Fragile nation, fragile peace

 

 

The horrific attempt to assassinate two top East Timor leaders, Jose Ramose-Horta, the President, and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao on the same day of February 11 was fortunately not successful. It, however, underlines the undoubted and unambiguousrisk to the future of emerging democracies and newly independent states. While such an incidence is just another instance of barefaced long-term security-nightmare in developing countries, it has also revealed the negligence on the part of the UN Peace Keeping Forces in spite of knowing of the threat to the lives of the leaders.

East Timor, the tiny and one of the two Roman Catholic nations in Asia, remained a distinct Asian country. After centuries of being under Portuguese rule, when the country declared its independence in 1975, the Indonesian army invaded the nation. Since then the country has been striving for freedom. It finally attained sovereignty in 2002 after the UN direct intervention gave a chance to many peace-loving patriotic leaders like Ramose-Horta, who shared the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize with compatriot Bishop Carlos Belo, for their nonviolent struggle for East Timor’s independence from Indonesian occupation. While the East Timorese elected Ramose-Horta President for a second consecutive term, in recognition of his popular leadership, many rebels groups found it unacceptable. The President was badly injured in the shooting and was flown to Darwin in northern Australia for treatment (though now he is out of danger and recovering somehwat) while Prime Minister Xanana has somehow escaped from the injury in another shooting.

Australia meanwhile has sent troops to stabilise the situation. A rebel leader by the name Alfredo Reinado, who was fired by Australian troops in patrolling, is being blamed for the attacks. But the important issue remains that the youngest nation remains unable to bring stability. Tension is rising. The attempt to kill sparked increasing violence and political tyrannies which also signalled a red-alert to less mature and newly emerging democracies across the world. It remains to be seen how the country comes out of the state of anarchy.