Briskly written and deeply affectionate, the book introduces a set of
colorful Timorese and international characters, and unforgettably brings
them to life. At the stroke of midnight on May 20, 2002, the Democratic
Republic of Timor-Leste became the first new nation of the 21st
century. From that moment, those who fought for independence in the
jungle and from the soapbox have faced a challenge even bigger than
shaking off Indonesian occupation: running a country of their own. Beloved Land
picks up the story where world attention left off. Blending narrative
history, travelogue, and personal reminiscences based on four years of
living in the country, it shows the daunting hurdles that the people of
Timor-Leste must overcome to build a nation from scratch, and how much
the international community has to learn if it is to help rather than
hinder the process. In Timor-Leste, “small” does not necessarily mean
“simple.” Family politics, squabbles, power struggles,
misunderstandings, old romances, and even older grudges are woven into
present-day life. In this mysterious place, a land of intrigue and
rumors, running a state is exhausting and difficult work, but dealing
with it is endlessly interesting. Where else would a Prime Minister
evade the bullets of renegade soldiers by using his sacred charms to
change shape from a man to a dog—and then, a few years later, have
affiliates of these same soldiers help out in his re-election campaign? Beloved Land
shows that the story of Timor-Leste as much more than the narrow litany
of conflict and violence often presented in the media. Increasingly, it
is becoming a story about the exploitation of oil and gas, and whether
Timorese leaders can steward the revenues they receive from these
resources to benefit a rapidly expanding population. It is also a story
about international aid and its inadequacies. In just over a decade,
over eight billion dollars have been spent in a territory half the size
of Tasmania, but the majority of Timorese remain in deep poverty.
Beloved Land explores the reasons why, and questions whether
international help is providing any real benefits in Asia’s newest
country. Above all, Beloved Land is a human story about
the one million East Timorese who speak nearly 20 different languages,
and who are exuberantly building a new country of their own.
Title : Beloved Land: Stories, Struggles, and Secrets from Timor-Leste
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Scribe Publications Pty Ltd. (March 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1922070688
ISBN-13: 978-1922070685
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