East Timor’s Example
Tensions in Timor Leste have been on the rise again since President Jose Ramos Horta broke the political stalemate that followed June's parliamentary election. But Myanmar should stand as a warning to the country's clashing factions, lest any of them conclude that repression and dictatorship are the best solution.
MANILA -- East Timor, now known as Timor-Leste, is the world’s newest democracy. It may have a population of less than one million, but it has a proud, heroic history and a rich culture built up over centuries of diverse ethnic and colonial influences. The island attracted Chinese and Malay traders in the fifteenth century. The Portuguese arrived not long after, and stayed 400 years. Now it is attracting attention as an example of United Nations-led nation-building.
MANILA -- East Timor, now known as Timor-Leste, is the world’s newest democracy. It may have a population of less than one million, but it has a proud, heroic history and a rich culture built up over centuries of diverse ethnic and colonial influences. The island attracted Chinese and Malay traders in the fifteenth century. The Portuguese arrived not long after, and stayed 400 years. Now it is attracting attention as an example of United Nations-led nation-building.