Peacebuilding in East Timor

Transcription

1 Peacebuilding in East Timor Paper prepared for the Fourth Annual Peacebuilding Consultations February 29, 2000 by the Asia Pacific Working Group (Indonesia and East Timor Sub-group) of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation Presented by Kathryn Robertson, Canada-Asia Working Group For more information, please contact Kathryn Robertson, Canada-Asia Working Group (phone: or Andrea Botto, Canadian Council for International Co-operation (phone: Introduction This time last year, few people could have predicted the extent of the changes which have taken place in East Timor. While some of this change is positive, it is tempered by the continuing humanitarian crisis there, the devastation of both the infrastructure and the people, and the critical issues which the situation in East Timor raises about the role and conduct of the international community, including NGO's, multi-lateral financial institutions and the UN. This presentation was developed by members of the Asia Pacific Working Group of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation. In developing the content of the paper, we consulted with people who have a first hand experience of the situation in East Timor. Despite communications barriers and the difficulty of the situation there, we were able to consult with several people in East Timor, involved with both churches and NGO's. We have also consulted with people outside of East Timor who have a knowledge of the situation there. The unique issues in East Timor There is no need in this context to recount in detail the devastating violence which took place in East Timor after the announcement of the results of the "popular consultation" regarding autonomy within Indonesia on September 4. As a result of this violence more than 3/4 of the population was displaced, more than 200,000 people were forced out of East Timor, approximately 100,000 of whom continue to be refugees in Indonesia. The physical and economic infrastructure was destroyed or severely damaged. The death toll is still unknown but it is surmised that it could be more than Unemployment is at least 80%. It is impossible at this point to know the extent of the psychological and emotional impact of this crisis. Levels of violence began to increase after Indonesia's President Habibie announced in January 1999 that the people of East Timor would have the opportunity to vote on independence.

2 Therefore, the crisis of September 1999 was the culmination of a long history of violence and intimidation within East Timor. When considering peacebuilding issues, an understanding of the involvement of outside, non- Timorese actors must be central. The violence and destruction which razed East Timor was not a civil war. While it may have involved Timorese people acting violently towards their compatriots, it is clear that this violence was planned and directed by non-timorese actors. The militia groups which carried out the destruction were established both officially and unofficially by Indonesian authorities. Members of the Indonesian forces were also involved carrying out the violence. Both the official Indonesian investigation of the events in East Timor, as well as the UN's own investigation, indicate that members of the Indonesian army (TNI) and administration had planned and orchestrated the campaign of violence and destruction in East Timor. Violence was overwhelmingly perpetrated by members of militia groups and their supporters in the TNI, with the Timorese leadership and those know to be supportive of independence targeted in particular. There were a few people responsible for violence against many. Though an armed pro-independence force, Falintil, exists in East Timor, there was only limited violence from this group. In September they were directed by their political leader, Xanana Gusmao, to avoid all retaliation. Where peacebuilding is needed What are the particular areas or issues which require a peacebuilding approach? Peacebuilding between the East Timorese perpetrators of violence and other members of society is the most obvious issue. Partners in East Timor with whom we consulted have reinforced the point that most militia members were being manipulated, rather than themselves being independent actors. Many became involved in the militias because of poverty, intimidation or fears for their own safety. It has been argued by some within East Timor that what is needed is "forgiveness" for those who participated in the militias. This is different from the reconciliation which is needed in conflict situations in which there are two opposing sides as in a civil war. Peacebuilding efforts must also look back to conflicts and tensions which existed prior to the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. Some of these have been supressed and could now reemerge. Since a certain amount of democratic space has opened up, new political debates and tensions have surfaced. Land ownership has also become an issue. Many Timorese people had their land occupied by squatters or Indonesians when they fled their land to hide during the invasion in There has been no way to resolve these issues to this point. Other points of conflict arise from different regional and class identities within East Timor (many created by the Portugese colonial administration) and longstanding inter-family conflicts. There is some resentment of expatriates and exiles who have now returned, many of them being hired for the best jobs while those who lived through the occupation are unemployed. General directions and principles In developing this paper, we took a broad look at peacebuilding. We attempted to map out some of the most pressing issues to be considered and to identify some of the general principles and

