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East Timorese have been marking ten years of independence from Indonesia.
It has not been an easy journey for the tiny nation.
More than half the population still lives on less than a dollar a day and unemployment is extremely high.
As Marianne Kearney reports from Dili while people have been celebrating the anniversary there is growing criticism that their independence heroes have not
done enough to improve everyday life.
Indonesian pop star, Krisdayanti speaks in Tetum to thousands of Timorese who have gathered to celebrate in front of Timor’s parliament.Krisdayanti dances with Timor’s leaders, President Ramos Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, to much applause.
She said Xanana the former guerilla leader, was even “more handsome in person” than his photos, and Krisdayanti called the two famous Timorese, her heroes.
On Dili’s streets Xanana and Ramos Horta are still popular heroes, much admired for roles in the 24 year long struggle for independence.
Today however many criticize them.
24-year-old student, Zaccarias Gutteres Sarmento, accuses the country’s leaders of being too pre-occupied with power.
“I think they focus too much on themselves, on their material well being, and don’t think about the ordinary people.”
Such comments would have been unthinkable back in 1999, and the early days of independence, when Xanana was viewed as a god-like figure who could do no wrong.
22-year-old student, Nato Ronaldo, says he still admires Xanana but is disappointed that has failed to solve many of the country’s problems.
“Fifty percent I agree with what they do, but fifty percent I doubt what they do, because the government hasn’t finished what they planned. For instance they haven’t built main roads, they haven’t helped the people enough.”
Arsenio Bano, a former student activist and member of the Fretilin opposition party says part of the problem, is that during the resistance years, Xanana Gusmao and Ramos Horta were treated as the people’s supreme commanders.
Timorese from guerillas to students all unquestioningly carried out their every whim.
“If they say go for demonstration, you do it because you do it for good things, you do it to contribute for the country to get independence, it doesn’t matter you get hurt or even sometimes you get killed, or got jailed no problem. We think doing a good thing for country is the best thing the student resistance can ever do.”
Fernando Borges, an independent member of parliament, says in the country there is still strong admiration for its resistance heroes.
However she says their years of being treated like gods has led to an undemocratic government.
“After 450 years of colonialisation and invasion, people are looking for change, what they’re saying is that they are seeing the same behaviours that were used in the past. Behaviours of authority, almost military-like. I tell you, you have to do this, I know best.”
Borges says Gusmao’s decision to free a former Indonesian militia leader last weekend is part of this autocratic style.
Martinus Bere who was arrested by Timorese police, was detained by a judge because he led a massacre in 1999 which 200 people were killed.
But Gusmao over-ruled the justice system, asking the prison authorities to free him and Bere was released to the Indonesian embassy on Sunday.
“Guerilla style leadership is based on very much military, very much dictatorship style, very much one person devising the strategy.”
Fretilin politician Bano says it is an insult to all the members of the resistance who sacrificed so much for Timor’s independence.
“Taking rule of law into their own hands is so, so insulting. Things change so quickly. This is people who tell us to demonstrate in time of resistance. This is a complete change when they say Timor doesn’t need justice.”
Bano is also critical of Ramos-Horta who said over the weekend that Timor needed development not human rights trials for the violations committed during the Indonesian period.
While many of Timorese are disillusioned with the leadership of the resistance heroes, some Timorese see more hope in the younger generation.
These are former student leaders and activists during the 1990’s, who are now politicians, ministers, or working for non-government groups.
19-year-old, Joao Baldwin admires Fernando Lasama, a former student activist, who was jailed by the Indonesians and now heads parliament.
“I think Fernando Lasama is a leader from the new generation. I like him because he is friendly, a socialist, and loves the people of East Timor.”
