East Timor: Waiting for justice
Ten years after gaining independence, is East Timor putting reconciliation ahead of justice?
It has been ten years since East Timor voted in favour of independence from Indonesia.
The referendum was marked by violence as pro-Indonesia militia went on a rampage, supported by the Indonesian military.
Hundreds were killed and little has been done to punish the perpetrators.
Timor’s leaders now want to bury the past and focus on the nation’s political and economic development.
But victims of the 1999 violence say justice must first be done, before the nation can move forward. They are demanding justice for murders and atrocities that occurred during the Indonesian occupation.
This week on 101 East, we speak with Jose Ramos-Horta, East Timor’s president, about the challenges of reconciling with the injustices of the country’s past.
This episode of 101 East airs from Thursday, October 22, 2009 at the following times GMT: Thursday: 1230; Friday: 0300; Saturday: 0530, 1730; Sunday: 0330, 1130; Monday: 1630; Tuesday: 1430; Wednesday: 0830, 1930; Thursday: 0630.