Abstract
East Timor has emerged as one of the world’s newest nations after a turbulent history comprising 450 years of Portuguese rule followed by civil war, invasion, and twenty-five years of Indonesian occupation characterized by human rights abuses, massacres, and violence. The United Nations (UN) and international non-government organisations (NGOs) have supported significant peace-building efforts, including attention to both justice and reconciliation strategies to promote healing and rebuilding of relationships within communities divided by violence, as well as the establishment of political, economic, and security structures and institutions. The animosities between the different Timorese political factions stemming from the violence in 1974 have continued to affect relationships in the newly independent East Timor. The relationship between East Timor and Indonesia is critical, as the relationship has not only defined the competing ideologies of the different political parties, which emerged following the departure of the Portuguese in 1974, but has continued to divide the Timorese, especially following the post-referendum militia violence in 1999, which was driven by the desire of some groups seeking to maintain ties with Indonesia, albeit in a new system of government that would allow East Timor a measure of regional autonomy. As discussed in Chapter 11, an estimated 2,000 East Timorese were killed while 500,000 civilians were displaced (including 200,000 to 250,000 to West Timor), and hundreds of women were raped.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Amaral-Guterres, Isabel. 2002. “East Timor—Reconciliation and Justice.” Eureka Street. May.
Babo-Soares, Dionisio. 2005. “Nahe Biti: Grassroots Reconciliation in East Timor.” In Roads to Reconciliation, ed. Elin Skaar, Siri Gloppen, and Astri Suhrke. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
Burgess, Patrick. 2006. “A New Approach to Restorative Justice—East Timor’s Community Reconciliation Process.” In Transitional Justice in the Twenty-First Century: Beyond Truth versus Justice, eds. Naomi Roht-Arriaza and Javier Mariezcurrena Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Burgess, Patrick. 2004. “Justice and Reconciliation in East Timor: The Relationship between the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation and the Courts.” Criminal Law Forum 15:135–158.
Coakley, Victoria. 2001. “Towards Justice and Reconciliation in East Timor.” Alternative Law Journal 26:229–241.
Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation Timor-Leste Final Report. 2005.
Gorjao, Paulo. 2001. “The East Timorese Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation: Chronicle of a Foretold Failure?” Civil Wars 4:142–162.
Guterres, Francisco da Costa. 2003. “Reconciliation in East Timor: Building Peace and Stability.” Paper prepared for Swedish International Development Agency. Stockholm, Sweden.
ICTJ Press Release. 2006. “Timorese Truth Commission Report Reveals Shocking Brutality, Calls for End to Impunity.” January 20. Available at: http://www.ictj.org/en/news/press/release/773.html.
Kent, Lia. 2005. “Community Views of Justice and Reconciliation in Timor-Leste.” Development Bulletin 68:62–65.
Kent, Lia. 2004. “Unfulfilled Expectations: Community Views on CAVR’s Community Reconciliation Process.” Dili: Judicial System Monitoring Program.
Nishikawa, Yukiko. 2002. “East Timor: Unfinished Business.” Peace Conflict and Development 2:1–11.
Schlicher, Monika. 2005. East Timor Faces up to its Past: The Work of the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation. Aachen: Missio.
Wandita, Galuh, Karen Campbell-Nelson, and Manuela Leong Pereira. 2006. “Learning to Engender Reparations in Timor-Leste: Reaching Out to Female Victims.” In What Happened to the Women? Gender and Reparations for Human Rights Violations, ed. Ruth Rubio-Marin. New York: Social Science Research Council.
Ximenes, Fausto B. 2004. “The Unique Contribution of the Community-Based Reconciliation Process in East Timor.” Paper developed for the International Center for Transitional Justice and the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, May.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2010 Lilian A. Barria and Steven D. Roper
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Lambourne, W. (2010). Unfinished Business: The Commission for Reception, Truth, and Reconciliation in East Timor. In: Barria, L.A., Roper, S.D. (eds) The Development of Institutions of Human Rights. Perspectives on Comparative Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230109483_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230109483_13
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Print ISBN: 978-1-4039-7653-6
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-10948-3
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)