East Timor Research Articles

East Timor as an important source of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) genetic diversity.

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is a crop currently grown in several tropical countries because of the economic importance of cashew nuts. Despite its enormous economic worth, limited research has been conducted on the molecular diversity of cashew genetic resources. In this study, a wide comprehensive assessment of the genetic diversity of cashew trees in East Timor was performed using microsatellites (SSRs) to evaluate intraspecific diversity and population structuring. A total of 207 individual cashew trees, including trees from East Timor (11), and outgroup populations from Indonesia (one) and Mozambique (two), were analyzed with 16 cashew-specific SSRs. A comprehensive sampling of cashew trees within East Timor was performed, covering the distribution of cashew orchards in the country. Genetic diversity indices were calculated, and population structuring was determined using three different approaches: genetic distances (UPGMA and NJ), AMOVA, and individual-based clustering methods through Bayesian (STRUCTURE) and multivariate (DAPC) analyses. The population structuring analysis revealed that the genetic diversity of cashew populations in East Timor was higher in this study than previously reported for cashew trees. A higher allelic richness was found within cashew populations in East Timor compared with the outgroup populations (Mozambique and Indonesia), reinforced by the presence of private alleles. Moreover, our study showed that cashew populations in East Timor are grouped into two dissimilar genetic groups, which may suggest multiple cashew introductions over time. These new cashew genetic resources could be explored for future crop improvement. Crop diversity underpins the productivity, resilience, and adaptive capacity of agriculture. Therefore, this study provides useful information regarding genetic diversity and population structure that can be harnessed to improve cashew production in East Timor. This data is also important to creating a country-specific genetic cashew signature to increase cashew market value.

Joint Development Between Australia and Timor-Leste

1. Australia and Indonesia signed a joint development treaty regarding the Timor Sea in 1989. As the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (hereinafter, Timor-Leste) gained independence from Indonesia in 2001, it signed a new bilateral joint development agreement with Australia in 2002 as well as a series of subsequent agreements to establish the joint development legal framework. These two cases (the agreement between Australia and Indonesia, and that between Australia and Timor-Leste) share a great similarity in the form of cooperation, legal framework, and management structure. This paper analyzes the legal arrangement regarding common issues generally included in the joint development, and outlines relevant problems in its implementation. 2. The form of the agreement comprises three kinds of legal instruments reached in different periods. The basic form is the bilateral treaty to establish an overall framework for joint development. The second is the subsequent agreement to make revisions and adjustments to specific legal issues, such as cross-boundary deposits and the allocation ratio in a specific zone. The third refers to regulations and guidelines to deal with issues related to implementation and operation, which may be regarded as special laws dealing with the joint development zone.

Learning from Ritual: Covid-19 Public Health Measures and Messaging in Timor-Leste

In this paper, I reflect on the significance of ritual activity directed towards COVID-19 in Timor-Leste. What, if anything, it tells us about East Timorese beliefs and attitudes regarding infectious disease and why understanding the cultural dimensions of infectious disease is critical to public health responses. Timor-Leste recorded its first COVID-19 case on March 21st, 2020. Over the course of the following weeks elders held ritual ceremonies across the country to mobilise the ancestors and ask for their assistance to keep COVID-19 at bay. These ceremonies circulated widely on social media within Timor-Leste and among the East Timorese diaspora. In parallel to this initial flourishing of ritual activity the government swiftly enacted legislation to declare a state of emergency, closing international borders and establishing quarantine centres across the country. In many ways the health authorities’ response to COVID-19 has been exemplary, with low case numbers and 0 deaths throughout 2020. However, since February 2021 COVID-19 cases have increased exponentially, exposing social cleavages based on education, language and socio-economic position. With limited resources, the health authorities, and in particular the Centre for Integrated Crisis Management, have focused on prevention, contact tracing and testing, adhering to WHO guidelines and emphasising ‘best practices. Yet, the response has been criticized for being top-down and heavy handed. For example, certain public health measures, such as mandatory testing and burial protocols, have been poorly communicated to the broader community. The use of bio-medical language and introduction of new terms and concepts has been excessively didactic and lacks local contextualization. For the majority of the population of Timor-Leste, especially those living in rural areas, lived experiences of illness and disease are interpreted primarily through and by customary beliefs and practices. The rituals directed towards COVID-19 demonstrate a clear understanding of the nature of infection, contamination, disease, models of causality and fears around infection. They also reveal local capacities to contain epidemics and the ability to learn with the bio-medical response. The levels of participation observed in COVID-19 rituals online and local support for these initiatives expressed on social media suggests at the very least that health authorities should engage with local communities in a two-way dialogue to discuss beliefs and existing prevention strategies that can assist and support public health objectives and measures.

