East Timor: Still Struggling After All These Years…
Not since 2006 has East Timor experience such violence, but here it is again, beckoning at the door.
After an attack on the President’s home, cult rebel leader, Reinado lays dead and the president, Ramos-Horta lays in a hospital bed in Australia. A 48 hour curfew is in effect, and things appear calm but more clashes are possible.
Not much changed since 2006 and that may be the reason for the discontent and violence in East Timor. A nation where half the population is under 25 years of age and little prospects for employment are on the horizon. It’s no wonder that the young are allying themselves with inspirational rebels promising change. The current leadership seems intent on continuing the same old style of governing which mainly consist of securing their own political survival instead of building up the foundation of this new country for the benefit of it’s people.
Despite International Aid money pouring in and the development of oil reserves in the waters southeast of Timor, the nation is one of the poorest countries in the world. In 2007 a bad harvest lead to insufficient food coffers leaving them in need of International Food Assistance.
The current instability does not help with the lack of Foreign Investments.
East Timor is a perfect candidate for Bill Gates’ “Creative Capitalism“, if only the government would get out of it’s own way…
east timor poverty unconventional politics world economy world politics
on February 14th, 2008 at 12:47 am
This is very bad for East Timor.