[Easttimorstudies] query re east-west conflict

[Damien Kingsbury]

Dear Bob,

There are certainly ethnic distinctions within East Timor and between East and
West Timor, and oevrlaps between them (especially the Tetum Terik speakers who
live in the middle and to the south). In 2000 I wrote on tyhis, identifying the
splits in East Timor as east/center/west, north/center/south, between 18
lanagyues and even more dialects, and then divided along party lines and
village and family histories. It is, I think, quite a patchwork!

In 2000 I noted that the sense of nation that East Timor has derived largely
from opposing the Indonesians, and that they would have to work on building a
new sense of national identity based on common principles, or what I have
referred to elsewhere as 'civic nationalism'. There was no pre-existing sense
of national identity under the Portuguese.

However, the main problem is not just ethnic, but also to do with perceived
political and criminal associations, especially in terms of western command
F-FDTL who have links to former miltiia members, through family or villages,
and to smuggling, again through family or in some cases direct involvement.
Smuggling, as you'd appreciate, is run by the TNI from Atambua in WT. I have
written two papers on this issue, one of which was published some time ago and
the other of which Mike Leach has for the forthcoming edited book.

I hope this helps clarify the 'ethnic' question. There is an element of that,
but it is more to do with perceived loyalties.

Cheers,

Damien


Quoting Bob Boughton <bob.boughton at une.edu.au>:

> EAST TIMOR STUDIES MAILING LIST
> Dear List members, can anyone help with academic research which
> throws light on current assertion in media of ethnic divisions
> between east and west, loromanu and lorosae, either in society in
> general or within police and army? And of the underlying political
> economy, if indeed such divisions do exist?
>
> Bob Boughton
> --
> Dr. Bob Boughton
> Senior Lecturer
> Adult Education & Training
> School of Professional Development and Leadership
> University of New England
> Armidale NSW 2351, Australia
>
> On Study Leave, Semester 1, 2006
> phone:	02 6649 2642 (While on Study Leave)
> email: bob.boughton at une.edu.au
> Homepage http://fehps.une.edu.au/PDal/People/boughton.html
>
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Associate Professor Damien Kingsbury
Director, Masters of International and Community Development
School of International and Political Studies
Deakin University
Ph: +61(0)439638834