International origin and development of nationalism: Generational transformation of East Timorese nationalism under Indonesia's occupation (1975–1999)

AbstractEast Timorese nationalism experienced a unique generational transition during Indonesia's occupation hinging onto internationalism in the changing world. In contrast to the existing literature on nationalism, which is overwhelmingly focused on earlier construction of nationalism and post‐independence nation building, this article offers a theoretical account of the transformation of nationalism from an older to newer generation through a socio‐historical analysis. In light of interactions between nationalism and internationalism, it argues that while the older generation relied on a Lusophone cosmology of anti‐colonialism derived from counterparts in Portuguese colonies in Africa in the 1960s, the younger generation took advantage of universal human rights advocacy in the 1990s in its aspiration for independence. In doing so, this study demonstrates both generational continuity and change in the construction, development and transformation of East Timorese nationalism.

Examining a Critical Geopolitics in the Determination of Indonesia and Timor Leste Land Boundaries in Noel Besi – Citrana Segment

This study examines the determination of Indonesia and Timor Leste land boundaries, especially in the Noel Besi - Citrana segment. This study uses critical geopolitical analysis, especially the geopolitical vision according to Agnew (2013) and O Tuathail (1996), to explain the issue of land boundaries in the Noel Besi – Citrana segment. This study uses qualitative methods, in which the primary data is drawn from in-depth interviews with several key informants. The secondary data is through scientific literature and news in online media. This study shows that the issue of land boundaries in the Noel Besi – Citrana segment is caused by the different geopolitical visions of the two countries (Indonesia and Timor Leste). Although the two countries both refer to the 1904 Treaty between the Netherlands and the Portuguese, which contains a territorial boundary agreement on the island of Timor, the two countries have different geopolitical visions. Indonesia perceives the mouth of the Noel Besi River as the beginning of determining the boundary line in the east. Meanwhile, Timor Leste perceives that the delimitation should be drawn from Noel Besi, depicted in a small ditch (Nono Tuinan) in the west. The two countries then visualized the Naktuka region in constructing a map of the country's boundaries based on their respective perceptions. These results support the arguments of Agnew (2013) and O Tuathail (1996), which emphasize the role of geopolitical vision in writing the world by visualizing the surrounding environment based on perceptions as outlined in the construction of images and maps.

Australian News Photography and Contested Images of Famine in Indonesian-Occupied East Timor

The Indonesian invasion of East Timor in December 1975 and subsequent military operations to suppress the East Timorese resistance led to widespread displacement and famine in 1977–79. With Indonesia restricting access to East Timor during the operations, a set of photographs of famine-afflicted children, taken by Australian journalist Peter Rodgers and published in metropolitan daily newspapers in Melbourne and Sydney in November 1979, triggered renewed debate about conditions in the territory. This article traces the production and circulation of the photographs by a range of image brokers, those working in the media and those campaigning for East Timor’s independence. The Rodgers photographs are now recognised as iconic and foundational in the collection of images used in the independence campaign. However, the history of the Rodgers photographs and the discourses that developed around them demonstrate the multiple interpretations and problems that arise in representations of famine through photographs.

