Ramos-Horta's 'forgiving' stance under fire

By Indonesia correspondent Geoff Thompson

Posted 3 hours 50 minutes ago
Updated 3 hours 10 minutes ago

Forgiveness call: Jose Ramos-Horta (Reuters: Romeo Ranoco)

As East Timor celebrates a decade of self-rule, President Jose Ramos-Horta has called for an end to all United Nations-led investigations into the serious crimes committed along the nation's road to independence.

But it is a controversial stance, and a victim of the violence in 1999 says she is now ashamed of her country's head of state.

Last night, Indonesian pop star Krisdayanti flirted with tens of thousands of East Timor's people and danced on stage with the two giants of the country's struggle for independence - Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao and Mr Ramos-Horta.

It took place on Dili's foreshore in front of the Portuguese-built governor's offices, which were overtaken by Indonesia's administrators and now house East Timor's own leaders.

And where Krisdayanti danced last night was exactly the place where, 10 years ago, journalists watched militia leader Eurico Guterres call for his men to find and kill independence supporters.

And that is exactly what they did, including an attack on the house of Manuel Carrascalao, which took the life of his young teenage son.

But such crimes should no longer be investigated by the United Nations Serious Crimes Unit, Mr Ramos-Horta said yesterday.

He said the money would be better spent on East Timor's young judiciary.

"My stated preference, both as a human being, victim, and head of state, is that we, once and for all, move that 1975-99 chapters of our tragic experience, forgive those who did harm to us," he said.

"We must forgive our brothers and sisters and those in the Indonesian army who committed heinous crimes against us."

I first met Christine Carrascalao in 1999 when, strong but utterly distraught, she attended a Sunday Mass just two days after Eurico's men killed her little brother, known as Manuelita.

Ten years later, she does not agree with her President's ideas of justice and forgiveness.

"Justice is not about forgiving. It is about setting what is right and what is wrong," she said.

"What you've done wrong in killing, murder, torture, you should teach them a lesson that it cannot happen again because there will be punishment.

"You cannot just say, sure it is fine, we'll let everything go simply because we want to. That should not be on."

Ms Carrascalao says she is ashamed of her President.

"For not asking for justice, yes. For being afraid to ask for justice, yes. Yes, I am," she said.

source:http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/31/2671245.htm?site=news

Conference reaffirms importance of solidarity with Timor-Leste

Source: East Timor Action Network (ETAN)

On the 10th anniversary of Timor-Leste's historic vote for independence, activists from five continents came together to reaffirm their solidarity with the newly independent country. Meeting in Dili, more than 200 people from solidarity groups in 18 countries discussed the continuing need for justice and accountability. In addition to ending impunity for those who committed crimes against humanity and other human rights violations during Indonesia's illegal occupation, participants developed proposals to address current issues, including economic justice, gender justice and West Papua.

Participants in the three-day conference, "Strengthening Solidarity: The Struggle for Justice Continues," ranged in age from 15 to 85 years. They warmly welcomed long-time supporters of Timor such as Carmel Budiardjo of TAPOL in England and James Dunn, a former Australian diplomat sent to Portuguese Timor 48 years ago. Many young Timorese enthusiastically participated, exchanging ideas with veteran activists from Timor-Leste and abroad.

Attendees both from inside and outside Timor had worked for self-determination for the occupied country. They campaigned together for a decade or more to end the quarter-century of Indonesian occupation and to enable the Timorese to determine their political destiny, which they voted for overwhelmingly on August 30, 1999. Both Timorese and international participants reaffirmed their support for Timor-Leste's development as a new nation based on economic, legal and social justice.

Three Timorese leaders who worked with solidarity activists in exile and later rose to high government positions addressed the conference. President José Ramos-Horta graciously opened the conference, telling stories of his long association with some of the long-time activists present. Mari Alkatiri, Secretary-General of FRETILIN and former Prime Minister, said that "if we don't continue to talk about justice, we shouldn't have thought we could rule ourselves." Agio Pereira, Secretary-State for Council of Ministers, closed the conference.

