10 MAY 2001
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
East Timor:
Building a New
Nation-State
Nation-State
José
Ramos-Horta engaging with some members of the audience.
Half of an island,
measuring 50 by 300 kilometres, with a population of 750,000, half of
which is illiterate can such a small land stand on its own feet?
Absolutely, say the people of East Timor. There is a will to build their
own state out of nothing and an interest from the rest of the world in
helping. East Timor, a darling of the international community, is where
the United Nations is carrying out a unique experiment in nation-building
and state formation good reasons for a seminar in Amsterdam.
* By JACQUELINE VEL
The seminar 'East Timor: Building
a New Nation-State' was organized by Asian Studies in Amsterdam (University
of Amsterdam) on 10 May 2001. The Nobel laureate, José Ramos-Horta,
the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the East Timorese Transitional Administration
(UNTAET), had delivered the IIAS Annual Lecture 2001 in Leiden just the
day before. In Freek Colombijn's interview with Ramos-Horta in IIAS
Newsletter 25(pp.4-5), he revealed his views on the future
of East Timor. In Amsterdam, other experts on East Timor presented their
often more critical views.
The seminar in Amsterdam aimed to bring together scholars
of Asian Studies, Indonesianists, political scientists, international
students of 'peace-making and peace-keeping,' journalists, activists,
and Dutch aid agencies. Ramos-Horta, the guest of honour, delivered the
opening speech of the seminar. Two questions were central: What is the
best scenario for the economic development of East Timor? And how can
the international arena contribute to the process of reconstruction?
East Timor
stands alone
Ramos-Horta stressed the difficulties East Timor has encountered
while building its own independent nation. When compared to other former
colonies in Africa and Latin America, East Timor stands alone as it had
not only been underdeveloped and exploited during 500 years of colonization,
but it was also then completely and deliberately destroyed in 1999 when
the Indonesian Army attacked all remaining buildings, properties and infrastructure.
Rebuilding a nation is an enormous task, which inexorably requires international
support. Ramos-Horta's first suggestion with regard to international support
is for donor countries to increase their contribution to the UN, so that
the quality of UN peace-keeping missions can be improved. Secondly, he
argued that peace-keeping forces must remain in East Timor beyond independence,
because the building of a nation state is not completed in two years by
holding elections. Thirdly, he stressed the need for continuing support
for capacity building in East Timor, so that East Timorese will be able
to work in all sectors of the economy and be able to replace the well-paid
expatriates.
Development
priorities
Rui Gomes, East Timorese development economist (South Bank
University, London), described the structure of the East Timorese economy
during the Indonesian occupation and revealed its complete dependence
on Jakarta's capital outflows to East Timor. Indonesia invested US$ 600
million in East Timor between 1975-1999, but these resources were devoted
to activities that neither improved the welfare nor the productivity of
the East Timorese population. The private sector was controlled by Indonesian
migrants who left after the referendum.
Gomes presented two suggestions for the further development
of the East Timorese economy. Firstly, East Timor should adopt a phased,
export-oriented approach with the expansion of agriculture. At present,
coffee is the single important export crop of East Timor (90 per cent
of export earnings). Secondly, East Timor needs to diversify the base
of the economy so that it can survive without the gas and oil revenues
of the Timor Gap. Gomes stressed the importance of providing certainty
about land rights, allowing the people to return to their traditional
villages from which they were uprooted, encouraging migration of East
Timorese living abroad, and also encouraging remittances. Initially, financial
investments should be made by East Timorese, argued Gomes. This will create
confidence so that foreign investment will be easier to attract. Political
stability and strong leadership are of the utmost importance to development.
As long as UNTAET is present, stability is relatively guaranteed, but
in the future, East Timor has to demonstrate it can resist the pressure
of provocateurs. The training of the indigenous labour force is the top
priority for foreign aid. Foreign donors can also help to revive agriculture
by providing seeds and tools, and assisting in the restoration of irrigation
systems and storage facilities.
Freedom
fighters, youth, & women
Irene Slegt, a journalist specialized in East Timor since
1994, discussed the role of East Timorese civil society in building the
new nation-state, with special attention to youth, women, and the 'freedom
fighters.' These three groups know how to live under occupation when they
had their specific role in resistance. They should receive respect for
their contribution to the struggle for independence. How to live in a
democracy is a new question and challenge.
Many of the youth in East Timor feel very lost; they have
no focus, no jobs. The best off are those who speak Portuguese and English.
