Timor-Leste: No Time for Complacency
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Report of the Official Parliamentary Delegation
The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia Report of the Official Parliamentary Delegation Visit to Papua New Guinea and East Timor October – November 2008 December 2008 © Commonwealth of Australia 2008 ISBN 978-1-74229-021-8 This document was prepared by the Parliamentary Education Office and printed by the Printing and Delivery Services section of the Department of the Senate, Parliament House, Canberra. ii Contents Preface ..........................................................................................1 Membership of the Delegation ....................................................4 1 Introduction ......................................................................... 5 Objectives ............................................................................................5 Acknowledgments ...............................................................................6 Papua New Guinea – background information ...................................13 East Timor – background information .................................................16 2 Delegation visit to Papua New Guinea ................................ 21 Strengthening ties between Australian and PNG Parliaments .............21 Meetings with Government ......................................................................... 21 Parliament-to-Parliament ties ...................................................................... 23 Strongim Gavman Program .......................................................................... 23 Contemporary political, economic -
Idss Commentaries
18/2008 RSIS COMMENTARIES RSIS Commentaries are intended to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy relevant background and analysis of contemporary developments. The views of the authors are their own and do not represent the official position of the S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU. These commentaries may be reproduced electronically or in print with prior permission from RSIS. Due recognition must be given to the author or authors and RSIS. Please email: [email protected] or call 6790 6982 to speak to the Editor RSIS Commentaries, Yang Razali Kassim. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Assassination attempts in Timor-Leste: Tragedy of a Young Nation Loro Horta 21 February 2008 On 11 February 2008, renegade soldiers led by former army Major Alfredo Reinado attacked the presidential villa in Timor Leste in a pre-dawn attack. The president, Jose Ramos Horta, was seriously injured and hanged on to dear life. An incredulous nation asks how things could have gone this far. THE ATTEMPTS on the lives of Timor-Leste’s top two leaders – President Jose Ramos Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao -- were shocking and tragic. For a young nation still struggling to stand on its feet, the attempted killings were the most serious manifestation of the Timorese leadership’s failure in nation-building. Sadly, the perpetrators -- Major Alfredo Reinado and his group -- are the result of the political infighting between Prime Minister Gusmao and Fretilin, the former party in power, that characterised Timorese politics from the early days of its independence. Both Xanana and Fretilin created their own cadres of loyal supporters within the military and the police leading to the factionalisation of the security forces from the birth of the nation. -
Timor-Leste's Veterans
Update Briefing Asia Briefing N°129 Dili/Jakarta/Brussels, 18 November 2011 Timor-Leste’s Veterans: An Unfinished Struggle? not solved the problem. Judgment on difficult cases has I. OVERVIEW been deferred based on a belief that fraudulent claims will be revealed through denunciation once the lists are pub- More than ten years after the formation of Timor-Leste’s lished. Even with the option to appeal, new discontent is army and the demobilisation of the guerrilla force that being created that will require mediation. fought for independence, the struggle continues about how to pay tribute to the veterans. The increasingly wealthy state Beyond cash benefits, there are two areas where veterans’ has bought off the threat once posed by most dissidents demands for greater influence will have to be checked. The with an expensive cash benefits scheme and succeeded in first is the scope and shape of a proposed veterans’ council, engaging most veterans’ voices in mainstream politics. This whose primary role will be to consult on benefits as well approach has created a heavy financial burden and a com- as to offer a seal of institutional legitimacy. Some veterans plicated process of determining who is eligible that will hope it will be given an advisory dimension, allowing them create new tensions even as it resolves others. A greater to guide government policy and cementing their elite sta- challenge lies in containing pressures to give them dispro- tus. Such a broad role looks unlikely but the illusion that portionate political influence and a formal security role. veterans might be given more influence has likely in- A careful balance will need to be struck between paying creased the government’s appeal in advance of elections homage to heroes while allowing a younger generation of next year. -
