Popular Consultation Day for the year 2024 is celebrated/observed on Wednesday, August 30th. There are until the next observance.

On August 30, we will observe Popular Consultation Day. East Timorese people observe it on the same date every year. The day commemorates the 1999 referendum held in the presence of the United Nations to allow the people of East Timor to choose between more autonomy within Indonesia and independence to become a separate nation. The people overwhelmingly supported secession, and violence and disputes began immediately after. However, a new nation was formed as a result of its residents’ aspirations. Let us join them in their joy.

📆 When is Popular Consultation Day?

This year, Popular Consultation Day is on August 30th. It is the 5th Wednesday in August; in 2024, it is on Friday.

Countdown to Popular Consultation Day

Did you know: In Indonesian and Malay, the term Timor means “east,” hence the direct translation of the name is “east east.”

You can also discover all fun things you didn’t know about and facts about August 30, 2023.

📜 History of Popular Consultation Day

Timor was a component of Indian and Chinese commercial networks before colonialism. Traders travel to Timor in search of scented sandalwood, honey, and wax. These resources, however, aroused the attention of Europeans, who arrived on the island in 1769 and established outposts. The nation was utilized as a trade hub by the Portuguese monarchs for the export of sandalwood and coffee. Following the 1974 Portuguese revolution, Portuguese control came to an end.

The Indonesian invasion followed the Portuguese administration. The political upheaval caused by the collapse of the Portuguese and the rising influence of communist ideals in the region alarmed Indonesia, which did not appreciate the thought of a communist state within the Indonesian archipelago. The Indonesian occupation lasted until 1999. It was a time of strife, political upheaval, bloodshed, and brutality. B.J. Habibie, Indonesia’s new president, consented to the referendum so that the people of Timor could make their own decision. They were offered the option of remaining in Indonesia with increased autonomy or seceding from the country to establish East Timor. A new country was formed.

☑️ Popular Consultation Day facts

First independent nation
East Timor was the first nation to gain independence in the twenty-first century.

No UNESCO World Heritage Sites
East Timor is one of 27 nations without a single UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Least-visited country
East Timor is one of the least visited places in the world, with only about 74,000 tourists going there every year.

Things to do on Popular Consultation Day

Send well-wishes
Popular Consultation Day is essentially East Timor’s Independence Day. Send an Independence Day greeting to East Timor via social media.

Visit East Timor
East Timor is a traveler’s and nature lover’s dream. Use this day to travel throughout the nation.

Upload the East Timor flag
The East Timor flag symbolizes the oppression and hardships they endured. To celebrate their independence, share the flag on social media.

📅 Popular Consultation Day Observances

YEAR DATE DAY
2023 August 30 Wednesday
2024 August 30 Friday
2025 August 30 Saturday
2026 August 30 Sunday
2027 August 30 Monday

View all August holidays, including Federal and other Civic holidays.

We will continue to update this page with new information and must-know facts about Popular Consultation Day. So be sure to check back soon.