to return to Dili and press ahead with decolonization, but he insisted on waiting for instructions from Lisbon. It was not until October that the Portuguese corvette Afonso Cerqueira reached Atauro, bringing Pires his first sign of support from Portugal. Indonesia took advantage of the situation to infiltrate and occupy the areas near the Portuguese-Timorese border with troops. Images of Indonesian soldiers capturing Portuguese flags are common across the border, however those are common flags owned formerly by Portuguese soldiers and now owned as personal war trophies. Hoping for international support, Fretilin unilaterally proclaimed the independence of the Democratic Republic of East Timor on November 28. Recognition was unrecognized by most states. On December 7, Indonesia began the open invasion and occupation of Dili and the rest of the territory. The following day, Pires and the Portuguese community left the colony from Atauro on board two Portuguese warships. East Timor remained occupied by Indonesia for 24 years. As the annexation was not fully recognized internationally, East Timor remained officially Portuguese territory until its final independence in 2002, even though Portugal no longer exercised or symbolically represented administrative power over the country at any time.

Last flag

Governor's Palace in Dili (1968/70)

After the evacuation of the Portuguese personnel to Atauro, the Portuguese flag continued to fly over the Governor's Palace in Dili. Only on the day of the declaration of independence by the Fretilin was the flag taken down by the Falintil commander Jaime Camacho Amaral and replaced by the new flag of East Timor. The whereabouts of this Portuguese flag are not known.

However, the Portuguese flag continued to fly on Atauro, where Pires had retreated to. It was not until December 30, 1975 that Indonesian troops occupied Atauro. In an official military ceremony attended by Indonesian and local Portuguese soldiers under the command of Ensign (alferes) David Ximenes, the flag of Portugal was taken down and replaced by the flag of Indonesia. At their request, the Portuguese flag was handed over to Guilherme de Sousa, a primary school teacher and UDT deputy from Atauro, and Luís Amaral, the head of administration (chefe de posto) of Atauro. The UDT was cooperating with the Indonesian occupation at the time. UDT members brought the flag, escorted by Indonesian soldiers, to Dili and handed it over to UDT President Francisco Lopes da Cruz. From 1976 to 1982, Lopes da Cruz was the Indonesian deputy governor of occupied East Timor. Lopes da Cruz then moved to Jakarta and became special advisor on East Timor to Indonesia's dictator Suharto. Lopes da Cruz took the flag with him. Although there were repeated calls for the flag to be handed over to a museum or the Indonesian National Archives, Lopes da Cruz refused to hand it over. Finally, Suharto decided that Lopes da Cruz could keep the flag and gave him a special suitcase with the insignia of the President of the Republic of Indonesia to keep the flag in as a sign of his loyalty. Lopes da Cruz later served as Indonesia's ambassador to Greece and Portugal.

In contrast to the last flags of the other six colonies that Portugal lost or relinquished into independence from 1961, the whereabouts of the Timorese flag of Portugal remained unknown to the public for a long time. It was only in 2015 that Lopes da Cruz presented it to journalists. He regards the flag as a "relic" and keeps it in a small room of its own, together with Suharto's suitcase and a crucifix about one meter high, which Lopes da Cruz bought in Fátima in 1994.

Cultural background

The religious veneration and honorable keeping of flags has a long tradition on Timor. When the colonial power Portugal concluded vassal treaties with the local rulers (Liurai), they were given a military rank and presented with a Portuguese flag along with their uniform. The Liurais kept these together with other ruler insignia and sacred objects in "holy houses" (Uma Lulik). According to traditional Timorese belief, the flags are not only a symbol of the colonial power, but also carry this sacred power (lulik), which is transferred to the owner. When the republic was proclaimed in Portugal in 1910 and a new flag was introduced, there was a major uprising against the colonial rulers in Timor shortly afterwards because the Timorese believed that the sacred flags had lost their power. But even today, historical Portuguese flags can still be found in holy houses in East Timor, which are particularly revered despite the now Catholic faith. In the 20th century, they were hidden from Japanese and Indonesian occupiers, despite massive threats of punishment.

See also

• Good Luck Flag