Xanana Gusmão (Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão(De Verdadero Nombre José Alexandre Gusmão))
Xanana Gusmão (Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão(de verdadero nombre José Alexandre Gusmão)) Timor-Leste, Primer ministro; ex-presidente de la República Duración del mandato: 08 de Agosto de 2007 - de de Nacimiento: Laleia, distrito de Manatuto, 20 de Junio de 1946 Partido político: CNRT Profesión : Funcionario público y periodista ResumenHijo de un profesor de escuela que le enseño el idioma portugués y con ancestro en parte portugués, se crió en el campo, junto con su hermano menor y sus cinco hermanas. Recibió la educación primaria en el colegio Santa Teresa de Ossu, en Vikeke, y la secundaria en dos centros regidos por los jesuitas, el seminario de Soibade y la misión Nuestra Señora de Fátima de Dare, cerca de Dili, capital de la entonces provincia portuguesa de ultramar de Timor Oriental. http://www.cidob.org 1 of 9 Biografía No obstante sus aptitudes académicas, la falta de recursos impidió que terminara el bachillerato en el Liceo Francisco Veira Machado de Dili. Desde 1962 se contrató en diversos trabajos, como mecanógrafo, ayudante de topógrafo, pescador, estibador portuario y docente en una escuela de la minoría china, hasta 1966, cuando consiguió un puesto de funcionario público en el Departamento de Silvicultura y Agricultura. En 1968 inició el servicio militar de tres años en el Ejército portugués y en 1969 contrajo matrimonio con Maria Emília Batista, con la que iba a tener dos hijos, Nito y Zenilda. Nacionalista moderado, en mayo de 1974, días después de la Revolución que terminó la dictadura salazarista en la metrópoli y dio paso a un gobierno descolonizador, Gusmão empezó a trabajar en la emisora de radio Voz de Timor al tiempo que se adhirió al recién fundado partido independentista Asociación Social Demócrata Timoresa (ASDT). -
In Bissilau^Ajleu (Area) on 16Th This Month Falantil Ambushed the Enemy and Killed Ko Indonesian Soldiers
- -'..-. •.-'• -•• -••. :.••'/; \s< ..:'-:: u. z^ T" .o::--. first floor, 232 Casilereagh St..Sydney NSW aoOO^ phoner-2b'l?0't Pecerabex * PRESS RELEASE " 1^,000 INDONESIANS KILLED SINCE DECEMBER 7 1975" Radio Maubere on November . 19 claimed in a broadcast that Falantil (National Liberation Forces of East Timor) "has killed over 1*f,000 Indonesian troops since December 7, 1975." This news was contained in a communique from the Ministry of Information and National Security , read in English in the form in which messages' were, previously sent to Telecom Darwin, Prime Minister Eraser ordered Telecom to no longer pass on messages received from Fretilin inside East - Timor on Outpost Radio Darwin. The last message sent on- by Telecom was on November 14. The text of the message read on Radio Maubere on November 19 is as follows ( due to poor reception, some parts were indecipherable and are marked by dots) Democratic Republic of East Timor Ministry of Information and National Security Indonesia is increasing strongly its aggression in East Timor. Through the territory ,fierce fighting is still going on. Falantil has killed over 14,000 Indonesian troops since December 7 1975. In Bissilau^Ajleu (area) on 16th this month Falantil ambushed the enemy and killed kO Indonesian soldiers. Indonesian warplanes,ships and heavy artillery are still bombarding the territory.... The peace can be restored by the withdrawal of all Indonesian soldiers. The The world should not remain indifferent to the human suffering of the people of ^ast Timor Indonesian authorities .... heroic people of East Timor under the leadership of Fretilin .... €* Fernandes, Minister of Information and National Security. -
Timor-Leste After the UN
CHAPTER 3 Past, Present and Future: Why the Past Matters Fidelis Magalhães Future is past’s child, and has the father’s face. This chapter presents my analysis of the current state of Timor-Leste’s development process. It is divided into the following sections. First, I discuss the tension between the theory and the realpolitik of state-building. Second, I discuss Timor-Leste as a country in the making. Third, I discuss the path to independence, the current Timorese leadership and the present political landscape. Fourth, I touch on the roles and the five-year plan of the president. Finally, I try to paint a picture of the future and identify challenges. The theory and the realpolitik of state-building I hold the view that most of the contemporary analyses on the socioeconomic development of Timor-Leste suffer from a serious historical deficiency. It is common for expert opinions to make claims about Timor-Leste’s current economic performance while seldom referring to the course on which the country has sailed. Like driving a car, one ought to have a rear mirror to look behind. If the mirror is too big the driver will be distracted; but without one, the car cannot be driven safely. Moreover, expert opinions seldom acknowledge that the development process is largely a political process. Beyond having the right economic theories and formulas, it is only through having strong political commitments and 31 A New Era? Timor-Leste After the UN sensitivities that a recently independent, economically underdeveloped country can progress. To succeed, it requires strong political will on the part of the leadership to build democratic governance based on the rule of law, yet at the same time ensure that the state is capable of creating consensus among main political forces that can otherwise be belligerent towards the state. -