3 policy directions which could be followed by Canadian organizations involved in East Timor. The Timorese people are still in a process of discerning how to go about this work. We as Canadians must take the lead from them and at this point it is too soon to state definitively what specific actions must be undertaken in peacebuilding projects in East Timor. A useful report by Kenneth Bush, published by IDRC, states in its definition of peacebuilding that, "peacebuilding is not about the imposition of 'solutions', it is about the creation of opportunities, and the creation of political, economic, and social spaces, within which indigenous [his emphasis] actors can identify, develop and employ the resources necessary to build a peaceful, prosperous, and just society." This need to work towards the empowerment of indigenous actors is hugely important in East Timor. As mentioned, the East Timorese people have a level of distrust of foreigners, because of their experience of colonization, occupation and oppression. To this point, they have been unable to control the future of their country on either a national or international level. Coupled with this, the Timorese people have not had experience with democratic processes and institutions. Central to the peacebuilding needs, then, is the leadership of indigenous actors and Timorese ownership of the process. It is not enough merely to consult with them or to involve them in preconceived projects--they must be allowed to identify the issues of concern and to discern, with support and advice where appropriate, the course of action to deal with these issues. Immediate needs Within the framework of peacebuilding, efforts to decrease the likelihood of conflict are central. Over the short-term there is a great potential for conflict over very basic issues of access to food, adequate shelter, and employment. For example, violence broke out in a Dili market as a result of concern about petty crime. There was also some violence when thousands of people showed up to apply for a few hundred jobs with the UN. Efforts towards peacebuilding must be included in all aspects of reconstruction and development. A huge reconstruction task lays ahead. It will be important for Timorese people to be fully involved in reconstruction projects, at all stages from planning to implementation. It is crucial that sufficient resources to begin the rebuilding process be transferred to East Timor immediately. In a report to the Security Council at the beginning of February, Mr Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Chief of Mission for UNTAET, indicated that if adequate resources were not found for East Timor, there would be increasing violence and unrest. As well, many people are dealing with emotional and psychological trauma resulting not only from the crisis in September, but also from living in an oppressive and militarized context for more than 25 years. Outlets and supports for this experience of trauma must be found. One way this is currently being handled is through radio broadcasts on Radio Kmanek, a station supported by the Catholic church. Daily programs involve a counsellor speaking about emotional and psychological issues as well as people speaking about their own experiences. There are occasional announcements regarding people who have been found and families which have been reunited, in order to give people a sense of hope.

4 It is also important to consider the impact which the presence of international personnel is having upon the Timorese population. We have received reports from people in East Timor that there is increasing distrust regarding foreign involvement. Many people are concerned that international NGO's and the UN will become the new colonizers in East Timor. In a letter from both Timorese and international NGO's to the donors meeting in Tokyo in December, it was proposed that "systems be instituted to monitor and address the social impacts of development assistance". The return of refugees currently in West Timor is an urgent need. It will be more difficult to make meaningful steps towards reconciliation and rebuilding if people are aware that a significant number of their people still have not been able to come home. Efforts to push Indonesian authorities to control and prosecute militia activity and to allow humanitarian organizations to operate must continue. We would urge the Canadian government and the UN to request Indonesia to dispatch high level officials to West Timor immediately. These officials should for a significant period of time, to ensure that local officials act on the promises which are being made in Jakarta. High level UNHCR staff should work in conjunction with a mission such as this. One of the reasons refugees may not want to return to East Timor is fear regarding their welfare and safety. The UN has tried to address this by facilitating border visits for families and by distributing materials to try to quell some of the rumors regarding mistreatment of Timorese people by UN forces. Leaders in the Protestant Church have also been involved in border visits. For some refugees, fears regarding their safety are well founded because they were involved with the militias and risk reprisals from their community when they return. Local communities need to be assisted to find ways to reintegrate people with militia connections back into their communities. One reconciliation project, developed by an informal grouping of Timorese people, is working with a particular community, Same. They will first talk to people in the town of Same about reconciliation. The organizers will then make contact with refugees in West Timor who also come from Same, letting them know that discussions regarding reconciliation have begun at home and encouraging them return. Medium and long-term needs Retribution or retaliation is a critical concern at the present time, as militia members return to their communities. justice and judgement may be carried out informally at the community level, often in ways which do not contribute to peacebuilding over the longer term. The fledgling justice system cannot yet address all of the crimes which have taken place. Some people indicated to us that the reconciliation process will need to be started before justice is done because reconciliation is important for the rebuilding process. But at the same time, true reconciliation will not be possible until justice is done--it will be incomplete. Therefore, the establishment of the justice system is a high priority for peacebuilding. If people must wait for justice to be done by the state, they must be given assurances from both Timorese leaders and UN officials that there will be a legitimate and responsive system established.

