East Timor weighs cost of integration

One year after elections, and 12 years after the riots that followed a crucial referendum, the central debate in East Timor is how best to maintain a still-fragile peace.

Armed groups were responsible for massacres in the wake of that vote for independence from neighbouring Indonesia in 1999 that claimed 1,500 lives and forced more than 250,000 - one-fourth of East Timor's population - to flee the country.

Many of the men held responsible for the violence - former members of the pro-Indonesian militias - are still living in camps with their families in West Timor, in Indonesia.

Explaining why they have still not returned to East Timor, Eurico Guterrez, a former militia leader, says: "They threaten us: they say we shouldn't come back because we betrayed our country, that we chose to be Indonesian so we don't deserve to return home."

But these militia members stranded in Indonesia now have an unlikely ally: East Timor's president, Jose Ramos Horta, who has come out in favour of amnesties.

Ramos-Horta told Al Jazeera that people in East Timor should "let bygones be bygones", although many are calling for the perpetrators of the violence to be tried in court.

As Andrew Thomas reports from Dili, East Timor's capital. the big question now facing the young country is: Justice, no matter what the consequences, or integration, whatever the cost?

Category:

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[FRANCOISICHTUS]

if they are back we will judge them and we will punish them

no reconcialiation without justice

[Josh11408001]

Eurico is not East Timor People

[Josh11408001]

@MsManumata koa tiha pois hatama fali ba nia ibun,

[MsManumata]

Asu Eurico hanesan o ne lalika fila mai Timor, o fila mai ami kua tia o nia lasan fuan ne.

[bennlonelyboy]

Without re-integration into Indonesian economy, you wont see much progress in this country. East Timor is lucky that Indonesia came to their help and sponsor their admission to ASEAN. The so-called saviors of East Timor, where are they? Portugal is in a mess of his own now and Ausie now is bickering with you to define the border (isn't that the oil?)

This man was hero, soon when Ausie gone home after suck all Timor oil and gas, there will be nothing in timor to support their economy like africa

[musikali1]

Indonesia bought some people in East Timor to help the genocide of their own race, they're traitors and deserve punishment. But the biggest criminals are Nixon & Kissinger who gave them the weapons illegally under the nose of Congress, and made sure the UN wouldn't do anything on the issue.

Peace and Justice for East Timor!

Love from Israel

[MsManumata]

Governo mak dehan hanesan ne se sira fila hotu Timor ne se kria fali prolema bot, ema nb mak traidor ba timor sira ne fila fali ba halo said biar mate iha ema nia rain nb asu.

[Aparicio38]

No, No, No....to Eurico to go back to East Timor, We really do not accept him as our countryman, because he is not deserved for being a Timorese. He had betrayed and killed his East Timorese people during referendum 1999. We hate this stupid man....

[mirakhil]

@mirakhil What i meant to say was that "He deserves the punishments!" I despise this guy!

[mirakhil]

1:05 - sorry but you deserve it! You led a bunch of ppl to rape & murder your own ppl! Totally unacceptable!!!!