Feature

Recalling Timor Leste

Radyan Rahave

A full funding scholarship on 'Human Rights and Migrant Workers' by University of New South Wales, Australia had given me the opportunity to go to Dili, Timor Leste in the middle of September. There were 30 human rights advocates from 17 countries who took part in the training.

Timor Leste is a young independent country, liberated from Indonesia. It has a long history of people's struggle. Dili was settled around 1520 by the Portuguese, and it was made the capital of Portuguese Timor in 1596. During World War II, the Japanese occupied Dili. East Timor unilaterally declared independence from Portugal on November 28th 1975. However, nine days later, on December 7th, Indonesian forces invaded Dili. On July 17th, 1976, Indonesia annexed East Timor, which it called Timor Timur, with Dili as its capital. However, a brutal guerrilla war ensued between Indonesian and pro-independence forces, during which tens and thousands of civilians were killed. Although Dili itself was under Indonesian control, the East Timorese resistance did manage to attack Indonesian property. Consequently, it was not until 1989 that foreign nationals or Indonesian civilians were allowed into the '27th province'. Media coverage of the 1991 “Dili Massacre” reassured international support of the East Timorese independence movement. In 1999, East Timor was placed under UN supervision and on May 20, 2002; Dili became the capital of the independent Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. Meeting with the President of Dr.Hose Ramos Horte who is a noble laureate; I asked him about the war criminals. While I executed a regular TV program every month where at least 20 people met with me and talked on different issues.

I personally believe in justice and human rights. During the discussion with the President, I found him a knowledgeable and patriotic person who is carefully taking his country forward resultantly. Timor Leste has scored around 12% growth in the last three years. Few Bangladeshi Migrants, police officers and UN peacekeepers are serving to rebuild the nation. Manna Apa and Mithu Rani Didi given time to take us some places of attraction. Dili is a small capital city, which took only 25 minutes for travelling from one corner to another

Many countries and organizations especially UN has been working with the local people in reconstruction the nation. There is around 40% vehicle in Dili roads are UN and other embassies, charities. Assistance of Australian government in oil, food, evangelism, hotel and service sector are remarkable. Similarities of people complexions, walking style, conversation moods are found like Bangladeshi. Despite chronic poverty, food insecurity, unemployment, robust population growth; People of Timor Leste is less corrupted country compare to Bangladesh. Those who are willing to see a country of preconditions for take off stage of development defined by Rostow; shall be advised to visit in Timor Leste a country of sea queen, and easy going people.

(The writer is a social entrepreneur and development worker)