I am grateful for this opportunity to address the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs on the question of East Timor. In addressing this committee, I am aware of and acknowledge the solidarity and support given by this body over the many years of the struggle for peace and justice in East Timor, at a time when most countries turned a blind eye to what was happening in Timor. The Timorese people are fully aware that Ireland stood up to more powerful countries in championing their struggle for self-determination.
I pay tribute to the Ireland Aid Mission in the East Timorese capital, Dili. It is a mission of which all of us can be proud. Its involvement in the human rights and democratisation sector is most welcome as well as its contribution to the Truth, Reception and Reconciliation Committee. Another area of involvement is poverty reduction. The extra funding given to East Timor under the direction of the former Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy O'Donnell, was a welcome gesture at the time of independence. I pay tribute to agencies such as Concern and Trócaire which are implementing development activities on the ground. The work of both agencies in the areas of food, water and healthcare is vital in reducing the poverty levels. By far the most pressing problems in health are malaria and tuberculosis.
East Timor became fully independent on 20 May 2002. It was an honour for me to be there on the day and to accompany my many Timorese friends to Tacitoulu, where the celebrations took place. The Irish Government was well represented by the former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews, Mr. David Donoghue of Ireland Aid and other officials. Ireland has properly established diplomatic relations with the government in Dili and I was delighted to see the signing of agreements on this matter in New York recently. I hope that at some stage in the future both Governments can look at the possibility of opening up on-the-ground diplomatic representation in both countries.
In addressing the committee, I am conscious of the different role of the East Timor-Ireland Solidarity Campaign. In many ways, we have pulled back from our engagement in the political life of East Timor. This is now a matter for the Timorese people and their elected representatives. However, the campaign has been asked by the Timorese to remain engaged with the evolving situation in the territory. We are engaged with the education and health sectors in Timor. I thank the Ireland Aid programme for its continued commitment to the campaign on this matter. Our education project is also supported by Concern and Trócaire.
At this stage, I would like to make a personal comment. I am at present an English language teacher in East Timor and can inform the committee that some of the Timorese are now speaking with Dublin accents. I live with a Timorese family in the capital, Dili. I find the work extremely rewarding as I work with students whose thirst for knowledge is impressive. They know that education is vital to them in attempting to break out of the cycle of poverty that is part of their lives. However, it is a two way process and I am still learning on many fronts. I am coming to a better understanding of a culture that is rich and engaging. In many ways, I am at home there. The Timorese, like the Irish, are a friendly and welcoming people.
East Timor is the newest nation in the world and less than one year old. It is governed by its own democratically elected government but still retains a UN mission, UNMISET. There is a large number of UN troops and police working alongside their Timorese counterparts in maintaining internal security as well as providing security along the border with Indonesian West Timor. It is worth remembering that some 20,000 Timorese remain in West Timor. Many of these are there of their own choice.
I would like to mention the ongoing trials in Jakarta. Members of the committee may remember that Indonesians and their militias laid waste to East Timor in 1999. Enormous destruction was caused to homes and buildings and hundreds, if not thousands, of Timorese people were killed. It is estimated 250,000 people were driven into West Timor and another 250,000 took refuge in the mountains. The international community, through the United Nations, demanded justice following the liberation of East Timor. The Indonesian Government agreed to put those responsible on trial, but their efforts have been lamentable. Justice has not been delivered, other than the sentencing of a couple of Timorese militia members. The generals, who were responsible, seem to be intent on ensuring that the international community will not see justice done. Many of those responsible for the crimes we witnessed are now serving in West Papua and Aceh.
Poverty is by far the most important issue facing the Timorese people. East Timor is the poorest country in Asia and will need the help of the international community for the foreseeable future. While it is hoped that the long-term survival of the country will be boosted by its offshore oil deposits, it is depressing that the Australian Government, led by Mr. Howard, has stated that it will refuse to recognise any ruling by the International Court of Justice in determining maritime boundaries. East Timor's small coffee crop earns it a small amount of foreign currency, but it is worth remembering that international coffee market prices are less than they were some years ago. Although East Timor has the potential for a lucrative tourist sector, it lacks the infrastructure to cater for the luxury end of the market. Ethical tourism and eco-tourism are being developed at the moment and both of these areas show promise. Tourism in East Timor will need to take account of the culture of the Timorese people, however.
