State Terrorism: East Timorese Resistance Toward Indonesian’s Biopolitical Power

Fernando Ximenes Comité Orientador 25 (CO25), TIMOR-LESTE

Traditionally, Timor-Leste has been identified as potential prison island during the Portuguese colonial rule. During the Indonesian’s politico-military occupation, Timor-Leste was one the most totalitarian area in the world. Indonesian state organized its violence and terror to entire social life of the nation. Timor-Leste is totally militarized and over-militarized of law enforcement are also apparent during the occupation.
This paper aimed to discuss the anatomy of Timor as an open prison and the form of resistance toward the repressive power within it. By involve the renowned philosopher Giorgio Agamben’s notion of ‘state of exception’ and Michel Foucault’s ‘triangle of power’ of disciplinary, sovereignty and biopower, this research aimed to understand the broader form of how power were exercised from Indonesian state and the resistance toward that forces/powers from East Timorese since 1978 onwards.
This study will divide into threefold: first, the author aimed to locating and mapping the penetration of power from Indonesian state during its occupation in Timor-Leste. Second I will explore how the state-sanctioned its violence and terror through its apparatus and legal machine. Third, I will examine how East Timorese resist against the power of politico-juridical machines.