Editing Portuguese Timor (section)

===World War II===
[[File:Memorial Regulo Evaristo de Sá Benevides.jpg|thumb|upright|Memorial to chief Evaristo de Sá Benevides.]]

Although Portugal was neutral during [[World War II]], in December 1941, Portuguese Timor was occupied by a small British, Australian and Dutch force, to preempt a Japanese invasion. However, the Japanese did invade in the [[Battle of Timor]] in February 1942. Under Japanese occupation, the borders of the Dutch and Portuguese were ignored with Timor island being made a single [[Imperial Japanese Army]] (IJA) administration zone.<ref name="Taylor379"/> Because of Portugal's neutrality, the Japanese left the Portuguese governor in place and in formal control of [[Liquiçá Municipality|Liquiçá]].<ref name="Kammen2015ch5"/>{{rp|109}} 400 Australian and Dutch commandos trapped on the island by the Japanese invasion waged a [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] campaign in the mountainous interior, the [[Battle of Timor (1942–43)|Battle of Timor]], which tied up Japanese troops and inflicted over 1,000 casualties.<ref name="Schwartz199"/> Timorese and the Portuguese helped the guerrillas but following the Allies' eventual evacuation, Japanese retribution from their soldiers and Timorese militia (the [[Black Columns]]) raised in [[Dutch Timor]] was severe.<ref name="Taylor379"/> By the end of the War, an estimated 40–60,000 Timorese had died, the economy was in ruins, and famine widespread.<ref name="Schwartz199"/><ref>Goto.</ref>

Under Japanese rule, there were changes to the administrative structures that created larger districts (the former kingdoms) and a reduced number of ''suco''.<ref name="Scambary2021"/>{{rp|280}}