Participants enthusiastically endorsed self-determination for West Papua and Western Sahara and ending military rule in Burma and human rights violations in Sri Lanka. They also clearly linked the struggle for justice for Timor-Leste with that for democracy and human rights in Indonesia. Participants felt strongly that others should benefit from the international solidarity extended to Timor-Leste over the decades.

Solidarity activists from Indonesia and Ireland, and two Timorese women, one who worked with the solidarity movement from inside the country and another from Australia, shared their experiences and analysis of their activist campaigns that led up to the referendum. People involved in unfinished human rights and self-determination struggles for Burma, Sri Lanka, Western Sahara and West Papua urged participants to extend their solidarity. Speakers on the second day detailed the consequences of impunity, as well as obstacles to and mechanisms for achieving justice for crimes committed during the brutal Indonesian occupation of Timor-Leste.

Workshops then discussed future solidarity actions on several topics. The justice group reaffirmed the need to end the culture of impunity through the creation of an international tribunal and urged more coordination of international and local campaigns for justice. They called for greater dissemination of Chega!, the report of the Timor-Leste truth and reconciliation commission (CAVR). The group on economic justice called for people-centered development that benefits all Timorese citizens, as well as greater transparency and accountability from government. The gender justice workshop called for improving the judicial system to better support victims of conflicts over the years. The People-to-people/religious solidarity group encouraged religious denominations to get more involved in working for justice and accountability and to provide more information about human rights issues. The Solidarity with West Papua group strongly supported self-determination for the Indonesian-controlled territory.

The conference urged the government of Timor-Leste, the international community and the UN to take principled action against impunity, and demanded an international tribunal for Timor-Leste, saying there cannot be impunity for crimes from 1975-1999. The conference urged attention to the victims of sexual violence from the Japanese occupation as well (1942-1945).

The conference called on Timor-Leste's National Parliament to debate the CAVR and the joint Commission on Truth and Friendship (CTF) recommendations. We urge the Timor-Leste government to implement the CAVR recommendations. Governments of other nations must also implement the CAVR recommendations that are addressed to them. The Timorese government and parliament must attend to the victims of the occupation and intra-Timorese violence, and the UN must establish the solidarity fund to support victims of the occupation. The conference urged cooperation in resolving the cases of stolen children, and investigation into the question of people disappeared. The problem of the East Timorese "refugees" in Indonesia must also not be forgotten; their living condition is growing from bad to worse.

Attendees plan to amplify the voices of the victims of war, violence and occupation and push responsible governments to improve the living conditions of victims. We need to improve data collection on victims (including victims of sexual violence); NGOs need to consolidate the data they have collected (on present and past victims), and use that data to end the cycle of violence.

The conference demanded an end to impunity for the perpetrators of the killings of Papuan political leaders and human rights activists, including Arnold Ap, Opinus Tabuni, Theys Eluay and his driver Aristoteles Masoka,. The participants urged a peaceful dialogue between the government of Indonesia and representatives of the people of Papua. They urged the government of Indonesia to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the implementation of "Special Autonomy" in West Papua and open its results to public. The conference urged international agencies and governments who support "Special Autonomy" to evaluate and review that support. They also demanded the release of all West Papuan political prisoners wherever they are, including those detained by Indonesian Regional Police of West Papua in Jayapura.

The conference condemned the recent attack by Morocco on Sarawi activists and human rights defenders in Tan Tan, Morocco. The participants extended their solidarity for the implementation of the peace agreement in Aceh, and for the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Mindanao.

Participants came from Aotearoa (New Zealand), Australia, Canada, England, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, the United States, West Papua and Zimbabwe.

Funding was provided by CAFOD, Catholic Relief Services, Caritas Australia, Caritas Aotearoa (New Zealand), Development and Peace, HIVOS, Progressio, and Trocaire.