5 Any "reconciliation" process must have the trust of the people and the involvement of key actors. In East Timor, this would necessarily mean the CNRT and church leaders. Some of the people we heard from in East Timor debated whether reconciliation was even the right term for what needs to happen. The Indonesian authorities tried at various points to bring about "reconciliation", but this was at worse coercive and at best not owned by all the participants, so it was not real reconciliation. In order to gain the trust of the Timorese people, reconciliation initiatives must be seen as genuine, and must be seen as part of a broader initiative which includes seeking justice through the legal system. There will also be a need for a broad variety of reconciliation type initiatives-- at the family level, community level, national level-- to address different situations of conflict. There is no consensus yet regarding a process such as a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Given the central role that culture, language, history and belief systems play in reconciliation work, it is essential that initiatives are developed and led by Timorese people. In the past, the church was involved in reconciliation work between pro-independence and proautonomy groups in processes such as the Dare meetings. USC Canada's partner in East Timor was also part of some conflict resolution efforts prior to the ballot. The Protestant Church of East Timor is currently planning a three year program of reconciliation and capacity building for democracy, beginning at the local level. This project is supported by Canadian funding. There are plans underway within the Catholic church to "socialize" ideas about conflict management at the local level through introduction of these ideas in church services and church events. Local church staff such as nuns and priests are being trained to carry out this task. Traditional Timorese rituals also may be useful. One Timorese person told us about badame. This tradition involves the perpetrator of a crime meeting with his/her family and the family of his/her victim to decide how to address the crime. For example, if it is a murder, the perpetrator and his/her family are responsible for all the expenses to bury the dead. A Timorese priest who witnessed the violence in Bishop Belo's house speaks of the traditional practice of excluding the perpetrator from the community for a period of time, then requiring her/him to participate in a special ritual in order to return. The ritual may involve the exchange of presents such as clothing, food or animals. He also spoke of the tradition of sitting two people who disagree on either end of a carpet and symbolically (or concretely) placing their common interests in the middle. We have been told that it will be important that any peacebuilding initiatives first examine the nature of the conflict at hand. In many cases, the conflict may be related to the settling of old scores, rather than current issues. Without getting to the root of the conflict, the initiatives will not be successful. It is useful to identify particular groups to whom peacebuilding efforts must be directed: Youth -- Even before the events surrounding the ballot, Timorese leaders were calling attention to the frustration and anger which young people felt. Now, there is an increasing prevalence of youth gangs in East Timor. This has been attributed to both frustration regarding the slow process of rebuilding and the fact that parents are no longer able to provide for their children and therefore cannot exert the same authority over them. The impact of trauma and growing up in a

6 militarized context should not be ignored. Employment programs which would include a skills building component have been proposed as an important step toward enabling young people to play a role in the rebuilding of their country. Children -- Without peacebuilding work for children, East Timor will never be able to emerge from a cycle of violence. Supporting children necessarily includes support and training for parents, especially mothers, who have to deal with the day to day impact of their children's trauma. Women -- Women must be given the opportunity and support to speak about the violence and intimidation they have experienced, not just during the recent violence, but also during the Indonesian occupation. It has been known for some time that the Indonesian authorities used sexual harassment and assault of women as one way to control and intimidate the Timorese people. As well as seeking emotional support, women must be assured that the justice system will take the violence they have experienced seriously and bring the perpetrators to justice. Any peacebuilding effort should not ignore family violence, which is frequently related or at least aggravated by violence in the community or in society. In this area, the churches' role as provider of pastoral advice and care will be important, but only if they are able to support women to deal with their experiences, rather than encouraging them to forget. East Timorese society and leadership tends to be male dominated. Therefore, peacebuilding initiatives must be constructed so as to give women adequate space to voice their issues and should work towards bringing about greater equality between women and men. In order to do this, it will be necessary to move beyond traditional or established structures and processes. The leadership and knowledge of Timorese women and their organizations are essential. Some Canadian church funding has been recently allocated to a project focussed on building women's capacity to function in democratic processes and institutions. On a national level, the Timorese people will need to learn how to function in a democratic context and how to manage political differences within a democratic framework. Unfortunately, their most recent experience with a democratic ballot produced terrifying consequences. Capacity building for democracy will need to include education regarding political parties, election processes, how to discuss political issues in an appropriate manner and how to deal with governmental institutions in a democratic society. Without the establishment of democracy, and especially processes and venues to discuss different ideologies, reconciliation will not be possible. Related to this is the need to create and train an indigenous police force and judiciary, including training them on human rights principles. Establishment of legitimate and democratically elected Timorese leadership is another peacebuilding challenge. Leadership at the local level is contested because there are different perceptions regarding who the true leaders are--those who the Indonesians chose to wield authority, traditional leaders, church leaders or people who were part of the resistance forces or leaders identified by the CNRT (National Council of Timorese Resistance) all can claim to represent the voice of the people. As the UN

