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The article discusses the invasion of East Timor by the Indonesians during the 20th century. It notes that seven Indonesian warships stabbed into the waters off Dili, East Timor coffee port that serves as the capital of the Portuguese colony of East Timor. It also notes that East Timor is a mountainous patch of jungle and has coffee plantations on the eastern half of the island. It states that the Indonesian invasion resolved a dilemma for the 650,000 inhabitants of East Timor who had been faced with one of three political fates including the continued association with Portugal leading to gradual independence, immediate independence or integration with Indonesia. It adds various armed groups that struggle for post-independence power such as the Timorese Democratic Union (U.D.T.).

The article focuses on the political conflict in the East Timor. It states that the Portuguese led by Marxist Premier Vasco Goncalves have encouraged the establishment of a pro-Communist Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin) which control the members of opposing political factions. It notes that Indonesian President Suharto has sent thousands of marines and paratroops to Dili where the confict was bloody. Furthermore, Suharto has received an international disapproval for his intrusion.