The Dutch East Indies gained independence as Indonesia in 1949, however Portugal kept their colony on Timor. Following a revolution in Portugal which removed the dictatorship of Marcello Caetano, the country made moves to grant its remaining colonies independence. This sparked political turmoil in Portuguese Timor, and in 1975 Indonesia invaded and annexed the territory. An East Timorese independence movement opposed Indonesian rule, and in 1999 a referendum was held at which the East Timorese voted overwhelmingly for independence, which was accordingly granted in 2002.