ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

East Timor genocide

East Timor is a tiny country located in South East Asia. For years, it was ruled by a bigger country called Indonesia. But in the late 1990s, the people of East Timor wanted to be their own independent country.

However, instead of peacefully letting East Timor go, the Indonesian government decided to use violence and force against the East Timorese people. They did terrible things like burning down villages, raping women and children, and killing thousands of innocent people who just wanted to be free. This is what we call a genocide - a cruel and deliberate attempt to wipe out a whole group of people.

It was a very scary time for the people of East Timor. But eventually, with the help of other countries and international pressure, Indonesia had to let go of East Timor and it became its own independent nation in 2002. Today, the people of East Timor are still healing from the trauma of the genocide, but they are working hard to rebuild their country and create a better future for themselves.