THE CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE OF MALAYSIA AS A NON-PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL (UNSC) IN THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE (QOP)

Malaysia as a small country and member of the United Nations (UN) has contributed a great deal of assistance and expertise to the international community. Even more serious when Malaysia has been elected as a non-permanent member of UNSC in four interval terms (1965, 1989-1990, 1999-2000 and 2015-16). Many peacekeeping activities that Malaysia involved under the UN umbrella such as in Kosovo War, East Timor Crisis, and also in African conflicting countries. However, the Question of Palestine (QOP) is close to Malaysia, since Independence Day. Moreover, Malaysia has consistently voiced the Palestinian issues on the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and UNSC platforms. The purpose of this paper is to analyze Malaysia’s role as a non-permanent member of the UNSC in resolving the QOP. Undoubtedly, Malaysia as a non-permanent member of the UNSC has demonstrated its effort and capability to alarm the international community in response to the QOP.

Deformation Signals at Mud Volcano in Kambing Island Detected by L-band InSAR

Abstract – Mud volcanoes are generated by fluid and solid material extrusion from their mud reservoir and are predominantly found at convergent plate margins. Kambing Island is a small island in Eastern Timor, Indonesia, where the Australian continental plate collides with the Banda Sea plate. The previous geological study identified active mud volcano on this island, but it is still unclear whether and to what extent they are active. In this work, we attempt to detect surface deformation due to the mud volcanoes activism in Kambing island using the Advanced Land Observing Satellite/ Phased Array Type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (ALOS/PALSAR) Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). The ALOS/PALSAR datasets consist of 12 ascending and 5 descending Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from 2006 to 2011. Although the results indicate surface deformation signals are hardly detected in the interferogram pairs due to lost coherence and atmospheric noise, we could highlight the episodic occurrence of surface deformation signals between April and November 2008 reaches 6.4 cm moving away from the satellite line of sight. In the future, to back up our findings, further field surveys or long-term InSAR are needed. Keywords: mud volcano, InSAR, deformation.

The Catholic Church’s Campaign against the “Ethnic, Cultural and Religious Extinction of the Identity of the People” of East Timor: 1981–89

The Catholic Church hierarchy in occupied East Timor launched a major campaign in the early 1980s which bore directly on issues of East Timorese nationalism and national identity, arguing that Indonesian human rights abuses in the territory were leading to the extinction’ of the identity of the East Timorese people. From 1981 onward, the Timorese Church expressed concerns over the “ethnic, cultural and religious extinction of the identity of the people” of East Timor. This campaign and the international networks it mobilized stung the Indonesian administration and forced it to respond. Examining the history of the Church’s role in the constitution of politlical community in East Timor through the Portuguese and Indonesian eras, this paper details the evolution of this campaign from 1981 onward, and the way Church campaigns over Timorese cultural and religious identity contributed to the development of a national identity and reinforced claims of national self-determination.

Country learning on maintaining quality essential health services during COVID-19 in Timor-Leste: a qualitative analysis

ObjectiveThis case study examines the enabling factors, strengths, challenges and lessons learnt from Timor-Leste (TLS) as it sought to maintain quality essential health services (EHS) during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignA qualitative...

Solidarity for Solidarity: How the Indonesian Activists Gained Momentum for National Reformation (Reformasi) through Participating in the Transnational Solidarity Movement for East Timorese Self-Determination, 1995–99

Suharto’s New Order regime generated opposition among several quarters of Indonesian society, some of whom called for its democratization. The decision to annex Timor-Leste was also opposed by many, not least by significant numbers of the East Timorese themselves. However. Timorese resistance leader Xanana Gusmão acknowledged that “The struggle for democratic reform in Indonesia and the fight in Timor-Leste have different agendas but the same enemy”, who drove both behind bars. This article discusses how halfway through the 1990s, the New Order’s penitentiaries became the breeding ground of a Timorese-Indonesian solidarity movement that both sought democratic reform in Indonesia and self-determination of East Timor. While incarcerated together, they came to formulate a single agenda against “human right violations” that stretched beyond the predominantly local concerns that had characterized their earlier demonstrations.

