"We are practically starting from zero in all areas." (1)
East Timor, the world's newest state and one of its smallest, began a formal existence on May 20, 2002. (2) The country's path to independence, after more than 450 years of European colonization, 24 years of occupation by Indonesia and 30 months of United Nations administration, was fraught with uncertainty, neglect by the community of nations and enormous hardship for her people. (3) That East Timor has so rapidly emerged ...