IPRIS Viewpoints
76 IPRIS Viewpoints SEPTEMBER 2011 Taur Matan Ruak: the first candidate for the 2012 presidential elections in Timor Leste? PAUlo GorjÃO Portuguese Institute of International Relations and Security (IPRIS) On September 2nd, the Chief of General Staff of the Armed his presidential ambitions have the necessary political Forces of Timor Leste, Major-General Taur Matan Ruak, support to succeed. If Matan Ruak decides to run for resigned, claiming that after 36 years in FALINTIL and President it is possible that he might have the support of the F-FDTL, this was the right time “to go back to civilian the main ruling party, the National Congress for Timorese life”.1 On August 20th, the Timorese government had Reconstruction (CNRT), founded by José Alexandre officially disbanded the Armed Forces for the Liberation ‘Xanana’ Gusmão in 2007, as well as from other parties of Timor Leste (FALINTIL), who fought against the close to CNRT, such as the Social Democratic Party Indonesian occupation for more than two decades.2 In a (PSD). So far, Xanana has given no public signal on his way, the demobilization of the FALINTIL marks the end of position regarding Matan Ruak’s presidential ambitions. a cycle and, as such, the resignation of Matan Ruak fits Bearing in mind the men’s good personal relationship, as well in this process. well as the fact that Xanana is not close to Ramos-Horta, Yet, while ending his military career, the decision of it would not be a surprise if Xanana, sooner or later, Matan Ruak could also mark the beginning of his active reveals that he supports Matan Ruak’s presidential bid. -
Timor-Leste's Elections
Update Briefing Asia Briefing N°134 Dili/Jakarta/Brussels, 21 February 2012 Timor-Leste’s Elections: Leaving Behind a Violent Past? I. OVERVIEW Political tensions have largely been tempered in the lead up to polls and the security situation remains stable despite a small uptick in violent crime. As campaign season ap- Timor-Leste’s 2012 general elections will provide an im- proaches and the political temperature rises, law enforce- portant test of the country’s resilience as it celebrates ten ment capacity remains weak and this means the sources years of independence. The governing coalition has under- of potential security risks are many. The UN police and taken few of the long-term reforms seen as necessary after the small International Stabilisation Force (ISF) can help the 2006 crisis but increased wealth has given many a grow- buttress crowd control and riot response, but the focus ing stake in stability. The outcome of polls remains difficult should be on other measures. Civil society groups have a to predict given the breadth of the field in each poll and role to play in helping educate voters and monitoring ad- the weakness of issue-based politics. Successful elections herence to codes of conduct, as well as shining light on any will be important not just toward securing the long-awaited proxy role in election-related intimidation or violence that withdrawal of the country’s UN peacekeeping mission but martial arts groups could play. Public relations should be also may give its leaders the confidence to confront its a key part of the planned joint operations centre for elec- many challenges. -
Security Sector Reform Monitor Timor-Leste January 2011 • No.4
SECURITY SECTOR REFORM MONITOR TIMOR-LESTE JANUARY 2011 • NO.4 INSIDE INTRODUCTION Introduction 1 The third edition of the Security Sector Reform (SSR) Monitor: Timor-Leste The Gift of Reconciliation 2 acknowledged that the national justice system continues to face major obstacles, The Politics of Pardons 7 even though recent strategic planning and initial efforts to improve access to justice The Culture of Impunity 13 have showed promising signs for future justice system development (see The Centre The Future of Impunity 17 for International Governance Innovation [CIGI], 2011). Two increasingly serious Conclusion 19 challenges to the justice system — and also the broader security sector — are the Works Cited 21 political intervention in the justice system and the lack of accountability for both ISSN 1920-1087 past crimes and more recent crimes associated with the 2006 internal crisis. The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Centre for International Governance Innovation or its In the years following the Indonesian occupation, the national political leadership Operating Board of Directors or International Board of Governors. — primarily former President Gusmao and then Foreign Minister Ramos-Horta Copyright ©2011, The Centre for International — pragmatically promoted political reconciliation rather than prosecutorial justice Governance Innovation. This work was carried out with the support of The Centre for International for crimes against humanity cases from 1999, as well as crimes resulting from the conflict with Indonesia. Following the 2006 crisis and his election in 2007, President Governance Innovation (CIGI), Waterloo, Ontario, Ramos-Horta’s political use of pardons to resolve high-profile cases has undermined Canada (www.cigionline.org). -
Iprislusophone Countries Bulletin
