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Update on East Timor
30 May 2006
The new nation of East Timor is currently in a state of turmoil as dissatisfied soldiers, and now unemployed youth, are roaming the streets in a breakdown of security.
Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA's Australian volunteers working in East Timor have returned to Australia, as has our Co-ordinator, Jill Haynes, until the situation stabilises. As of today, all our partners and local staff are OK, none have been injured. This includes the East Timor union federation, Konfederasaun Sindicatu Timor Lorosa'e (KSTL), the vocational training centre, Knua Buka Hatene (KBH) and partners such as LAIFET who deliver the vocational training.
What began as a strike by about 600 soldiers from the East Timor military in March, has now moved on to widespread civil unrest in the hands of unemployed and disaffected youth. The extent of the civil unrest has caught all of us who are interested in East Timor issues by surprise.
It is unclear what the exact reasons for the development of this unrest are, but some contributing factors may be:
- There were legitimate concerns held by a group within the military regarding their conditions and treatment, these concerns were not adequately addressed by military leaders and the government. The soldiers were dismissed, leading them to feel as though they had no other option but to protest publicly.
- In one of Asia's poorest countries, with 43% unemployment for young urban men, youth feel they have very little future and therefore little stake in their country, the public protests attracted these youth, who are using the opportunity to express their own frustration and anger.
- The perceived division between the East and West and the fear of ethnic based fighting between these two groups appears to have contributed to residents of Dili fleeing and has been used as justification by the looters to cause damage.
- Australia's opposition to extend the UN mandate in East Timor is also a cause for concern. On May 5 at the UN Security Council, East Timor's Foreign Minister and the UN representative in East Timor, Mr Hasegawa, proposed a 12 month renewal of the mandate for a UN integrated office in East Timor. Only the United States and Australia disagreed, but their view prevailed. The current UNOTIL mandate in East Timor was to be extended by only one month, to June 21, 2006.
- Australia's policy on the Timor Sea oil and gas reserves has not helped the new nation. By only allowing them 50% rather than 100% of the royalties and taxes on the oil and gas on their side of the median line between the two countries, (as recommended by the UN Law of the Sea), we have deprived them of much-needed finances which could have paid a decent wage to the military and created jobs for unemployed youth.
Exacerbating the fear of the unrest is the memory of all Timorese of the terrible trauma of the occupation and the violence and destruction by the pro-Indonesian militia after their independence ballot.
The current situation in East Timor needs to be viewed within the context of its complex history. We should not forgot that for 25 years the East Timorese struggled against Indonesian occupation because Australia and the rest the world supported or refused to take a stance against Indonesian invasion in 1975. It is important now for Australia to understand that challenges such as this are to be expected in a country which has such limited experience in making change using democratic processes. We need to support East Timor in rebuilding their sense confidence in their new nation and respect their right to self-determination, remembering that nation building and the process of creating a sustainable peace are long term endeavours.
The temptation to label East Timor as a 'failed state' as a result of the unrest is an oversimplification that undermines the efforts of the nation to date. The democratically elected Timorese government has shown itself to be more than capable of implementing economic, political and social measures to achieve progress for their people. Their focus on improving education and health outcomes, revitalising the agricultural systems and rebuilding that which was destroyed by the departing Indonesian military should be applauded and assisted by all people who wish to see this new nation continue to grow and prosper.
One of the lessons learnt is that we must redouble our efforts to assist development in East Timor. For example, since 2001, Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA has trained over 3,600 people in 16 vocational areas which has enabled them to earn income or gain employment - much, much more needs to be done so the unemployed youth feel they have a future, that their lives are improving, and they believe they have an important role to play in nation building. Also important is building the capacity of a free and community based media to inform their citizens. Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA assists two community radio stations and the journalists' union. Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA also assist the strengthening of key organisations in civil society, such as the independent and democratic trade unions. A strong civil society is important to empower working people to have control over their nation.
Contact Details
Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA
Ph: (02) 9264 9343
Fax: (02) 9261 1118
office@apheda.org.au
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