-
The Nightmare Continues
East Timor: a Tiny Half Island of "Surplus Humanity"
by
Ben Moxham
20 February 2005
Last Monday, 7 February, the East Timorese newspaper Suara Timor Loro Sa’e reported that at least 53 people had died of starvation in the village of Hatabuiliko since October 2004. "There is absolutely nothing to eat," reported Domingos de Araujo, the sub-district secretary, and "those still alive are looking for wild potatoes in the forest." Reports from the districts continue to filter in: 10,000 people are staving in Cova Lima; 10,000 households are going hungry in Suai; and Los Palos, (...)
-
Avoiding Indebtedness and Underdevelopment: Lessons for Timor-Leste
by
Ben Moxham
12 December 2004
Unlike nearly any other nation in the underdeveloped world, Timor-Leste has refused to borrow money from the international community. At this year’s donors meeting in May, the Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, spelled out his Government’s position: “We are not ideologically opposed to borrowing money. But we are opposed to unsustainable borrowing”. These are wise words. Despite the nations of the South having abundant natural and human resources, the burden of debt for larger developing nations (...)
-
The World Bank’s Land of Kiosk: ’Community Driven Development" in East Timor
by
Ben Moxham
12 March 2004
As the dust cleared in the aftermath of the Indonesian military orchestrated chaos following the August 30th, 1999 vote for independence, the World Bank arrived ... While the UN focused on elections, law and order and creating an interim national government, the World Bank, IMF and ADB set about reshaping the country's economy.