SEPTEMBER | 1 IPRIS Lusophone Countries Bulletin 2011 REVIEW 46 TIMOR LESTE IN 2011: THE PRELUDE OF A NEW CYCLE? Nuno Canas Mendes IPRIS Lusophone Countries Bulletin: 2011 Review | 46 Timor Leste in 2011: The Prelude of a New Cycle? NUNO CANAS MENDES Assistant Professor, School of Social and Political Sciences (ISCSP), Portugal When looking back to 2011, Timor Leste was clearly char- foreign policy, economy and justice that impacted Timor acterized by the discussion over the country’s political Leste’s course in this particular year. Concluding remarks future, which is to be defined in the presidential (March) will then attempt to highlight what can be expected in the and legislative (June) elections to be held during 2012. An coming year. overall assessment of the political facts allows for a posi- tive balance of the year both in terms of the functioning Pre-elections and UNMIT of the institutions and of developments in some sensitive Stability in 2011 was the dominant note, with measurable areas such as security, economy and justice. Naturally, progress observed in the dialogue between government, this has to be contextualized with the efforts carried out opposition and civil society representatives. A good ex- by the state and the international community both seek- ample was the initiative promoted by the Bishop of Bau- ing to demonstrate that evolution has indeed occurred. cau, Basílio Nascimento, on 26 July and later continued However, it is not difficult to list a number of criticisms of in Maubisse in August which brought together national the government’s performance including the shortcom- leaders (including high political officials, military author- ings of the security forces, the weak diversity of the eco- ities, representatives of major parties and civil society nomic sector, and the reduced efficiency of justice. -
Timor-Leste: Background and U.S. Relations
Updated June 27, 2019 Timor-Leste: Background and U.S. Relations Overview projects, while opponents alleged that the government was Timor-Leste (also known as East Timor), is one of the spending unsustainably. world’s youngest nation-states, having gained its independence from Indonesia on May 20, 2002. This U.S. congressional concerns have focused on internal marked the end of more than three centuries of foreign rule, security, human rights, and the development of democratic including over 300 years of Portuguese rule followed by 24 institutions. The House Democracy Partnership initiated a years of Indonesian control. The nation’s transition to Timor-Leste program in 2006 that has managed training independence was traumatic: Following a 1999 nationwide programs for Timorese legislators, and assisted with the referendum that supported independence, violence led by building of a parliamentary library and the improvement of paramilitary militias supported by elements of the information technology in the Timorese parliament. Indonesian military killed around 1,300 Timorese and displaced nearly 500,000. Today, with a population of 1.3 Historical Background million, Timor-Leste is one of the world’s poorest nations, During the 1640s, Portugal began to assert control over with one of Asia’s highest illiteracy rates. Timor-Leste, a small outpost surrounded by Dutch-ruled Indonesia. This colonial presence would last until 1975, Timor-Leste has made considerable strides in building long after Indonesia gained independence from the stability and democratic institutions, although it continues Netherlands, when the Revolutionary Front for an to face many challenges in consolidating its democracy and Independent Timor-Leste (Fretilin) gained ascendancy and developing its economy. -
Timor-Leste’S Security Sector Collapsed and the Fledgling the Security Sector Nation Lurched Toward Civil War
AddressingSECURITY International Governance Challenges SECURITYSECTOR SECTORREFORM RMEFORMONITOR MONITOR TIMOR-LEEAST TIMORSTE Decemberoctober 20092009 •• No.1No.1 INSIDE INTRODUCTION Introduction 1 Historical Background of 2 In mid-2006, large parts of Timor-Leste’s security sector collapsed and the fledgling the Security Sector nation lurched toward civil war. The country’s police (Polícia Nacional de Timor Leste - Security Environment 4 PNTL) and military (Forças de Defesa de Timor-Leste - F-FDTL) were at best incapable The United Nations and 6 of controlling, and at worst complicit in fomenting crime and lawlessness, requiring SSR the government to request an Australian-led peacekeeping force and international Policing 6 policing presence to restore public order. Justice Sector 10 Armed Forces 10 The tragic events of April–June 2006—in which 37 died in the violence and over Conclusion 11 150,000 were driven from their homes—laid bare the dysfunctions of the security Works Cited 12 sector. “The Crisis,” as the events of 2006 are now known, revealed that there was ISSN 1920-1087. little substance to many parts of the security sector beyond uniforms and weapons. The opinions expressed in this It became clear that Timor-Leste required a comprehensive and far-reaching security paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Centre for International Governance sector reform (SSR) process. Innovation or its Board of Directors and/or Board of Governors. Copyright © 2009, The Centre for International Governance Innovation. This work was carried out There have been significant changes in the Timorese security sector since 2006, with the support of The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (www.cigionline.org).