The conference is part of a series of activities including an exhibition illustrating global solidarity activities over the years now open at Fundação Oriente, Dili, through 5 September. Visiting activists from overseas and Timorese students visited rural communities in Maubisse and Ermera to expand their understanding of people's daily lives and how they are cooperating for mutual benefit.

Klibur Solidaridade Timor-Leste/ Timor-Leste Solidarity Group

Sekretariadu: Oficina Asosiasaun HAK, Farol, Dili, Timor-Leste
Telp. +670-331-3323, email: timorsolidarity@gmail.com, www.laohamutuk.org/solidarity

Contact:

Xisto dos Santos lanarra.del@gmail.com +670-726-6564

Charles Scheiner charlie@laohamutuk.org +670-734-0965

Manuela Leong Pereira, +670-723-7267

FEATURE-A new political generation rises in East Timor

Sun Aug 30, 2009 11:15am EDT

(Corrects finance minister's position to independent, and not in Gusmao's political party, in paras 22 and 23)

By Sunanda Creagh

DILI, Aug 30 (Reuters) - As a student activist in Jakarta, Avelino Coelho da Silva sought refuge in the Austrian embassy to avoid capture by Indonesian troops. Now as East Timor's Secretary of State for Energy Policy, he installs solar power in villages.

Coelho, 46, is likely to be among the next generation of leaders in the tiny, oil and gas-rich nation which voted overwhelmingly for independence from Indonesia exactly a decade ago.

Both Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, 63, who was imprisoned by Indonesia, and President Jose Ramos-Horta, 59, who campaigned abroad to keep East Timor's struggle in the public eye, are independence heroes.

But a new generation of political leaders, most of whom were children or students during Indonesia's rule, is getting ready to take over.

A former Portuguese colony, East Timor was invaded in 1975 by Indonesia. An estimated 180,000 died during the occupation, and the U.N. estimates about 1,000 East Timorese died in the mayhem that surrounded the 1999 vote for independence.

Since then, Dili has struggled to tackle security, social and economic woes including high unemployment, splits in the army, and poor infrastructure, healthcare and education.

"If you look at other members of cabinet, I tell you, 80 to 85 percent are new generation. People no more than 35-45 years old, who grew up in the era of occupation. This is the new generation running the country. They are the hope of this country," said Ramos-Horta.

Damien Kingsbury, an East Timor analyst from Australia's Deakin University, said there are already several people in East Timor ready to take over the reins from Gusmao and Ramos-Horta.

"It's essentially the student generation, members of the student resistance organisations and expat Timorese who went back from Australia and Indonesia," Kingsbury said.

The next elections are due in 2012.

The challenges the new leaders face remain daunting. Many roads are just dirt and gravel, making communication with remote villages tough.

Almost 30 percent of the adult population is illiterate: the young men who hang around on Dili street corners are evidence of the 40 percent jobless rate in a country where average household monthly income is just $27. In parts of Dili, roadside stalls sell cast-off clothes to people who can't afford to buy them new.

Coelho's Rural Electrification Master Plan has brought electricity to 17 isolated villages in just over a year by installing solar power systems, funded by the government but owned, installed and maintained by community cooperatives.

"Now they have electricity for five to six hours a day. Before, they spent $US1 a day to buy kerosene but now they can save $US30 a month and use it for other things," he said.

Max Lane, a political analyst who covers Indonesia and East Timor, said the electrification project had helped build Coelho's reputation.

"There will be other candidates around when the big guys leave politics but Coelho will definitely be in the race."

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Ramos-Horta, who survived an assassination attempt in February 2008, said he sees Fernando Lasama de Araujo, the 46-year-old speaker of parliament, as a future leader.

Araujo, who got almost 20 percent of the vote in the 2007 presidential elections, was acting president for several months after Ramos-Horta was shot by disgruntled former soldiers. He was also involved in negotiations with the militants, who eventually laid down their arms.

