EDITORIAL: East Timor's troubles

05/29/2007
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200705290078.html

East Timor is celebrating its fifth year of independence, and we well recall the feelings of uplifting joy when this country finally gained freedom after a quarter century of Indonesian rule. Today, that joy has all but disappeared, and East Timor is on the brink of becoming a "failed state."

Earlier this month, Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta was elected president. One of his first declarations in office was that his priority is to enable women, children, elderly and young people to sleep in peace at night. The fact that he felt compelled to state this at his inauguration vividly illustrates the country's troubles.

A year ago this month, the capital Dili was a center of violence when elements of the East Timor military rioted. Houses and cars were torched and order broke down. Even today, tens of thousands of people are still in refugee camps.

Since independence, the gap between rich and poor has gradually widened. Animosity between different regions and ethnic groups is strong. It was such discontent festering among the people that coalesced and erupted into the 2006 crisis.

After fighting for independence and winning control of the government and military, the new East Timor government lapsed into a mire of corruption and inefficiency, losing popular support. Horta won the presidency by campaigning against corruption and inefficiency.

The United Nations played a large role in the initial period after East Timor's independence, until the new government activities could get under way. The United Nations sent 3,500 peacekeepers, including troops from Japan's Self-Defense Forces. But all peacekeepers had left East Timor by 2005. Things disintegrated into crisis the next year.

To quell the violence, Australia and other countries sent a multinational force to East Timor. The United Nations also sent in 3,000 peacekeepers. These troops made the latest presidential election possible.

U.N. officials admit that it pulled out its earlier peacekeeping mission too early. In conflict-ridden countries, it is common for civil war to flare once international groups pull out support.

This failure must not be repeated. This is why we stressed in our recent editorial series, "Proposals for Japan's New Strategies," the importance of peace-building. Helping rebuild war-torn nations is a task in which Japan can and should play a major role.

Now more than ever, the government must do everything in its power to help rebuild peace in East Timor. In the U.N. peacekeeping mission, the core functions needed from now on will be civil administration--something that Japan excels in. But only a few Japanese staff are in East Timor to help.

The government should urge the U.N. mission to accept Japanese into senior positions so as to help direct its mission in East Timor. At the same time, Japan should provide the personnel and funds for administrators and police, and to improve the legal system and other crucial tasks highly needed for rebuilding. And to prevent the resurgence of conflict, it is imperative that order and stability be restored to East Timor. It is also essential to establish and nurture dialogue between the leaders of various political factions.

As an Asian country, Japan has a responsibility to take the lead here. Organizations like the Japan International Cooperation Agency and NGOs may also have much to contribute.

Our leaders should also start thinking about what will happen in East Timor after the U.N. mission has left again. The new U.N. Peacebuilding Commission, created only last year, is ideal for this important task. Japan should advise the commission to include East Timor in its post-conflict recovery activities.

Japan has a responsibility to lend a helping hand throughout Asia, thereby preventing the region from having a failed state.

--The Asahi Shimbun, May 28(IHT/Asahi: May 29,2007)