East Timor, now officially called Timor Leste, is in a similar position to that of Ireland following its independence. It has an elected President, Mr. Xanana Gusmao, and an elected Assembly. The country is still coming to terms with democracy after years of domination by its closest neighbour. I understand the East Timorese Government is taking steps to address the issue of local government. This is an important step in addressing the concerns of many people who believe that local communities need to be involved in the political process. There are more than 15 political parties in the country and at least seven have elected members. The involvement of the Timorese people in elections is striking, as over 90% of them have taken part in the democratic process through the ballot box.
The first serious case of civil disturbance since independence took place in East Timor in December 2002. An arrest by the police of a high school student led to street demonstrations which were aggravated by a heavy handed police response. More than 25 demonstrators were shot and two were killed, which led to large scale rioting and looting. Shops, hotels and property owned by the Prime Minister were targeted. A number of factors need to be examined as part of any attempt to find out what went wrong. One should remember that the benefits of independence are painfully slow in coming for most people in East Timor. The homes of most people were destroyed by the Indonesian military and their proxy militias following the 1999 independence vote. Many public buildings, such as schools and clinics, were destroyed and although many have been repaired, much remains to be done.
The greatest concern for most people is that very few job opportunities are available. The Government in Dili is preparing legislation on land and property and it is difficult to foresee any meaningful outside investment and job creation until that legislation is in place. The Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta, has stated that nation building will be much more difficult than had been envisaged. Many young people cannot afford the fees needed to continue their studies and worry that there will be no jobs for them when they have finished their education. I am sure the committee understands the difficulties of students who have little or no means of earning money while seeking to improve themselves through further education. In a year or so, many Timorese will have finished their education but will have little or no prospect of employment.
An added difficulty for the East Timorese Government is the country's lack of a proper communications network. The fact that it is extremely difficult to disseminate information to outlying towns and villages means many people in such areas feel neglected by the Government. Many people have told me that they sometimes feel they are outside the political process. It is to be hoped that the forthcoming legislation on local government will go some way towards addressing the concerns of people in villages and hamlets. The disturbances in December 2002 lasted only one day and I believe that lessons have been learnt by all concerned. The issues of unemployment and access to information for people in the districts are important in ensuring that the incident on 4 December is not repeated.
One would need a crystal ball to predict East Timor's future, but we can be sure that development and poverty reduction will take longer than originally envisaged by many. East Timor is making slow but steady progress on the political front, but progress on the economic front will be a little slower. It is important to understand that people must see and feel the benefits of independence if the reconciliation process in East Timor is to succeed. The problem of dealing with the social trauma will take longer and be much more painful if the people of East Timor lack the means to educate their children and access to clean water and are unsure of how they will feed their families.
Ireland could do many things to assist East Timor. We could offer one or two people from the East Timorese Foreign Ministry the chance to come to Ireland to undertake internships at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Some training that has been offered by other Governments has been accepted by the Timorese. Such a practical initiative would expose East Timor to Western diplomacy. I do not need to point out the benefits to both countries. I ask the joint committee to explore this possibility with the Minister, Deputy Cowen.
East Timor needs proper exposure to the technology of globalisation as it takes its rightful place among the nations of the world. Globalisation takes many forms, but trade and communications are an integral part of it. Ireland has encountered the circumstances faced by East Timor. Our information technology expertise could play a huge role in the future development of East Timor. The Departments of Foreign Affairs and Enterprise, Trade and Employment could collaborate on initiatives that would benefit both countries. I am sure the government in Dili would welcome such a move.
I hope I have kept my statement short. I can elaborate on any of the issues I have raised during the question and answer session. I pay tribute to the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs for its support and solidarity over the years, particularly during the 1999 referendum when it played an important role in helping to provide a United Nations presence on the ground. This will never be forgotten by the people of East Timor. I thank members of the committee again for the opportunity to address them and I earnestly ask that they stay engaged with the East Timor issue.