Keeping the Issue Alive: TAPOL and the International Campaign for Self-Determination and Justice in East Timor

As Portugal commenced decolonization in Timor-Leste and Indonesian military prepared to invade the territory, TAPOL warned of the humanitarian tragedy that would ensue. Throughout Indonesian occupation (1975–99), TAPOL advocated for the human rights of the East Timorese. Looking at the role and activities of one key activist organization provides a new approach to analyzing the Indonesian occupation of East Timor.

Timor-Leste: A Belated, Long, and Troubled Decolonization

The decolonization of Timor-Leste was the last episode of a comparatively belated process: the end of the Portuguese empire. Singular among its equals, this case failed to produce a genuine self-determination outcome, as the territory was invaded by its neighbor, Indonesia, installing a neo-colonial situation and exercising a brutal, repressive rule that endured for twenty-four years. A UN sponsored self-determination referendum (30 August 1999) allowed the East Timorese to express their deep feelings, and 78.5% rejected integration into Indonesia and chose Independence. The UN stepped in for a two-and-a-half year transition period in preparation for Independence, and in 2002 the new nation was granted statehood and membership of the United Nations. This short piece provides an overview of the belated, long and troubled process, and introduces the individual papers that address specific aspects of its history.

Smoking Behaviour in the Home and Incidence ARI symptoms in Cambodia, Timor Leste and Philippines

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left"><tbody><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><p><em>The belief that smoking reduces stress, which causes stressed smokers to increase their intensity of smoking, also influences the maintenance of smoking behaviour.This study aimed to determine indoor smoking behavior and ARI symptoms in Cambodia, Timor Leste, and the Philippines.</em> <em>This research uses secondary data, especially DHS data from 2015–2020, in Cambodia, Timor Leste, and the Philippines.</em> <em>This study uses household data with the variables of women's smoking behavior in the home and ARI symptoms in toddlers.The number of times a person smokes per day, week, or month will be given to urban and rural households and recorded. The researcher will compare the number of times a mother smoked in the home with the number of times a child under five had symptoms of ARI. </em> <em>Data analysis was conducted using JAPS software version 16 by conducting frequency distribution and percentage on each variable. Daily smoking at home is highest in Timor Leste (47.5%) compared to daily smoking behavior in the Philippines (47.5%) in urban households. Weekly smoking at home was highest in Timor Leste (11.2%) compared to weekly indoor smoking behavior in the Philippines (7%) in urban households. mothers who smoked in the home had a higher number of children under five with ARI symptoms (Philippines 2.2%, Cambodia 10%) than mothers who did not smoke had a higher number of children under five with ARI symptoms (Philippines 1.5%, Cambodia 5.4%).Mothers' daily smoking behavior in the home is still high in Cambodia, Timor Leste, and the Philippines, especially in rural areas compared to urban areas. Households with mothers who smoke in the home are likelier to have toddlers who experience ARI symptoms than households without mothers who smoke. Cambodia is a country that has a high number of mothers who smoke at home and toddlers who experience ARI symptoms.</em></p><p><em> </em><strong><em>Keyword: </em></strong><strong><em> </em></strong> <strong><em>ARI Symptoms,</em></strong> <strong><em>Home</em></strong><strong><em>, </em></strong> <strong><em>Households, </em></strong><strong><em>Smoking Behaviour</em></strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table>

How Do Climate Variables Affect the Transmission of Dengue Infection in South and Southeast Asia: A Scoping Review

