INTRODUCTION
During Indonesia’s occupation of Timor-Leste from 1975 to 1999, an estimated 4,000 children were forcibly separated from their families by Indonesian soldiers (Barker, 2020). Many were sent to Indonesia and made to work as domestic servants or in military camps. They were raised as ‘Indonesians’ instead of Timorese, leaving behind their culture, nationality, language, and family (Barker, 2020).
Although Timor-Leste gained independence through a 1999 referendum, the issue of the ‘stolen generation’ persisted. Since then, many non-governmental organisations have collaborated to help these children be reunited with their families, such as the Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR), the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS Sulawesi) (Red Cross, 2025). In 2005, the governments of Indonesia and Timor-Leste also established the Commission for Truth and Friendship (CTF) in order to reunite the children with their parents in Timor-Leste (Asia Justice and Rights, 2016).
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Through the efforts of civil society organisations, thousands of personal statements were gathered, and thousands of children were eventually reunited with their families. However, the long-term effects of the violence that occurred during this period are still experienced by the ‘stolen generation’ to this day.
Personal narratives reveal the severe hardships these individuals faced as children. One person named Tito recounted the following:
I ended up being a member of the auxiliary force (Tenaga Bantuan Operasi) with the Iliomar police, then with the local military command. This was the most difficult and bitter time for me. I witnessed my own family being tortured. Our village community leader was tortured to death. (Asia Justice and Rights, 2024).
Others suffered physical disabilities, such as hearing loss or impaired mobility, and many carried unresolved trauma from their time in military environments (Asia Justice and Rights, 2016). The trauma of being forcibly taken from their homes and the violence they witnessed led to lasting mental health issues that continued into adulthood. Some suffered abuse and ill-treatment by the adopted families, while some girls also experienced gender-based violence and exploitation. One individual even remembered that the family treated him harshly; they “poured hot water on my face [and] I was treated like an animal” (Asia Justice and Rights, 2016).
Despite being raised in Indonesia, many of these individuals lack citizenship, preventing them from owning land or obtaining identification documents like passports because of the difficulty in identifying their biological parents for their birth certificates or proper adoption documents (Asia Justice and Rights, 2016). Due to this, some were unable to secure well-paying jobs due to the lack of proper education they received and the poor economic conditions in which they were raised (Barker, 2020).
For the families that were left behind in East Timor, separation also proved to be difficult, especially since they could not ask for assistance and did not know who to ask for help (Asia Justice and Rights, 2024). The children’s names were often changed, making it even harder for families to locate them, resulting in uncertainty and feelings of hopelessness about whether their children were dead or alive. This caused great distress for the families, and at times led to feelings of guilt and disagreements among family members (Asia Justice and Rights, 2024).
Despite these challenges, individuals who were eventually reunited with their families expressed happiness and gratitude. In November 2024, the Red Cross of Timor-Leste and other civic organisations were able to reunite Lekiloi, one of the stolen children, with his family in East Timor, 45 years after he was abducted during the Indonesian occupation (Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste, 2025). During the reunion, Lekiloi’s brother shared that he thought his brother was dead all these years because their efforts to look for him were in vain; seeing his brother again after decades of separation felt like a blessing (Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste, 2025).
On the other hand, some families encountered challenges even after being reunited since feelings of guilt arose about recounting only a few memories regarding their former lives and former homes, creating a sense of divided identity and conflicting feelings (Asia Justice and Rights, 2024). One person also shared that while his family wanted him to go back home to Timor-Leste, he realised that the conditions were not favourable since he had already created a family in Indonesia and did not want to leave his Javanese wife and children (Asia Justice and Rights, 2024).
CONCLUSION
The story of the stolen children is complex and deeply layered. Although these events took place nearly half a century ago, their emotional, social, and economic impacts persist. However, Indonesian policies remain inadequate, as the government has yet to acknowledge its role or take responsibility for the military’s actions in abducting the children and the human rights abuses that these children encountered (Asia Justice and Rights, 2024).
For Timor-Leste, the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice affirmed his commitment to address the challenges of the stolen children and to advocate for Timor-Leste’s ratification of the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance to promote human rights in the country (PDHJ Timor-Leste, 2024).
Despite these shortcomings, civic and non-governmental organisations have launched several initiatives to provide ongoing support for the reunification of families and the rehabilitation of the rights of the stolen children. And while these efforts mark significant progress, continued advocacy and awareness regarding this issue are essential to ensure that no children suffer the same fate again.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Asia Justice and Rights. (2016). Long Journey Home: Reuniting East Timor’s Stolen Children Living in Indonesia with their Families in Timor-Leste. In Asia Justice & Rights. Retrieved July 25, 2025, from https://asia-ajar.org/resources/policy-papers/long-journey-home-the-stolen-children-of-timor-leste/.
Asia Justice and Rights. (2024). A Constant Longing. In Asia Justice and Rights. Retrieved July 25, 2025, from https://asia-ajar.org/resources/policy-papers/a-constant-longing/.
Barker, A. (2020, July 6). Timor-Leste’s stolen children: Taken during a time of war, decades later they are coming home. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved July 25, 2025, from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-07/timor-leste-stolen-children-are-coming-home/12374180.
Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste. (2025, January 24). A Family Reunited After 45 Years – A Good News Story – The Timor-Leste Red Cross. Timor-Leste Red Cross (CVTL). Retrieved July 25, 2025, from https://www.redcross.tl/a-family-reunited-after-45-years-a-good-news-story/.PDHJ Timor-Leste. (2024, August 28). Ombudsman Guterres Highlights Challenges and Commitments in Addressing the Issue of Stolen Children. PDHJ Timor-Leste. Retrieved July 25, 2025, from https://www.pdhj.tl/en/ombudsman-guterres-highlights-challenges-and-commitments-in-addressing-the-issue-of-stolen-children/.
