A year after the people of East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia, some of the ground work for a democratic government has been laid, and promising signs indicate the economic viability of this budding nation. But fears of violence from militias who opposed independence have not diminished.

On August 30, 1999, the people of East Timor overwhelmingly voted for independence from Indonesia. Indonesia had invaded this former Portuguese colony and ruled it for over 24 years. But the vote unleashed a systematic wave of terror and destruction that killed a still undetermined number, forcibly drove hundreds of thousands of the people outside its borders, and destroyed at least 70 per cent of the territory's infrastructure. "We are starting a new country, new in absolutely every way, from almost nothing. We hardly know how to start" said Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao, in an August 27 interview with Newsweek. Imprisoned by the Indonesian government for seven years while leading an armed resistance for independence, Gusmao has attained international respect and credibility, and despite his protestations is widely perceived to become East Timor's first president.

But what does independence mean for East Timor? In the Newsweek interview, Gusmao said that independence would have to go beyond "having a flag, a government and an army" to include improving the living standards of the people.

Under the direct administration of the United Nations since October 1999, East Timor now has a functioning court system, a banking system, and other rudimentary features of a government bureaucracy. The East Timorese also now have four representatives in the eight-member UN cabinet headed by Brazilian Sergio Vieira de Mello.

Reports also indicate that millions of dollars in international aid have started to fund the rebuilding of roads, schools and markets and to provide loans to business entrepreneurs. Protests over the slowness of the delivery of relief services and the lack of jobs that marked the earlier days of UN governance of the territory have died down.

Recently, according to a Washington Post news report, the UN Transitional Administration for East Timor (UNTAET) announced plans to reopen schools this fall with 3,500 new teachers selected through proficiency exams. Furthermore, the new police academy has just graduated its first batch of recruits, and aspiring civil servants are currently undergoing training by a group of international experts.

Despite analysts' prognosis of an economically viable and independent East Timor, it would take a couple of decades before East Timor could be completely weaned from foreign aid for major development and infrastructure projects, according to some officials of international financial institutions. A Reuters news article quoted Sarah Cliffe, head of the World Bank mission in East Timor as saying that a lot would depend on what the new government to be elected next year would make of East Timor's "options and opportunities." The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has earmarked $84,000 for East Timor, according to Kristin Sachen, UMCOR executive secretary for emergency response international. The money will purchase educational equipment and supplies, motorcycles for pastors and some tractors. It will also provide small business loans for entrepreneurs. The funding will be channelled through the Protestant church of East Timor called the Igreja Protestante iha Timor Lorosae (IPTL). This action is supported by a resolution adopted by the General Conference in May urging United Methodists to support emergency assistance, direct relief efforts and related projects on East Timor.

More recently, anxiety has increased in East Timor over the resurgence of violent militia activities. Some 100,000 East Timorese refugees are still in refugee camps in West Timor, fearful of returning to East Timor due to militia threats and intimidation. In the past two months, militiamen operating from their base in Indonesian West Timor have killed two UN peacekeepers and wounded three more. Despite the urgings of the international community, the Indonesian government appears helpless to impose its authority on the militias and their Indonesian military sponsors.

The General Conference resolution on East Timor emphasized that "additional pressure on the Indonesian military and allied militia remains necessary to ensure that refugees in West Timor and elsewhere are able to return to East Timor." It further emphasized that" the termination of United States and multilateral assistance to Indonesia (including government-to-government and commercial arms sales) must be comprehensive and continuing in order to achieve effective results."

Foreseeing the possibility that the Indonesian military and allied militia may continue to frustrate the efforts towards achieving East Timorese self-determination, the resolution calls on United Methodists to continue to exercise vigilance.

August 30, 2000