cholars, journalists, and political analysts observing East Timor
for the past 20 to 30 years and visiting East Timor in 2005 comment that
things seem to have become more “disheartening” — the local people are
more angry towards the malaes (foreigners), more disillusioned with the
government, the political elite, and emerging Timorese capitalists; members
of civil societies and non­governmental organizations (NGOs) are
more worried about the narrowing of spaces for pluralistic visions, opposition,
and dissent; ex­Falintil
1 veterans are feeling more betrayed by the
lack of acknowledgement of their contributions to the independence resistance
struggle, armed forces soldiers have abandoned their barracks in Metinaro
claiming discrimination and inequality, and citizens genuinely concerned
that the path to nation­building and democratization is increasingly
signalling an authoritarian Mozambique­style suppression of opposition
and freedom of speech.