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Governor Mario Lemos Pires abandoned the capital Dili as a coup by the Timorese
Featured Event 1975 Event

August 11

East Timor in Chaos: Governor Flees Amid Civil War

Governor Mario Lemos Pires abandoned the capital Dili as a coup by the Timorese Democratic Union ignited civil war with the rival Fretilin movement. Portugal's collapse of authority created a power vacuum that Indonesia would exploit within months, launching a brutal 24-year occupation of East Timor.

August 11, 1975

51 years ago

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