Urban conflict in East Timor
Author: James Scambary, Swinburne University
It has been almost two years now since the end of the intense communal conflict that engulfed East Timor between 2006 and 2007. The events of this period proved a salutary experience for a range of nation building enterprises, not least of which were security and peace-building.
There has been considerable soul searching over the events of that two year period. We now know that East Timor is not the unified, homogenous society forged in the firmament of the resistance, as previously thought. We now know that the national police force is highly factionalised and manifestly unprepared to resume active duty. It is also recognised that if attempts are not made to sort out the mess of property law, stimulate the economy, and create some jobs, there will be a similar conflagration in the near future.