Born again East Timor
Born again East Timor
Free at last to determine their own destiny, East Timorese
voted on Thursday for an 88-member constituent assembly that will
draft a Constitution for their nascent state and prepare for
presidential elections next year. Administered by the UN after
pro-Jakarta militias reduced the territory to shambles in 1999
when its people opted for statehood, the former Portuguese colony
which Indonesia annexed in 1976 has to build from scratch. The
East Timorese have no experience of self-government, no state
institutions, and little funds. Leading presidential candidate
Xanana Gusmao has warned his people not to expect immediate
improvements to their lives just because they now have democracy.
Of the 16 political parties which took part in Thursday's polls,
Fretilin, which led the armed struggle against Indonesian
occupation, is set for victory when the official results are
announced next week.
Like it or not, East Timor's new government will have to
depend heavily on the UN to see it through its first few years.
It is not just the economic and security problems the country
faces. The sensitive issue of atrocities committed by pro-
Indonesia militias remains unresolved. There is no consensus
among East Timorese on how to deal with this difficult problem.
Human-rights activists oppose the idea of giving amnesty to those
who burned, looted and killed in the aftermath of the 1999
plebiscite, not to mention the gross human-rights abuses during
Indonesia's 24-year rule. While Mr. Gusmao is prepared to
consider amnesty in the spirit of reconciliation, not all East
Timorese agree with him. This issue could cause friction with
Indonesia.
Thursday's election was peaceful, despite fears of violence.
This is due to the presence of UN police and the 8,000
international peacekeepers. The UN has warned that it would be
short-sighted to equate the election with the establishment of an
effective government. UN administrator Sergio Vieira de Mello
said the UN and the international community must stay the course
in East Timor or risk undermining the progress of the past two
years. For this reason, the UN plans to stay in the territory for
a while after independence to help the new government. This is to
ensure that the new state has sound administration and a self-
sustaining economy. East Timor, reborn, is getting a fresh lease
of life. Its leaders have to stay united to build a new nation.
This will not be easy.
-- The Straits Times, Singapore