COVID-19 and the Resiliency of State Institutions in Timor-Leste Article Besides the public health emergency of the coronavirus pandemic, the social and economic impacts have been felt deeply by the Timorese people. Most of the population work in subsistence agriculture and the informal sector, and lockdown measures mean people often choose between two hard decisions: losing their earnings or becoming infected. By Guteriano Neves
The Impact of COVID-19 on Women in Timor-Leste Article The outbreak of COVID-19 has been devastating for Timor-Leste. It has overwhelmed the already weak health system, deepened poverty and pre-existing inequalities, exposing vulnerabilities in social, political and economic systems for women and girls in Timor-Leste. By Carmeneza Dos Santos Monteiro
Reflecting Human Rights and Peace in Timor-Leste as an ‘Outsider’ Opinion I made my first trip to Timor-Leste in 2013. At that time, I must confess I had limited knowledge about the country. In contrast with most scholars, I did not learn the country from books; instead, I started to learn about Timorese politics from the lens of human rights and peace by learning its culture and through the stories of the people I met informally. By Khoo Ying Hooi
Finding Timor-Leste’s Stolen Children at the 11th Hour Article Juliãon is one of a handful of survivors who have been able to find their way to return to Timor-Leste. Without assistance, it is difficult for survivors to gather enough resources and courage to try to relocate their lives. By Galuh Wandita
Timor-Leste: Political and Economic Development, and Government’s COVID-19 Response Article Over the last three years, Timor’s public discourse in Timor-Leste has been concentrated on the power struggle among the Dili-centered elites on the legitimacy to govern the country. The economic impacts of this political development is the economic stagnation, reflected in the GDP decline. COVID-19 adds another layers to the multitude of challenges that already existed. By Guteriano Neves
Timor’s Accession to ASEAN Obtaining ASEAN membership has been one of Timor-Leste’s foreign policy goals since 2002. This article discusses the current dynamic in Timor-Leste and what it means to be an ASEAN member. This is based on the domestic context that shapes Timor’s interests. Many commentators have taken a position in advocating for Timor’s membership based on short-sighted policies. At the same time, ASEAN continues to argue that Timor "does not have the capacity”. This article goes further by asking how Timor-Leste can benefit from this membership and what the necessary conditions are for Timor to do so. By Guteriano Neves