Abstract
As Timor-Leste moves toward strengthening its state-building operations independently since the restoration of independence in 2002, it continues to be one of the world’s poorest countries with 42% of the population living below the national poverty line despite being an oil-rich state. The question therefore arises, what is peace and human rights for Timorese in the contemporary context? Exploring the nexus between peace, development and human rights in Timor-Leste, this chapter highlights that sustainable peace must be built from rights frameworks to protect the locals’ interests in the processes of peace and development, as that may help to bridge some of these developmental gaps.
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Notes
- 1.
Tensions between the national police and the armed forces resulted in open conflict between the two institutions, a breakdown of law and order and the displacement of more than 150,000 people. Political and security efforts to resolve conflict and to bring stability continued and despite attacks on both the President and the Prime Minister in 2008, the country gradually recovered from the crisis. See also Chapter 3.
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Khoo, Y.H. (2022). What Is Peace and Human Rights for Timorese?. In: Khoo, Y.H., da Silva, A.B., Tam, T.N.T.P. (eds) Rethinking Human Rights and Peace in Post-Independence Timor-Leste Through Local Perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan Studies on Human Rights in Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3779-7_1
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