FEATURED NEWS: SRSG Atul Khare:10 years on Strong foundations of democracy and rule of law

13 May 2009

FEATURED NEWS: SRSG Atul Khare:10 years on Strong foundations of democracy and rule of law

On the 5th of May, is the day agreements were signed in 1999 in New York that paved the way for the Popular Consultation on August 30 of that year. That day, ten years ago, represents the beginning of the process that led to realization of the dreams of Timorese people for restoration of their independence. That day also marks the beginning of the UN's formal presence in the territory of what we then referred to as East Timor, an involvement and support that has continued unbroken throughout these past ten years. The first UN staff arrived in Timor-Leste within days of the agreements, and some of them have remained here until this day.

Those May 5th agreements seized upon the historic opportunity offered by Indonesian President B.J. Habibie in January 1999 and made it concrete; putting once and for all the Timorese people themselves in the driver's seat to determine the course of their own destiny. That empowerment has been the guiding principle for all of the various UN missions in Timor-Leste since 1999 - UNAMET gave the Timorese people their voice; UNTAET helped them establish a state; UNMISET and UNOTIL gave support to this new state; and UNMIT redoubled that support to meet the needs which had become clearer.

Despite all of the challenges, many of them inevitable that have arisen over these ten years, the Timorese people and their chosen representatives have never wavered in their commitment to the basic principles of an open, free and stable society, guided by - democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights.

The international community, too, has been forthcoming in its commitment to a stable and democratic Timor-Leste. UNMIT is a testimony to the international community's ongoing determination, after 10 years, to assist Timor-Leste on the long road to stability.

10 years on, much has been achieved. The Timorese proudly hold their own place in the world's community of nations. Timorese men, women and children can sleep peacefully, knowing that violence is unlikely to shatter their dreams. They have embraced the democratic method for resolving differences of opinion and for assigning responsibility to lead the nation. They have accepted the notion that conflict – which is natural to all humans, and exists in every country – is to be resolved according to the law, and that the state will provide the mechanisms for ensuring that the law is respected to address problems that can lead to conflict.

These gains of course need to be further consolidated. Creating a stable and resilient democratic state is a very difficult and long-term task. The world's most stable democracies have spent centuries building and refining their systems, and no two are exactly alike. Timor-Leste too, in time, will refine its very own system which works well and provides all of its citizens with the greatest prosperity in the largest freedoms.

There is much to learn and the road is long, but the details will come in due course as long as the foundations are strong. A government that is responsible and responsive to the people; security sector institutions that uphold the rule of law and are subordinate to elected leaders; an effective, accessible and credible judicial system; an inclusive and sustainable economy that provides Timorese with opportunities to support and develop themselves; all held together and made resilient by a strong culture of democratic governance and rule of law. These are the fundamentals of a successful Timor-Leste. If we, the Timorese and friends of Timor-Leste, together are successful in achieving these objectives, then Timor-Leste will continue to grow and prosper and the spectre of violence and instability will never again darken the shores of this beautiful nation.

The past decade has taught us that achieving these objectives is neither easy nor quick. But the past ten years have also proved that it is essential. So we must be patient and persevere in the building of a democratic, peaceful, prosperous Timor-Leste, devoted to the task of development and uplift of its people, particularly the poor and the most vulnerable. I am pleased to extend my hand of assistance to all Timorese in their endeavor.

RESJ Atul Khare: Tinan 10 ona Aliserse metin demokrasia no Estadu Direitu nian

5 Maiu, ne'e loron ne'ebé akordu asina iha 1999 iha Nova Iorke ne'ebé loke dalan ba Konsulta Populár iha 30 Agostu tinan ne'ebá nian. Loron ne'ebá, tinan sanulu liubá, reprezenta inísiu ba prosesu ne'ebé kondús ba realizasaun mehi povu timoroan nian ba restaurasaun ba sira-nia independénsia. Loron ne'ebá mós marka inísiu ba prezensa formál ONU nian iha territóriu ne'ebé iha tempu ne'ebá ami hanaran East Timor, envolvimentu no apoiu ne'ebé la kotu durante tinan sanulu ikus ne'e. Pesoál ONU nian hahú to'o mai Timor-Leste loron balu liutiha akordu, no sira balu kontinua nafatin iha-ne'e to'o agora ne'e daudaun.

