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TIMOR-LESTE: Unfulfilled Protection and Assistance Needs Hamper the Return of the Displaced

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TIMOR-LESTE: Unfulfilled Protection and Assistance Needs Hamper the Return of the Displaced TIMOR-LESTE: Unfulfilled protection and assistance needs hamper the return of the displaced A profile of the internal displacement situation 7 September, 2007 This Internal Displacement Profile is automatically generated from the online IDP database of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). It includes an overview of the internal displacement situation in the country prepared by the IDMC, followed by a compilation of excerpts from relevant reports by a variety of different sources. All headlines as well as the bullet point summaries at the beginning of each chapter were added by the IDMC to facilitate navigation through the Profile. Where dates in brackets are added to headlines, they indicate the publication date of the most recent source used in the respective chapter. The views expressed in the reports compiled in this Profile are not necessarily shared by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. The Profile is also available online at www.internal-displacement.org. About the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, established in 1998 by the Norwegian Refugee Council, is the leading international body monitoring conflict-induced internal displacement worldwide. Through its work, the Centre contributes to improving national and international capacities to protect and assist the millions of people around the globe who have been displaced within their own country as a result of conflicts or human rights violations. At the request of the United Nations, the Geneva-based Centre runs an online database providing comprehensive information and analysis on internal displacement in some 50 countries. Based on its monitoring and data collection activities, the Centre advocates for durable solutions to the plight of the internally displaced in line with international standards. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre also carries out training activities to enhance the capacity of local actors to respond to the needs of internally displaced people. In its work, the Centre cooperates with and provides support to local and national civil society initiatives. For more information, visit the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre website and the database at www.internal-displacement.org. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre Norwegian Refugee Council Chemin de Balexert 7-9 1219 Geneva, Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 799 07 00 [email protected] www.internal-displacement.org 2 CONTENTS CONTENTS 3 OVERVIEW 8 UNFULFILLED PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE NEEDS HAMPER THE RETURN OF THE DISPLACED 8 CAUSES AND BACKGROUND 16 SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND 16 TIMOR-LESTE IS ONE OF THE POOREST AND LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD 16 GENERALITIES ABOUT THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR 17 AUSTRALIA, TIMOR-LESTE AND THE TIMOR SEA OIL AND GAS RESERVES 19 EAST TIMORESE WOMEN TRADITIONALLY RESTRICTED BY THE GENDERED NORMS OF CULTURE AND CUSTOMS 23 EAST-WEST IDENTITIES IN TIMOR-LESTE 24 DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS HAVE INCREASED THE VULNERABILITY OF TIMOR-LESTE TO CIVIL CONFLICT 27 ALIGNMENT OF YOUTH GANGS WITH POLITICAL FACTIONS HAS EXACERBATED THE 2006 UNREST 28 POLITICAL BACKGROUND 30 FROM