While checking in, I had some major difficulties with passport control
and papers. The airport personnel was extremely nervous and made me feel very
uneasy. Their communication skills werent that appropriate.
I noticed a disturbing feeling of chaos.
After 3 exhausting hours they finally let me go. I was starving and in
need for a refreshing beverage and a local delicacy.
I went to Bali Sunrise which was in the end - a cozy place
situated in the east region of Dili (near the airport). The Restaurant had a
nice upstairs open air area where the master chef prepared some of the most
mouthwatering traditional, Indonesian and Chinese Food. Just what I needed at
the time. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Food_Sundanese_Restaurant,_Jakarta.jpg)
It was time to leave Dili and to head out
for the Indonesian border.
I assumed it would take one week to get
there (according to internet information, highway signs, local people ).
Soon I noticed that behind those famous
white, beautiful, sunny, deserted beaches there is
a world we have no idea off. A world of:
·Poverty
·Scrap of several civil wars
·Deserted areas
·Almost no accommodations (except for the wealthy tourists)
·
This is
definitely the result of decades of occupation.
East-Timor
has always been under colonial reign. If you re-read their troubling history
and you know their political tensions, it is easy to understand why this
country is in need of help. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_East_Timor)
The first inhabitants are thought to be descendant of Australasian and Melanesian people.
The Portuguese began to
trade with the island of Timor in the
early 16th century and colonized it in mid-century.
Imperial Japan occupied
East Timor from 1942 to 1945, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the
Japanese defeat in World
War II.
East Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November
1975.
However 9 days later East-Timor got invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces . Between 1974 and 1999, there
were an estimated 102,800 conflict-related deaths (killings and deaths from
hunger and illness)
The Indonesian army is reported
to have trained and supplied militias imported from Indonesia to terrorize the
population.
So on 30 August 1999, in a UN-sponsored referendum, an overwhelming majority of
East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia.
Since the 21st century the United Nations
supports East-Timor.
Thanks to their cooperation with the United Nations they are ever since developing their
economy. A major factor in the development process is education. There are 3
international schools which help out the education of the inhabitants.
As quoted earlier: poverty, political tension, civil wars are common in
East-Timor.
For the moment East-Timor is THE poorest country in Asia.
Maybe this situation will and can change, but a big effort will have to
be made.
This effort should not only come forth from the government and Timor
inhabitants but also from big global forces who neglected their existence for
way to many years.
First man for the job: (who can really start making a change?)
Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Jose Ramos-Horta. He won the presidential
elections in 2007 with nearly 70% of the votes. Through media like radio,
television and press he might put some spirit back into this country.
Another important factor to help East-Timor economically can be a more
professional exploitation of gas and oil found in Timor .
For myself I can conclude East-Timor is quietly getting better and I
hope the UN and other global forces unite to help them out of their misery.
Meanwhile I can see the Indonesian border. Hopefully this country tells
me something more than gang violence and poverty.