They can easily find a job and support extended families. Young people
with an Indonesian education have more difficulty finding employment.
The Indonesian bureaucracy employed 30,000 civil servants in East Timor.
Ramos-Horta said that the maximum number of employees for the new East
Timorese Government would be set at 12,000. Worst off are the uneducated
young people, by far the majority. To prevent frustration and crime and
to engage them in the economy, skills training and income-generating projects
deserve high priority. Gomes added that the capacity for processing 
agricultural products in East Timor should be increased to raise income
and employment.
agricultural products in East Timor should be increased to raise income
and employment. A negative effect of unemployment and frustration is the increase in domestic violence. Recently, the Dili hospital opened a special department for women who are victims of domestic violence. Prevention is a top priority for women in East Timor.
After the arrival of the UN, the Falintil freedom fighters
had a difficult time. They were not treated with respect by the Interfet
troops, who could not differ between them and (pro-Indonesia) militias.
The UN does not give aid to armed groups, but as Falintil insisted on
keeping their arms, they suffered a shortage of food and medicine. Since
the new East Timorese army and police will recruit many former Falintil
fighters, their situation will improve.
A consequence of UN interventions has been the rapid spread
of the AIDS virus, HIV. According to Irene Slegt, AIDS was unknown on
East Timor, but recently twenty cases were registered. Therefore, AIDS
prevention is another priority. This will be difficult to realize in East
Timor, where the Roman Catholic Church, known for its reluctance to support
anti-AIDS campaigns, is so dominant.
The UN
Kingdom
How can the international arena contribute to the process
of reconstruction? Jarat Chopra of Brown University (USA) discussed the
role of the United Nations in East Timor. Chopra was head of UNTAET's
Office of District Administration from October 1999 until March 2000,
when he resigned. Chopra explained that in East Timor the UN is exercising
sovereign authority within a fledging nation for the first time in history.
Chopra regards this as a 'sacred trust', that requires professionally
trained staff of the highest quality. His observations in East Timor revealed
many inadequacies of UN staff instead. He noted that the annual costs
of the UN presence in East Timor is US $ 600 million, only 10 per cent
of which is spent on the country and the rest being used to sustain the
UN apparatus itself. Chopra's criticism is that a territory cannot be
genuinely administered, nor can capacity be built for self-sustaining
governance, without the delegation of powers to smaller units of land
and people. Chopra considers East Timor a UN Kingdom: an almighty King
surrounded by a 'Nixon-type' administration of isolated advisors with
all decisive power concentrated in the centre. Chopra is convinced capacity
building is a major task of a transitional government, which would allow
East Timorese to take over as soon as possible. Currently the World Bank
and not the UN is supporting community empowerment and local
governance.
Chopra fears the coming elections for a Constituent Assembly
might turn out to be an 'exit strategy' for the UN to take off and leave
cheaply, while still being able to present the elections afterwards to
the world as a success for the establishment of democracy as it did in
Cambodia in 1993.
Yet, without UN intervention East Timor would be worse off.
Now people have a sense of hope that was not present two or three years
ago.
International
aid
The Dutch co-financing agency, Cordaid, supports health
care in the Aileu district and the main Dili hospital. Staff member Hans
Scheen explained that Cordaid reacts to requests from their network (the
Roman Catholic Church). UNTAET coordinates international aid, and NGOs
need to have their programmes approved. Aid would be much more effective,
according to Scheen, if the UN would be more cooperative. NGOs could provide
the expertise for running transportation systems, sanitation systems,
water systems, the country's finances, or public services. The UN should
coordinate the aid and provide protection.
Gomes thinks the amount of aid received is sufficient; the
problem is how to absorb all the funds. Aid from scholars or the University
of Amsterdam could be shaped differently: long-term, informal commitments,
visits to East Timor to discuss history and future developments with East
Timorese, sharing knowledge about Indonesian culture and politics, and
writing about East Timor to enrich the library of this new nation. Sijbolt
Noorda, president of the University of Amsterdam, was the first to respond
positively to this invitation as he expressed his commitment to cooperation
with East Timor. *
More information:
www.pscw.uva.nl/asia
Dr Jacqueline
Vel is coordinator of ASiA and organizer of this seminar. She teaches
courses on Indonesia and Modern Asian History at the University of Amsterdam.
E-mail:
vel@pscw.uva.nl