DECOLONISATION TO INDEPENDENCE (1974-1999) 31 FRETILIN ASSUMES TOTAL CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT (1999-2006) 32 A DIVIDED UN SECURITY COUNCIL CREATES UNMIT (AUGUST 2006) 34 PRESENCE OF AUSTRALIAN TROOPS SEEN AS PARTICULARLY CONTROVERSIAL (JULY 2007) 36 A CRIPPLED JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND THE FLAWS OF THE COMMISSION ON TRUTH AND FRIENDSHIP (CTF) CREATE THE PERCEPTION THAT IMPUNITY IS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE TOLERATED (JULY 2007) 38 DEEP POLITICAL DIVISIONS AND RIVALRIES CULMINATE IN A REGIME CHANGE IN THE WAKE OF THE APRIL/MAY UNREST 41 JULY 2007 ELECTIONS LEAD TO FORMATION OF A NEW COALITION GOVERNMENT HEADED BY XANANA GUSMAO (AUGUST 2007) 46 LAND, HOUSING AND PROPERTY ISSUES 47 CUSTOMARY SYSTEMS OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ARE COMPLEX AND WIDESPREAD IN TIMOR LESTE 48 TIMOR HAS SUFFERED SUCCESSIVE WAVES OF LAND DISPOSSESSION 48 UNCERTAINTY OF FUTURE TENURE ARRANGEMENTS FOLLOWING PRE-1999 RESETTLEMENT POLICIES IS FUELLING DISCONTENT (NOVEMBER 2003) 50 SIGNIFICANT SECONDARY OCCUPATION OF LAND AND HOUSING FOLLOWING THE 1999 CONFLICT 52 3 INABILITY OF UNTAET TO ADDRESS LAND AND HOUSING ISSUES LEFT MANY DISPUTES UNRESOLVED 55 VIOLENCE AND DISPLACEMENT DURING INDONESIA'S COLONISATION (1975-1999) 57 FORCED DISPLACEMENT USED BY INDONESIA AGAINST EAST TIMORESE AS A TOOL FOR SOCIAL CONTROL AND AS A WAR STRATEGY 57 WIDESPREAD FAMINE IN IDP CAMPS AND SETTLEMENTS UNDER INDONESIAN MILITARY CONTROL (1975-1979) 59 RESETTLEMENT FROM CAMPS TO STRATEGIC VILLAGES AND DISPLACEMENT AS A FORM OF COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT (1980-) 60 VIOLENCE AND DISPLACEMENT AROUND THE 1999 INDEPENDENCE VOTE 61 VIOLENCE AND THREATS CAUSE DISPLACEMENT PRIOR TO THE POPULAR CONSULTATION (FEBRUARY-AUGUST 1999) 61 VIOLENCE AND DISPLACEMENT FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE RESULTS OF THE POPULAR CONSULTATION (SEPTEMBER 1999) 63 BETWEEN 10,000 AND 40,000 FORMER EAST TIMORESE REFUGEES STILL DISPLACED IN WEST TIMOR (MAY 2006) 65 DISPLACEMENT LINKED TO THE APRIL-MAY 2006 VIOLENCE 68 COMPLEX ROOTS OF THE CONFLICT (JANUARY 2007) 68 APRIL-MAY UNREST FORCES 150,000 PEOPLE TO FLEE THEIR HOMES IN DILI (2006) 75 RENEWED VIOLENCE LEAD TO THE DISPLACEMENT OF UP TO 8,000 PEOPLE IN EARLY 2007 (JULY 2007) 80 ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE COMPOSITION OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT TRIGGERS NEW ROUND OF VIOLENCE AND DISPLACEMENT (AUGUST 2007) 82 OTHER CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT 84 TIMOR-LESTE IS HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO NATURAL DISASTERS (JULY 2007) 84 POPULATION FIGURES AND PROFILE 86 GLOBAL FIGURES 86 AN ESTIMATED 100,000 PEOPLE REMAIN DISPLACED (AUGUST 2007) 86 THE DISPLACED ARE MAINLY FROM THE EAST (AUGUST 2007) 89 DISAGGREGATED DATA 91 80 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION ARE SUBSISTENCE FARMERS (JUNE 2006) 91 SIGIFICANT CHANGES IN THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF IDP HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS FOLLOWING DISPLACEMENT (JUNE 2006) 91 PATTERNS OF DISPLACEMENT 93 GENERAL 93 PEOPLE DISPLACED IN AUGUST 2007 ARE STAYING WITH HOST FAMILIES OR HAVE FLED TO THE MOUNTAINS (AUGUST 2007) 93 MAJORITY OF THE 5,000 PEOPLE DISPLACED IN FEBRUARY 2007 WENT TO EXISTING CAMPS AND 4 NEW LOCATIONS (FEBRUARY 2007) 94 NEED FOR A GRADUAL TRANSITION FROM IDP CAMPS TO TRANSITIONAL SHELTER CAMPS (JULY 2007) 94 MOST PEOPLE DISPLACED BY THE APRIL/MAY 2006 UNREST IN DILI SOUGHT REFUGE IN SPONTANEOUS CAMPS (JULY 2007) 