East Timor, a half island 350 miles north of Darwin, is the poorest country in SE Asia and one of the four most impoverished countries in the world. For nearly 400 years it was a Portuguese colony but only a few native people benefited from this rule, most of the inhabitants continuing to survive by subsistence agriculture.
In 1974 Portugal initiated a de-colonisation process but before this was complete East Timor was invaded and occupied by Indonesian troops with the complicity of Western powers. The occupation lasted until 1999 and was oppressive and exploitative. The Timorese, marginalised in their own country, sustained a courageous resistance to Indonesian rule that steadily gained international support.
In 1999 the United Nations organised a plebiscite in East Timor that resulted in a clear majority vote by the people against the continuation of their status as a Province of Indonesia. The Indonesian armed forces (TNI) had created local militias to intimidate the people into voting to remain within the Republic and when their efforts were frustrated by the outcome of the UN ballot they caused as much devastation as possible as they withdrew from the territory. TNI also forcibly deported a quarter of the population to neighbouring West Timor and other Indonesian islands. Most of the professional and managerial classes in East Timor had been Indonesian migrants and also left the country.
Thus East Timor began the year 2000 with its infrastructure wrecked, most homes and public buildings in ruins, and few people capable of planning a recovery. United Nations personnel, international aid workers, and representatives of many governments around the world have been working in co-operation with the East Timorese people ever since to help build an ordered society from ‘less than nothing’. This effort has included the repatriation of the great majority of those who were deported in the violent aftermath of the UN plebiscite.
In August 2001 a Constitutional Assembly was peacefully elected to represent the people and determine the kind of structure the new State would have on achieving full independence.
In accordance with the Constitution prepared by this Assembly, the people of East Timor directly elected the first President of the new nation in April 2002 - and on May 20th East Timor became an independent country. Timor Leste, as the sovereign nation is now titled, was formally received as a Member of the United Nations Organisation later that year on September 27th. The Constitutional Assembly became its first Government. In the period May to July 2007 elections were again held for the Presidency and for the Government. Both these processes were deemed by international observer missions to have been fairly conducted.
The United Nations has supported a succession of Missions in the territory.
The international community at large has been generous in its support of the fledgling nation but East Timor is in great need of economic and social development. The country lacks an adequate infrastructure and few native people have the necessary technical, professional and managerial skills that are needed for the task ahead. Health care and educational provision remain very limited, and unemployment is high.
Although the East Timorese homeland and its surrounding seas have some valuable natural resources it will be a while before these can be fully exploited to their benefit.
Most analysts think it will take at least a generation for the people of East Timor to be able to provide for themselves in any way adequately. Meanwhile the majority of the people remain ‘dirt poor’. In 2006 this gave rise to civil disorder but a somewhat precarious social stability has now been restored and signs of progress are gradually becoming evident.
The Peter Trust prioritises health care, education/training for the young people (who comprise the majority of the population) within and beyond East Timor, and supports income generation projects.
- Your support is much appreciated -
For further information please contact
The Peter Trust,