Survival Strategies: Food Foraging and Processing in the Timorese Guerrilla Fighters’ Resistance to Indonesian Starvation Policy, 1975–1979

ABSTRACT During Indonesia's 24‐year occupation of East Timor, the “faminogenic” policy was a brutal war strategy that deliberately restricted food access, causing widespread suffering and death. From 1977, the Indonesian army systematically destroyed bush camps in liberated zones led by the revolutionary movement for independence, leading to severe hunger and loss of life. The population was forced into controlled areas, leaving Timorese guerrilla fighters struggling to survive in the jungles without reliable food sources. These fighters relied on traditional knowledge, utilizing resources such as wild bitter beans, wild yams, and bush foods to endure. This study explores local food knowledge, drawing primarily on interviews with guerrilla veterans. Through these accounts, the author has described innovative food preservation techniques, either passed down by ancestors or developed in the jungle. The narratives reveal how survival strategies intertwined with cultural heritage, offering insights into resilience amid extreme adversity. The veterans’ stories provide valuable lessons, highlighting a wealth of knowledge about adaptation and survival. This study not only preserves these oral histories but also highlights their relevance for understanding food security and cultural continuity in post‐conflict contexts, contributing to broader discussions on indigenous knowledge and wartime survival strategies.