Araujo, from the Democratic Party, says the government cannot just rely on its $5.1 billion Petroleum Fund, where money from oil and gas deals is collected, to fund development.

"We need to get the money from somewhere to accelerate development. I support foreign loans to achieve this," he said.

"After 10 years of independence, we should have achieved more than we have. Water is a very important one and roads, and schools. Until we build a port we cannot attract investors and tourism."

Finance Minister Emilia Pires, 48, who grew up and studied law in Australia, is another leader carving out a name for herself as she tries to increase spending on education, health and infrastructure. Pires is an independent, like some other cabinet members, and is close to Gusmao.

The economy grew 12.8 percent last year and she expects it to expand 8 percent both this year and next.

(For an interview, click on [ID:nJAK518967] )

Her predecessor, Fernanda Borges, an Australian-educated former credit risk analyst who helped set up the Central Payments Office, the forerunner of the Banking and Payments Authority, or central bank, is also considered a future leader.

Borges, 40, quit as finance minister in 2002 after accusing the government of corruption, and formed her own party, the National Unity Party.

East Timor ranked 145th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index -- on a par with Kazakhstan and below Indonesia.

"I understand my limitations as a member of a small party. I know I don't have the resistance hero image behind me. But with three seats in parliament we can be a voice to say this is wrong and when the government is doing the right thing, we can say this is the right thing too," she told Reuters in an interview.

"We are the new kids on the block but people trust us. (Reporting by Sunanda Creagh in Dili; Editing by Sara Webb and Sanjeev Miglani)

source: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSJAK476264

Secretary-General congratulates Timor-Leste on 10th anniversary of popular consultation

28/08/2009

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated Timor-Leste on the tenth anniversary of the historic referendum, which determined its independence from Indonesia.

Timor-Leste anniversary of popular consultation

In a video message the Secretary-General said nation-building has not been easy, but the resilient Timorese people and their leaders have risen to meet their challenges.

"In just over seven years since the restoration of independence, your country has established all its major democratic institutions. Now we must strengthen them. Timor-Leste's progress also shows yet again the power of peaceful means in changing the course of history."

Mr. Ban said the United Nations attaches the highest importance to its partnership with Timor Leste and will continue to support its efforts to build a prosperous, inclusive society.

Bissera Kostova, United Nations.

(duration: 53")

Sound bites

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Cut

Duration: 00:00:20

source:http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/detail/80624.html

Despite winning self-rule Timor still facing challenges

Beijing News.Net
Friday 28th August, 2009 (Brian Padden, Dili, East Timor)

Ten years ago, the people of East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia.

With self-determination came the expectation of a better life. But economic progress on this small island nation has been slow. While the country has serious problems like entrenched poverty and high unemployment, East Timor also has great economic potential.

Francisco Lopez, has a small coffee plantation in the East Timor countryside. Last year he made slightly more than $100.

He says it is a good price but still not enough to buy what they need.

After the people of East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia in 1999, many thought the country's economic hopes lay in coffee. But as exports increased, the price of coffee in the world market dropped.

The East Timor group Cooperativa Cafe Timor has joined with international aid organizations to help farmers produce and market higher quality coffee for specialty coffee shops like the U.S. chain Starbucks. It is also encourages farmers to grow other crops like vanilla and raise cattle to supplement their incomes.

But improving the agricultural sector alone will not solve the growing poverty in urban areas where 40 percent of the population is unemployed. New industries and development are needed to create jobs and give people reasons to spend money in East Timor.

Tourism is slowly growing. Paul Piaia came from Australia not just to enjoy the quiet beaches but also to race in the Tour De Timor, the country's first international cross country bicycle race.

"I'm impressed. They are getting there. They still have a long way to go," he said.

Developer Tony Jape is building a new, modern office and apartment complex and betting that the country will continue to develop.

"Let's look forward. I think a lot of people have focused on the past. Now this project will give pride to the Timorese and the government and the people here," he said.