Akordu 5 Maiu ne'ebá kaer metin oportunidade istórika ne'ebé Prezidente indonéziu B.J. Habibie oferese iha Janeiru 1999 no halo oportunidade ne'e sai buat konkretu ida; tau ba nafatin povu timoroan rasik iha kadeira kondutór atu kaer volante hodi determina diresaun ba ninia destinu rasik. Haberan ne'e maka prinsípiu-matadalan ba misaun ONU sira hotu iha Timor-Leste dezde 1999 – UNAMET fó ba povu timoroan ninia lian atu hatete-sai; UNTAET ajuda timoroan sira estabelese Estadu ida; UNMISET no UNOTIL fó apoiu ba Estadu foun ida-ne'e; no UNMIT duplika apoiu ne'e atu bele tau matan ba nesesidade sira ne'ebé sai klaru liután tiha ona.

Maski dezafiu sira hotu ne'ebé mosu durante tinan sanulu ne'e, ne'ebé dezafiu sira-ne'e barak la bele evita duni, povu timoroan no reprezentante sira ne'ebé povu hili nunka nakdedar iha sira-nia kompromisu ba prinsípiu báziku ba sosiedade nakloke, livre no estavel, ne'ebé orienta tuir demokrasia, Estadu Direitu nian, no respeitu ba direitus umanus.

Komunidade internasionál mós hatudu prontidaun no disponibilidade iha ninia kompromisu ba Timor-Leste ne'ebé estavel no demokrátiku. UNMIT ne'e hanesan testemuñu ba determinasaun nafatin husi komunidade internasionál, liutiha tinan 10, atu fó asisténsia ba Timor-Leste iha dalan naruk ba estabilidade.

Liu tiha ona tinan 10, iha buat barak ne'ebé konsege tiha ona. Timoroan sira foti-ulun ho orgullu no iha sira-nia fatin rasik iha komunidade mundiál nasaun sira-nian. Mane, feto no labarik timoroan bele toba hakmatek, hatene katak la iha probabilidade katak violénsia sei estraga sira-nia mehi. Sira hakohak tiha metin métodu demokrátiku hodi rezolve diferensa opiniaun no hodi fó responsabilidade atu lidera nasaun. Sira simu tiha ona nosaun katak konflitu - ne'ebé naturál ba ema umanu hotu-hotu, no eziste iha nasaun sira hotu - tenke rezolve tuir lei, no mós katak Estadu sei fornese mekanizmu sira atu garante katak ema respeita lei atu lida ho problema sira ne'ebé bele hamosu konflitu.

Buat ne'ebé konsege ona sira-ne'e konserteza sei presiza hametin tan. Kria Estadu demokrátiku ne'ebé estavel no reziliente ne'e knaar susar tebetebes no ba tempu naruk. Demokrasia sira ne'ebé estavel liu iha mundu demora sékulu hira atu harii no hadi'ak sira-nia sistema, no la iha rua ne'ebé hanesan. Ho tempu, Timor-Leste mós sei hadi'ak ninia sistema rasik ne'ebé bele funsiona di'ak no fornese ba ninia sidadaun hotu-hotu prosperidade boot iha liberdade luan nia laran.

Sei iha buat barak atu aprende no dalan sei naruk, maibé detalle sira sei mosu iha tempu apropriadu dezde ke aliserse metin. Governu ida ne'ebé responsavel no hatán ba povu; instituisaun sira setór seguransa nian ne'ebé apoia Estadu Direitu nian no subordina an ba lider eleitu sira; sistema judisiál asesivel no kredivel; ekonomia inkluziva no sustentavel ne'ebé fó oportunidade ba timoroan sira atu sustenta no dezenvolve sira-nia an; buat sira ne'e hotu hamutuk no metin i reziliente liuhosi kultura maka'as governasaun demokrátika no Estadu Direitu nian. Buat sira-ne'e maka fundamentu sira ba Timor-Leste nia susesu. Se ita hotu, timoroan sira no Timor-Leste sira-nia belun, hamutuk hetan susesu hodi konsege objetivu hirak-ne'e, entaun Timor-Leste sei kontinua iha dalan kreximentu no prosperidade nian, no buat aat violénsia no instabilidade sei la halo tan nasaun kmo'ok ida-ne'e tama fali iha nakukun nia laran.

Dékada ikus ne'e hanorin tiha ona ita katak hetan objetivu sira-ne'e la'ós fasil no la'ós lailais. Maibé tinan sanulu ne'e mós prova tiha ona katak ne'e esensiál. Nune'e ita presiza pasiénsia no tuba rai metin hodi harii Timor-Leste demokrátiku, iha dame no prosperidade nia laran, ne'ebé fó nia an tomak ba knaar dezenvolvimentu no atu hasa'e kondisaun moris ba ninia povu, liuliu sira ne'ebé mukit no vulneravel liu. Ha'u laran-haksolok hodi lolo liman ba timoroan sira hotu atu fó asisténsia iha sira-nia haka'as an ne'e.