Introduction: Dengue is an arboviral infection, transmitted from person to person via mosquito vectors. Dengue transmission is affected by rainfall, temperature, humidity and wind speed. These climate variables are changing as a result of anthropogenic climate change, and it is expected that this will affect the incidence of dengue. This scoping review explored the impacts on dengue transmission of variation in these climate variables in 12 Asian countries located in South- and South-East Asia regions. Methods: The protocol developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute was followed for this scoping review. Articles were found using the PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases, as well as grey literature. Studies conducted in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Democratic Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Timor Leste and published in English between 2002 and 2022 were included. An extensive literature search was conducted in February and March, 2022. A modified checklist designed for assessing the quality of ecological studies was used to assess the quality. Following quality assessment, ninety articles were included in the review. Results: The initial search yielded 1912 articles. After the duplicates were removed, 983 were identified as potentially relevant. Following the exclusion of 729 articles by two reviewers, 254 articles were subjected to full text screening. Thereafter, 90 articles were selected for the review that strictly met the inclusion criteria. Although the results were mixed, we found that dengue transmission decreases in temperature extremes. Dengue transmission increases with heavy rainfall, with a 1- 3-month lag. Humidity was also found to be related to dengue transmission. Other factors found to be associated with dengue transmission include the hours of sunshine and wind speed. Conclusion: There is a complex relationship between changing climate parameters and dengue incidence in Asia. This reflects the complex ecology of vector-borne diseases and suggests that the impact of changes in climate variables on dengue transmission may vary according to local climate and other factors.

The Organic Fertilizer Application Effect on Yield and Quality of Two Introduced Rice Varieties in Timor Leste

The Lahoten Musan Kabuar and Lahoten Musan Lotuk Naruk varieties are two introduced rice varieties from Timor Leste. Optimization of cultivation techniques using organic fertilizers with different doses is carried out to obtain the best growth and yield quality. The research was carried out from December 2021 to April 2022 using the CDAST laboratory greenhouse at the Universitas Jember. The experimental design used a completely randomized design (CRD) with two factors. The main factor is the type of rice varieties which consists of 2 levels, namely the Lahoten Musan Kabuar variety (V1) and the Lahoten Musan Lotuk Naruk variety (V2). The second factor is the dose of organic fertilizer application, which consists of 4 levels, namely 0 tons ha-1 (P0), 2 tons ha-1 (P1), 4 tons ha-1 (P2), and 6 tons ha-1 (P3). The results showed an interaction between the use of organic fertilizer and the type of varieties on plant height, chlorophyll content, protein content, fat content, and amylose content. Whereas the application of organic fertilizer had no significant effect on the parameters of the number of tillers, number of panicles per plant, number of seeds per panicle, the weight of 100 seeds, carbohydrate content, and water content. The results of DMRT on interaction parameters show that the organic fertilizer dose factor has a more dominant influence than the variety factor.

Pertumbuhan dan Hasil Kandungan Fe dan Zn pada Beras dari Kultivar Padi Ladang di Kabupaten Timor Tengah Utara

Field rice (paddy field) is one of the important crops/commodities and is an integral part of the dry land farming system in North Central Timor district. The content of rice is to meet the needs of carbohydrates in the body. The materials used are harvested grain from the local North Central Timor rice cultivar which has been carried out for the 2022 planting season. A total of 6 field rice in North Central Timor district were to be tested for Fe and Zn content. Grain samples were taken from crops grown in the same season and location, namely in the dry season of 2022. This study aims to identify local Timorese rice varieties that have high and stable Fe and Zn contents. The study was conducted in the Field Laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Timor with a non-factorial Randomized Block Design consisting of 6 cultivar treatments V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 and V6 and the XRF Laboratory, BB Padi Sukamandi. Test the content of Fe and Zn using an XRF machine with an x-ray based performance system. A total of 6 types of field rice were tested for the content of Fe and Zn in brown and polished rice and repeated in duplicate. The content of Fe and Zn is expressed in units of ppm. Data processing was carried out using Excel and SAS 9 software. The results showed that there were differences in the growth and production components between the local Timor and East Timor upland rice cultivars. Cultivars with cultivar V2 (muit fua naek) productivity as seen from the t/ha yield of 3.20 tons per ha were significantly higher than the other cultivars. The results of the analysis of Fe and Zn content showed that cultivar V6 (Aen Mael) had the highest Fe content of 15.1 among the other cultivars, and the lowest was cultivar V4 (Aen Ek ELo) which had an Fe content of 13.0. The highest Zn content was in cultivar V5 (Aen Muit Fua Ana) with a Zn content of 27.9 while the lowest was in cultivar V2 (Muit Fua Naek) with a Zn content of 20.4.