7 develops the administrative and legal structure for East Timor, full and early participation of Timorese representatives is crucial. In order for these representatives to be seen as legitimate, they should be elected. If recognised and trusted Timorese leaders are not involved, people may not trust the structures which are established, which will lead to further conflict in the future. As well, UNTAET should look at ways to democratically consult with the Timorese people regarding important and potentially contentious issues such as the official languages of East Timor. Education for peace is essential. In consulting with people in East Timor, it was suggested that peacebuilding activities should be included as part of the new school curriculum which will need to be established. We would add, too, that part of this curriculum should include a realistic representation of Timorese history, to retain in the collective memory the painful experiences which have taken place. The very development of this history could be a helpful process. Divisions based on class or access to resources can significantly compromise peacebuilding efforts and create new conflict. From East Timor, we are hearing ongoing concerns about divisions between rich and poor. The rich are mainly international staff of NGO's and UN organizations and some Timorese who have been able to find well paying jobs or successful business ventures. In one case Timorese staff of a foreign owned floating hotel went on strike for higher wages. There have been demands from various quarters that the UN should establish some kind of code of conduct, including a minimum wage, for foreign NGO's, businesses and its own operations to alleviate some of these economic divisions. On an international level, capacity building as well as opportunities are crucial. After many years of being almost voiceless and unable to officially represent their own issues, the Timorese will now need to represent themselves in a variety of international fora including to international financial institutions and the UN. The Timorese leadership must be given the opportunities and resources to enable them to do this and also to be assisted to develop the skills necessary to become international actors on their own behalf. There will also need to be work done on the relationship between East Timor and Indonesia. The people of East Timor are realistic and understand that they will have to have some kind of ongoing relationship with Indonesia, given their geographic location. They also recognise that many Indonesians did not support the actions and abuses perpetrated by their own army in East Timor. One person we spoke to went so far as to say that the reconciliation that really needs to take place is between East Timorese people and Indonesians. Who needs to play a role in peacebuilding in East Timor? A recent report by Yayasan HAK, an indigenous human rights organization, outlines a number of recommendations regarding the conduct of international NGO's in East Timor. Several of these points have relevance for peacebuilding work: -- international NGO's and UN agencies need to coordinate their work with all "potential groups within the society, the people in general, and national NGO's". This coordination should involve not just rhetoric but also "concrete, practical activity".

8 -- international NGO's and UN agencies should share information with the public about how funds granted for East Timor are being used. -- international NGO's and UN agencies should provide information regarding their plans for work in East Timor and particularly how long they plan to continue to work there. This type of information sharing and accountability should help to decrease the mistrust or at least confusion which many Timorese people are feeling about foreign organizations. There is a great deal of fear regarding "imposed" solutions. There is also a certain amount of resistance to making too many comparisons between the Timorese situation and other examples of contexts in need of reconciliation and peacebuilding such as South Africa or Mozambique. Our contacts in East Timor did recognise, though, that they will require advice, information and support from outside sources in order to help design their own activities and programs. In the past, the church, and particularly the Catholic Church as the largest denomination in East Timor, took the lead in conflict resolution activities, because it was the one institution trusted by the local population and the one locus of resistance to Indonesian rule. Now that the political context has shifted, the church will become one of a number of actors. Both the Catholic and Protestant churches will continue to play an important role because of their familiarity and power of moral suasion. Should conflict resolution or reconciliation initiatives include ceremonies or rituals, the church will have a particularly important role to play. In addition, churches have access to an international network which can be useful in terms of advocacy, support, and funding. Indigenous NGO's have developed expertise in particular areas such as human rights investigations and educational techniques. A few have been able to develop international networks as well. NGO's also do not have some of the same restrictions in terms of hierarchy and institutional inertia which often pose a problem when the church seeks to take on new work or a new direction. The UN, as administrator of East Timor, has a central role to play in peacebuilding initiatives. Among the critical tasks for the UN are to work in ways which legitimize and empower local leadership, to create structures which will contribute to peacebuilding, and to place capacity building for the Timorese people as a high priority. As mentioned, the UN must be very careful not to create itself situations which sow the seeds of conflict. Below, we will outline the role which other countries, and Canada in particular, should play in East Timor. Lessons learned and implications for further work The preceding discussion has already outlined some of the issues, history and context which must be considered regarding peacebuilding efforts in East Timor. It has also outlined some of the projects or initial plans which we think offer some hope for peacebuilding. From this discussion, we can name some general principles which we believe should inform the approach to Canadian involvement in peacebuilding efforts in East Timor:

