every thing done about East Timor appears to be either too late or too early. The decision by Habibi to allow the referendum was premature. Observing events from within Indonesia it was clear that Indonesia was sick and tired of the problems East Timor was causing it, both internally and internationally. They were in the process of digesting the realisation that they needed to get out of there, but had not yet worked out an exit strategy or a means of selling the idea to the military. The military had invested a lot of time and lives in trying to implement the wishes of their government and were totally committed to the unity of an Indonesia that included East Timor. It was not just a case of changing the orders and saying sorry boys, it has all been a mistake, there were too many dead soldiers who had died for something they all believed in. My opinion, both then and now, is that if time had allowed another year, the army would have began to disengage in a manner that would have avoided the humiliation that was forced onto them. Habibi was not a politician and had little understanding of either the political landscape or the army. He was an engineer. I don't think he realised at the moment what he had done by calling for the referendum, but once it been uttered it was too late.