East Timor is also becoming a major energy producer. The development of oil and gas resources in the East Timor Sea has so far generated close to five billion dollars in revenue for the government.

How the government uses this revenue is a matter of debate in the parliament. Some of the money now goes to buy rice from Vietnam, which is then sold below cost in East Timor to help the poor. Critics like former Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri with the opposition Fretilin party say this policy hurts local rice producers who cannot compete.

"If you are subsidizing rice, if you are distributing rice for a very cheap price, it means that people are not really going to produce rice in the country. You are stopping the productivity of the country. You are really blocking the production and this is not the kind of development we are looking for," said Alkatiri.

All seem to agree that the money should be used for long term development needs like roads, education, and healthcare.

Maria Lay, a member of the ruling CNRT party, the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction, says first on the government's list is building new power plants.

"The government has identified the critical problem we have at the moment is electricity for all the population. And we are starting and we hope that it will finish in two years later, maybe 2011," she said.

But this plan has also come under criticism. The proposed power plants will burn heavy oil, which must be imported and causes pollution.

And there have been questions over how and to whom contracts get awarded.

Arguments over the details of how to spend East Timor's newfound wealth, continues to slow the pace of economic progress.

source:http://www.beijingnews.net/story/536411

Remembering the 1999 East Timor Martyrs of Democracy

ETLJB 30 August 2009 SYDNEY - 10 years ago on this day the people of East Timor faced a turning point in their history - the 30 August "jajak pendapat" (referendum) which ushered in the era of Timorese independence and ended a 24-year-long genocide.

The horrifying backlash from the Indonesian military and its Timorese militia proxies left 1500 dead, hundreds of thousands forcibly relocated and the entire nation destroyed - the sacrifices made for freedom and liberty.

The preamble to the Constitution expresses the sentiments of this time.

Constitution of the Democratic Republic of East Timor

PREAMBLE

Following the liberation of the Timorese People from colonisation and illegal occupation of the Maubere Motherland by foreign powers, the independence of East Timor, proclaimed on the 28th of November 1975 by Frente Revolucionaria do Timor-Leste Independente (FRETILIN), is recognised internationally on the 20th of May 2002.

The preparation and adoption of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of East Timor is the culmination of the secular resistance of the Timorese People intensified following the invasion of the 7th of December 1975.

The struggle waged against the enemy, initially under the leadership of FRETILIN, gave way to more comprehensive forms of political participation, particularly in the wake of the establishment of the National Council of the Maubere Resistance (CNRT) in 1987 and the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT) in 1998.

The Resistance was divided into three fronts.

The armed front was carried out by the glorious Forcas Armadas de Libertacao Nacional de Timor-Leste (FALINTIL) whose historical undertaking is to be praised.

The action of the clandestine front, astutely unleashed in hostile territory, involved the sacrifice of thousands of lives of women and men, especially the youth, who fought with abnegation for freedom and independence.

The diplomatic front, harmoniously carried out all over the world, enabled the paving of the way for definitive liberation.

In its cultural and humane perspective, the Catholic Church in East Timor has always been able to take on the suffering of all the People with dignity, placing itself on their side in the defence of their most fundamental rights.

Ultimately, the present Constitution represents a heart-felt tribute to all martyrs of the Motherland.

Thus, the Members of the Constituent Assembly, in their capacity as legitimate representatives of the People elected on the 30th of August 2001,

Based further on the results of the referendum of the 30th of August 1999 organised under the auspices of the United Nations which confirmed the self-determined will for independence;

Fully conscious of the need to build a democratic and institutional culture proper of a State based on the rule of law where respect for the Constitution, for the laws and for democratically elected institutions constitute its unquestionable foundation;

Interpreting the profound sentiments, the aspirations and the faith in God of the People of East Timor;

Solemnly reaffirm their determination to fight all forms of tyranny, oppression, social, cultural or religious domination and segregation, to defend national independence, to respect and guarantee human rights and the fundamental rights of the citizen, to ensure the principle of the separation of powers in the organisation of the State, and to establish the essential rules of multi-party democracy, with a view to building a just and prosperous nation and developing a society of solidarity and fraternity.