96 ALMOST ALL PEOPLE DISPLACED TO THE DISTRICTS ARE STAYING WITH HOST FAMILIES (JANUARY 2007) 96 4 PHYSICAL SECURITY & FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT 97 PHYSICAL SECURITY 97 LONG TERM DISPLACEMENT EXPOSES IDPS AND IN PARTICULAR CHILDREN TO A VARIETY OF INCREASED RISKS (JULY 2007) 97 TOXIC SPILL NEAR IDP CAMP CREATES ANXIETY AMONG IDPS (MAY 2007) 99 IDPS KILLED BY AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS IN UNCLEAR CIRCUMSTANCES (MARCH 2007) 100 IDPS IN CAMPS AT RISK OF VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION FROM YOUTH GANGS (OCTOBER 2006) 102 SUBSISTENCE NEEDS 106 GENERAL 106 UP TO 300,000 PEOPLE IN TIMOR-LESTE ARE IN NEED OF URGENT FOOD ASSISTANCE (JULY 2007) 106 GENERAL HUMANITARIAN CONDITIONS FOR THE DISPLACED CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE ONE YEAR AFTER THE MAY/APRIL UNREST (JULY 2007) 108 FOOD 109 APRIL/MAY 2006 UNREST INCREASED VULNERABILITY OF IDPS AND HOST COMMUNITIES BUT IMPACT ON OVERALL FOOD SECURITY LEVEL REMAINED LIMITED (JUNE 2007) 109 OVERALL DETERIORATION OF THE FOOD SECURITY SITUATION IN TIMOR SEVERELY LIMITS CAPACITY OF HOSTS TO PROVIDE FOOD ASSISTANCE TO THE DISPLACED (JULY 2007) 112 HEALTH 114 PROLONGED DISPLACEMENT IS INCREASING RISKS OF DISEASE OUTBREAKS, IN PARTICULAR FOR IDPS IN CAMPS (JULY 2007) 114 HIGH LEVEL OF MALNUTRITION IN AND OUTSIDE IDP CAMPS BUT NO SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN MORBIDITY (AUGUST 2006) 116 VERY HIGH MALNUTRITION RATES ALREADY PRIOR TO THE APRIL/MAY 2006 UNREST (JUNE 2007) 117 VERY LOW KNOWLEDGE AND AWARNESS OF HIV/AIDS ISSUES AMONG MOST WOMEN (AUGUST 2006) 117 WATER AND SANITATION 118 AT LEAST 5,000 IDP FAMILIES IN 62 CAMPS WILL BE IN NEED OF WATSAN SUPPORT UNTIL THEY ARE ABLE TO RETURN HOME (JULY 2007) 118 MORE THAN HALF OF THE RURAL POPULATION HAVE NO ACCESS TO SAFE WATER SUPPLY (JANUARY 2007) 121 SHELTER AND NON-FOOD ITEMS 122 NEED TO DEVELOP EMERGENCY OR SHORT-TERM SHELTER SITES AND TO REPAIR DAMAGED HOUSES (JULY 2007) 122 EMERGENCY SHELTER WILL BE NEEDED AT LEAST UNTIL END-2007 (JULY 2007) 123 ACCESS TO EDUCATION 125 GENERAL 125 ALL CHILDREN AT SCHOOL AGE AFFECTED BY THE CRISIS (JULY 2007) 125 HIGH DEMAND FOR LITERACY COURSES AMONG DISPLACED PEOPLE (MAY 2007) 127 DISTRICT SCHOOLS TO ENROL IDP STUDENTS FROM DILI (JULY 2006) 127 5 ISSUES OF SELF-RELIANCE AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 129 SELF-RELIANCE 129 ALL GROUPS IN NEED OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY ASSISTANCE (JULY 2007) 129 MAJORITY OF IDPS REPORT SIGNIFICANT LOSSES OF HOUSEHOLD ASSETS (JUNE 2006) 129 MORE THAN HALF OF SURVEYED HOUSEHOLDS REPORTED NO PRIMARY LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITY (JUNE 2006) 130 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 131 PROPERTY ISSUES 132 GENERAL 132 AN ESTIMATED 5,000 HOUSES DESTROYED OR DAMAGED DURING THE RIOTS (JULY 2007) 132 ABSENCE OF A LAND REGULATION, REGISTRATION AND TITLING SYSTEM CONTINUES TO CAUSE UNCERTAINTY OVER PROPERTY RIGHTS (JUNE 2006) 133 ILLEGAL OCCUPANCY OF PROPERTY REGULARIZED BY 'SPECIAL LEASE' AGREEMENTS (DECEMBER 2005) 134 WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION OF HOUSES IN THE WAKE OF THE 1999 INDEPENDENCE VOTE (SEPTEMBER 2000) 136 PATTERNS OF RETURN AND RESETTLEMENT 139 GENERAL 139 POLITICAL AND SECURITY ENVIRONMENT NOT CONDUCIVE TO A RETURN OF THE DISPLACED (JULY 2007) 139 GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE VACILLATES BETWEEN ENCOURAGEMENT AND ULTIMATUMS (MARCH 2007) 140 RETURN OF FORCIBLY RELOCATED COMMUNITIES TO FORMER LAND
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