Seperti yang diperingatkan oleh para pemimpin milisi pro-Indonesia tentang "pertumpahan darah" jika referendum berhasil, "duta besar keliling" Indonesia Francisco Lopes da Cruz menyatakan: "Jika orang menolak otonomi, ada kemungkinan darah akan mengalir di Timor Timur."<ref>Both quoted in Nevins, p. 91.</ref> OneSeorang paramilitarypemimpin leaderparamiliter announcedmengumumkan that abahwa "sealautan of fireapi" would result inakan thedilakukan eventjika ofmayoritas anpemungutan independencesuara votekemerdekaan.<ref>Quoted in Nevins, p. 92.</ref> As the date of the vote drew near, reports of anti-independence violence continued to circulate.<ref>International Federation for East Timor Observer Project. [http://www.etan.org/ifet/report7.html "IFET-OP Report #7: Campaign Period Ends in Wave of Pro-Integration Terror"]. 28 August 1999. Retrieved on 17 February 2008.</ref>