Peran Pos Lintas Batas Negara Motamasin dalam Mengatasi Imigran Ilegal di Wilayah Perbatasan RI-RDTL

Transnational crime is defined as a criminal act or crime that crosses the borders of a country and can threaten the sovereignty of that country. Based on the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime (UN TOC), illegal immigrants are included in one of the transnational crimes. This study aims to examine the role of the Motamasin PLBN in overcoming the problem of Illegal Immigrants in the border region of the Republic of Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste. In the description, this study uses a qualitative method, and the concept of transnational crime and the concept of the role of the state. PLBN as a border gate was built as an effort to maintain order in border areas so that as a representation of the state in areas bordering other countries, PLBN takes an important role in upholding state sovereignty and improving the welfare of people in border areas. In dealing with Illegal Immigrants, PLBN Motamasin acts as a coordinator and facilitator between immigration and neighboring country cross-border posts to carry out various Immigration Administrative Actions against foreigners who violate the Indonesian Immigration Law.

Older Refugee Perspectives on Death, Remembrance, and Burial: The East Timorese in Indonesia

AbstractBased on extensive ethnographic research, this article examines the perspectives and practices related to death, remembrance, and burial among older East Timorese people who have resettled in Indonesia. The study reveals how their heightened awareness of mortality shapes their experiences of forced migration and intergenerational relations in later life, providing new insights into the challenges faced by displaced communities in various socio-cultural contexts. Through a nuanced analysis of translocal practices related to death, the article shows how older refugees navigate competing familial and cultural expectations while grappling with the legacies of the Indonesian occupation. The article also highlights the ongoing processes of dealing with the past and aspirations for the future, as older East Timorese contemplate their future burial places. By exploring the intertwinements of ageing and death in a forced migration context, this study sheds light on how ‘belonging’ emerges as a significant issue and the importance of intergenerational relationships in such contexts.

Pengembangan Bahan Ajar E-MORPITT (Modul Elektronik Perjuangan Integrasi Timor-Timur 1975-Rekonsiliasi) Kelas XII

This article aims to describe the development of the E-Module for the 1975-Reconciliation struggle for East Timor Integration. Indonesian history teaching materials that discuss the struggle for 1975-East Timor Integration-Reconciliation are still lacking, even the topic of reconciliation has not been discussed in the curriculum. The next problem is the absence of teaching materials that can be accessed as a reference in schools that discuss the topic of reconciliation. The problems of this research are, how is the development of the E-Module teaching materials, whether the E-Module is appropriate as a teaching material, whether the E-Module is effective as a teaching material. This study uses research and development methods. The research steps are looking for potentials and problems in the curriculum, collecting data on sources of teaching materials, designing, validating, revisions that are given criticism and expert advice, small group trials, revising if they find deficiencies, conducting final large group trials, revision before production, and producing teaching materials that have been tested. The results of the E-Modul research have met the objectives of the development, namely valid, practical and effective. Materials and media experts gave a very valid value. Practitioners (teachers), small group trials, and large groups all rated the E-Module as practical and feasible to use. From the effectiveness test, the E-Modul provides effective results in improving student learning outcomes through pretest and posttest evaluations.