East Timor?

[AriesXX]

Lately, I've been really thinking about freedom, and the illusion thereof here in this country. So, I typed a search into Google, the last free country on Earth, and the number 5 result was for East Timor.

Here's my question, has anyone ever been there? I read about their struggle, and basically they gained their colonial independence only to lose it a year or so later to the Indonesian government. They fought, and re-won, their freedom, which I really respect.

Someday I'd like to set up a seed company, but I won't do it in a place where it could cost me my life or freedom, and being able to help re-build a nation with my tax money sounds really appealing. This is all just a day-dream, but if anyone has any information I'd appreciate it

 

[hubcap]

Country profile: East Timor

East Timor's road to independence - achieved on 20 May 2002 - was long and traumatic.

The people of the first new nation of the century suffered some of the worst atrocities of modern times.

An independent report has said at least 100,000 Timorese died as a result of Indonesia's 25-year occupation, which ended in 1999.

OVERVIEW




Indonesia invaded shortly after Portugal withdrew in 1975 and forcefully tried to subdue a resentful people and guerrillas fighting for independence.

Independence celebrations, Dili, 20 May 2002
Independence followed years of oppressive rule

World powers were accused of contributing to the subsequent calamity by turning a blind eye or by actively supporting the occupation by supplying weapons.

Indonesia finally agreed in 1999 to let the East Timorese choose between independence and local autonomy. Militia loyal to Indonesia, apparently assisted by the military, tried in vain to use terror to discourage a vote for independence.

When the referendum showed overwhelming support for independence, the loyalists went on the rampage, murdering hundreds and reducing towns to ruins. An international peacekeeping force halted the mayhem and paved the way for a United Nations mission which helped East Timor back onto its feet.

The rebuilding of East Timor has been one of the UN's biggest success stories. The UN Mission of Support in East Timor, Unmiset, wound up in May 2005.

But security has been precarious. An outbreak of gang violence in 2006 prompted the UN Security Council to set up a new peacekeeping force, Unmit. The UN said poverty and unemployment had exacerbated the unrest.

Australian soldier and burning house, Dili, June 2006
Unrest in 2006 led to the deployment of peacekeepers

As one of Asia's poorest nations, East Timor will rely on outside help for many years. The infrastructure is poor and the country is drought-prone.

However, vast offshore oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea hold much potential. East Timor and Australia have agreed to share revenues from the reserves. As a part of the deal, a decision on the disputed maritime border in the area was deferred.

East Timor is trying to foster national reconciliation. Indonesia and East Timor set up bodies to bring the perpetrators of the 1999 violence to justice. However a 2005 UN report concluded that the systems had failed to deliver. The Indonesian special court acquitted most of the 18 indicted suspects.





although ive never been, personally (brother went in 2002 for work. hes a photog) but from the sounds of that article, they sound like the type of people we need in a few other countries around the world....
for what its worth, from the limited talks ive had with him about east timor, he says, its starting to show alot more muslim radicalists in their midsts and its only a matter of time til the isolated country becomes prey to it.

take it as you will.........

but these are the countries that you just might be able to have such a buisness and fly under the radar. and probably get local support from the people as well, for I understand, they really ARE a fun and free-loving society from what he tells me.

again, i dont know much about the country and all i DO know is from my bro who visited for work.

hopefully it can help SOMEWHAT!!

 

[AriesXX]

Thank you very much for taking the time to post that! That really bothers me that after winning their independence, they're going to lose it back to Islam... Here's what I was imagining: Buying some land a few miles out of town and hiring locals to tend the plants and do the work. Not because I don't want to do it myself, but because I want to help bring jobs and hope to people who need it. They only make an average of $3 a day, meaning if I sold one pack of $60 seeds a day, that's 20 families who's lives have been improved.

It takes vision and patience to build a country though, and unfortunatly if the Muslims are there, it's only a matter of time before it becomes the next terorrist state, or puppet state of the US.

Honestly, I'd like to stay here, in the country my ancestors fought for in their own bloody struggle (American revolution). I'd like to help re-build this nation, but there's just no way. If I donated the proceeds of my entire life's work, it would be just to help re-build one or two lives our government has ruined with property seizures. The draw for me in Timor, was the fact that ordinary people can speak directly to the president and hear from his mouth what he envisions for his country. After the things he's done, our president has no right to look any of our citizens in the eye, and surely no way he could be honest about where our country is headed.

 

[hubcap]

he says he'll send me some pics....
ill pass them on here when i get them
kupang and dili were mentioned as towns he visited. idk them but you might....

hes a good photog so were in for a treat, i think....

stay tuned...ill post them here when i receive them.
i'll also ask him what HE thinks of your idea about opening shop on isle.. hes a fellow "partaker" as well. but im not sure how muslims perceive westerners growing herb even if it IS for the local good. ill be sure to ask him what he thinks.......and relay that onta ya as well...

 

[Terroir]

My cousin from Darwin used to go over there to surf (big crocs and sharks).
Another cousin worked on a gas rig there. They love the place and the fishing is incredible.

The people are friendly and the land is beautiful however the indo'ns (Javanese) did strip a lot of its natural beauty.

It is still considered a hot spot and there have been some recent turmoil and riots there recently, the Australian govt also bent them over and fucked them over the continental shelf so that a lot of the major LPG sites just happen to fall into Australian waters.

If you speak Portuguese, have a skill like a mechanic or something or are just into remote destinations then you might have some fun.

Like any where in the Indonesian archipelago would try to avoid the major cities like Dili and also the border areas with west Timor. As far as Islam you will find the make up a tiny minority of the island and Catholicism is quite the norm due to the Portuguese past.

 

[blitz]

. I'd like to help re-build this nation, but there's just no way. If I donated the proceeds of my entire life's work, it would be just to help re-build one or two lives our government has ruined with property seizures. The draw for me in Timor, was the fact that ordinary people can speak directly to the president and hear from his mouth what he envisions for his country. After the things he's done, our president has no right to look any of our citizens in the eye, and surely no way he could be honest about where our country is headed.

Yeah, I'm down with you: Bush has led our country down a dangerous road and there's a lot of stuff that the public doesn't know. The news media aren't as good at discovering new news as they are at picking apart and kicking around existing news. BUT, you can't just help people by throwing some money at them to re-build their lives... Africa has been a particularly good example of that. If you want the freedom to have your own land and grow your own herb you should try to get it here. There's so much pressure and resentment built up against the federal government for its actions re: marijuana that change will happen, it just takes people speaking out.

It's like there's a lot of intertia: it's very difficult to get issues off the ground and moving, but once an issue has some momentum behind it, it will gather more until it can't be ignored. For marijuana, that just meant such a large portion of the country disregarding the government's laws (and by doing so, proving its propaganda to be what it is) for decades that it is now becoming impossible for Harry Anslinger's facade of lies to stand.