The Constituent Assembly, meeting in plenary session on the 22nd of March 2002, approves and decrees the following Constitution of the Democratic Republic of East Timor

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Timor marks 10 years of independence

By Sara Everingham in Dili and wires

Posted 1 hour 18 minutes ago

A formal ceremony is being held in Dili to mark 10 years since the East Timorese chose independence from Indonesia.

Australia's Governor-General Quentin Bryce is representing Australia at the event.

Later this afternoon another ceremony will be held, where Major-General Peter Cosgrove is expected to receive a medal.

The retired general was the head of the Australian led multi-national peace-keeping force in East Timor after the referendum on August 30, 1999.

The final event today will be a concert by the Indonesian pop singer Krisdayanti.

Artists from each of the half-island's 13 districts are also performing at the celebrations.

Asia's youngest nation

The UN-backed vote ended a bloody 24-year occupation by Indonesian forces and ushered in the birth of Asia's youngest nation.

Over 78 per cent voted in favour of splitting from Indonesia, which invaded the former Portuguese colony in 1975.

Elation however soon turned to terror as the Indonesian Army and its proxy militias went on a rampage, destroying infrastructure and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee to other parts of Indonesia.

Around 1,400 people were killed by the time Australian-led UN peacekeepers restored order, ending an occupation that is estimated to have claimed around 100,000 lives through fighting, disease and starvation.

But East Timor's people remain among the world's poorest, with 40 per cent of the population earning less than one dollar a day, despite vast offshore gas wealth.

International aid efforts have been hampered by political instability and spasms of internecine violence.

Fighting among police, soldiers and street gangs in 2006 killed 37 people, displaced 100,000 and required the return of UN peacekeepers.

Assassination attempt

A presidential election in 2007 was hailed as a success, but in February the following year the country was again in turmoil when rebel soldiers gunned down President Jose Ramos-Horta.

The bullet-riddled Nobel Peace laureate required emergency surgery in Australia. Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao was also targeted but was unscathed.

The assassination attempt highlighted another troubling aspect of East Timor's independence - a culture of impunity for major crimes and human rights abuses.

Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado was killed in the attack, but Mr Ramos-Horta has said he will pardon Reinado's followers after the conclusion of their ongoing trials.

In the interests of good relations with Jakarta, he has also rejected demands for an international tribunal to try Indonesian generals and militia leaders indicted by the UN for crimes against humanity.

Speaking to AFP on Friday, Mr Ramos-Horta said his country was not a place to "experiment with international justice".

This is fine with Indonesia.

"We are becoming more mature in our relationship. We have left the past, what has happened, in history," Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said.

- ABC/AFP

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/30/2670963.htm?site=news

Invasion to independence in East Timor

Posted 1 hour 33 minutes ago
Updated 1 hour 22 minutes ago

East Timorese army renegade Alfredo Reinado was killed after a failed assassination attempt on Jose Ramos-Horta. (Reuters: file photo)

A timeline of key events which led to East Timor's 10th year of independence.

December 1975: Indonesian troops invade the former Portuguese colony of East Timor. Around 100,000 people die from fighting, disease and starvation during the 24-year occupation.
August 30, 1999: Timorese vote 78.5 per cent to 21.5 per cent in favour of independence from Indonesia in a United Nations-backed referendum. Violence by the Indonesian military and pro-integration militias kills around 1,400 people and displaces hundreds of thousands as an Australian-led UN force struggles to restore order.
May 20, 2002: East Timor gains formal independence with former rebel leader Xanana Gusmao elected president. The UN begins winding down its presence.
May 2006: A revolt by troops under the command of charismatic army deserter Alfredo Reinado as well as chaotic street fighting in Dili among police, soldiers and gangs kills 37 and displaces 100,000. Foreign countries send troops and police to restore stability.
May 2007: Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta is elected president.
February 11, 2008: Gun attacks by renegade soldiers under Reinado leave Dr Ramos-Horta near death at his Dili home. Reinado is killed.
July 2008: A joint Indonesia-East Timor truth and reconciliation commission finds rights violations during the occupation and 1999 referendum. The leaders of both nations rule out prosecuting military and militia leaders responsible for the bloodshed.
August 29, 2009: A re-burial of the remains of resistance fighters, Falantil, in Dili takes place as part of ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of East Timor's independence vote.
August 30, 2009: 10 years since East Timorese voted in favour of independence. Celebrations are held in Dili featuring local performers and an Indonesian pop singer. Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce and Major-General Peter Cosgrove attend.