9 The international community must be cautious and humble. We must regain or even gain the trust of the Timorese people, especially given their tragic experience of an international organized ballot on independence. The international community must avoid moving too quickly and must avoid imposing solutions or conditions on our assistance. We must look at work in East Timor as a long-term project, rather than as a time-limited one centred on relief and rebuilding. Such a small nation runs the risk of being forgotten, especially in the shadow of a crisis-ridden Indonesia. The intensity of the recent response to East Timor must now be generalized and sustained. Co-ordination of initiatives in East Timor is essential. This has been difficult to achieve to this point. The Timorese are becoming overwhelmed and exhausted from having to deal with numerous NGO's and from negotiating the various programs currently underway. We must prove the international community's commitment to justice in East Timor. The human rights violations which both the UN and the Indonesian government have documented must be addressed. This is especially important since these abuses took place during a UN sponsored process. Concerns regarding Indonesia's stability and transition to democracy must not override justice issues in East Timor. Instead, Canada and the international community must find ways to support Indonesia to hold the perpetrators responsible, but also be prepared to trigger the UN's own processes. Proposals and Recommendations Canada has a unique role to play in East Timor. Canada has facilitated international discussions regarding East Timor, such as those at the APEC meetings during the height of the crisis. Canada has been one of the major donors and the Canadian government and Canadian NGO's have had experience supporting indigenous, Timorese NGO's. In addition, Canada's focus on issues such as peacebuilding, women's rights and human rights education is relevant in this case. Given this background, Canada is well positioned to play a facilitative role in East Timor. Canada's membership on the Security Council also offers some important opportunities. While it is important for NGO's and the Canadian government to collaborate on work in East Timor, there are areas for action or consideration which we would like to suggest to the specific sectors: We recommend that The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade: pressure the Indonesian government to resolve the issues of refugees in West Timor immediately (see earlier discussion) advocate at the UN Security Council and other fora that there should be ongoing opportunities to critique and evaluate UN work in East Timor ensure that the UN prepares for its own investigation into human rights abuses in East Timor, in the event that the Indonesian process is unable to ensure justice

10 continue to contribute personnel and resources to the UN mission in East Timor. This contribution should be increased and certainly not decreased from current levels. seek ways to "mentor" Timorese officials who will eventually participate in various international fora, as well as ways to facilitate their participation. This could include providision of financial, technical and logistical support as well as training and accompaniment. prepare for diplomatic relations with an independent East Timor establish East Timor as an important focus for Canada's work in Asia, even in light of the pressing issues in Indonesia We recommend that the Canadian International Development Agency: immediately establish a country programme for East Timor and transfer resources to East Timor as soon as possible. NGO's, both in Canada and East Timor, should be involved in development of CIDA's policy for East Timor. Canada should place particular emphasis on capacity building, democracy building, women's rights and human rights education work with other donors, as well as international financial institutions, to ensure that East Timor receives grants not loans and that there are not burdensome conditions placed on this funding, especially conditions which prevent the Timorese people from developing their own plans for the future work with other donors to establish processes and even requirements to ensure greater coordination of work in East Timor. For example, this could include requiring any organization working in East Timor to relate to the Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA). commit funding to East Timor, beyond the immediate time of crisis We recommend that Canadian NGO's: work in East Timor with humility and avoid imposing solutions developed outside of East Timor share learnings regarding peacebuilding with people in East Timor, so that they can gain from these and use this knowledge to shape their own initiatives find ways to compliment and support the work of Timorese NGO's place particular focus on marginalized groups and especially on youth and women recognise the cultural and social impact of development work and that our methods many not be culturally appropriate. This might include evaluating the impact of development work on East Timorese society and culture. Selected resources and individuals consulted: Bush, Kenneth (1998). A Measure of Peace: Peace And Conflict Impact Assessment (PCIA) Of Development Projects in Conflict Zones. IDRC: Ottawa.

11 Kibble, Steve (1999). Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor: Possible Lessons from South Africa and elsewhere. Catholic Institute for International Relations: London. [work in progress] East Timor: one chance to get it right. Joint Statement from National and International NGO's for the Tokyo Meeting on East Timor, 17 December, Information also received from: CUSO Field Staff, USC Field Staff, Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, Caritas, Protestant Church of East Timor, Jose Guterres, Fr. Domingos.