On 20th May 2002, East Timor, a small island of 800,000 people, finally attained its independence after 25 years of struggle against the illegal Indonesian occupation. Indonesia invaded East Timor in1975 soon after East Timor declared independence following 400 years of Portuguese colonial rule. Even though the Indonesian occupation of East Timor was never recognized by the United Nations, the industrialized world continually ignored the suffering of the East Timorese people and their cries for freedom. One third of the population was killed, both directly and indirectly , during the Indonesian occupation. East Timor was effectively relegated from the world atlas. On 30 August 1999, the first ever referendum to choose the future for their country was held. Despite the fact that 78.5% of the people expressed their wish for independence, pro-Indonesia militias burned and destroyed 70% of the buildings in the country. More than 250,000 people were either evacuated or forced to cross the border to Indonesian West Timor. The issue of refugees in Indonesia still remains as a big problem between these two countries.