- AFP

source:http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/30/2670957.htm?site=news

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Romance and revolution: reflections of E Timor

By Geoff Thompson for Correspondents Report

Posted 3 hours 19 minutes ago
Updated 2 hours 10 minutes ago

Anniversary of independence: For activists, East Timor is the poster country for the agitators' ambitions. (AFP: WEDA)

The ABC's Indonesia correspondent, Geoff Thompson, was in East Timor 10 years ago to cover the vote for independence and the subsequent outbreak of violence. A decade later he returns to Dili.

East Timor is like a mirror reflecting so many different things to so many different people and only some of them actually live here.

Those million or so souls are mixed up somewhere inside the strange brew of romantic hopes, political dreams, victories and disappointments which people bring to this half-island home for fewer people than live in just a few Jakarta suburbs.

For me, it is the place where a decade as a foreign correspondent began.

The place I landed in in April 1999 was full of excitement, anxiety and fear.

That day, when the militia came to Dili, remains burned in my memories much more vividly than countless other occasions which have also got the heart racing over the past 10 years.

It is also the place I abandoned, leaving on one of the early evacuation flights after the August 30 vote for independence.

Sometimes, I tell myself that after four months of round-the-clock reporting and being chased by militias, I just had to stop, that the decision to flee was justified.

But more often I am plagued with guilt, a form of survivor guilt, I suppose, that I got up and left when the East Timorese simply did not have that option.

Many of my journalistic colleagues stayed, some never left and I will probably always harbour the feeling that just because of that alone, they are better journalists and human beings than I.

Sound self-indulgent? Yeah it is - it is a weird terrain where journalistic ego, questions of commitment, courage and prima donna grandstanding dance awkwardly together.

But I am not alone. I think more than most places on this planet, East Timor lends itself to self-indulgence.

'Badge of morality'

For activists, East Timor is the poster country for the agitators' ambitions, a place where impoverished and terrorised innocents were successfully freed from the talons of an evil empire led by Indonesia and its allies, Australia and the United States.

For John Howard and Alexander Downer, East Timor is the badge which proves their government's morality, simply because on their watch Habibe forced them down the path toward East Timor's independence, and foisted on Australia's military the responsibility of cleaning up the mess.

Compared to many other more dismal failures for the United Nations, East Timor's transition to independence remains a model of success, despite the many billions of dollars spent here being unable to deliver a better sustainable standard of living to most East Timorese.

For romantics and revolutionaries, at least in the popular imagination, the East Timor story delivered the region's only real rival to Che Guevara, in the form of Xanana Gusmao and perhaps Jose Ramos-Horta filling the shoes of Fidel.

For journalists and now filmmakers, in East Timor's brutal history they find a darkness where they can forever try to a shine a light.

Ten years on from choosing independence, there is more light here than there once was, but not as much as I think any dreamer might have hoped.

I met first met Liliana when she was seven. A pretty young girl who had one eye destroyed by a militia man's gun in 1999. But on the occasion of East Timor's independence, she was full of optimistic hope

I met her again the other day. Now 16 and prettier than ever. But her happiness is gone. Instead she sobbed and sobbed because her country's people are still so poor.

source:http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/30/2670877.htm?site=news