VOA标准英语2009年-East Timor Celebrates 10th Anniversary as

Ten years ago the people of East Timor voted overwhelmingly to split from Indonesia and become an independent nation. The initial exhilaration they experienced was soon followed by violence from pro-Indonesia militias¹, and then economic struggles and internal strife². A decade after that vote East Timor is just beginning the hard work of nation building.
　
A man stands next to flags in front of East Timor's president office as part of preparation for the 10th anniversary of independence in Dili, 26 Aug 2009

Police officer Bernadette Eligardo is a familiar face on the streets of Dili. "It is very, very peaceful and I hope sir that it will continue," he said.

Eligardo is from the Philippines and is with a United Nations police force of 1,500 that keeps the peace in East Timor.

Internal strife

Over the past decade, East Timor has faced threats both foreign and domestic.

After overwhelmingly voting for independence from Indonesia on August 30, 1999, the country was ransacked³ by Indonesian-backed militias. More than 1,000 people died before the Australian military intervened to restore order. The United Nations and international relief organizations came to help this new nation build a government and peaceful society.
　
An Australian soldier talks to angry East Timorese men in Dili, capital of East Timor, 28 Jun 2006

The country formed a parliamentary system of government and elections were held. But in 2006 violence again erupted after nearly half the military defected claiming discrimination. Riots by rival gangs and factions⁴ of the security forces drove 100,000 people from their homes.

The prime minister at the time, Mari Alkatiri, blames political rivals for the violence and trying to replace the elected government.

"If you have two or three sovereign state institutions fighting each other, it means democracy failed," he said.

Alkatiri says he resigned as part of compromise to prevent a civil war. U.N. forces returned to the country and have been responsible for security since.
　
East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta is seen on a stretcher as he is transfered from an ambulance to the Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department after arrival in Darwin, 11 Feb 2008

In 2007 elections were held, but less than a year later rebel soldiers shot President Jose Ramos-Horta. The president survived. Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao was also targeted but escaped unharmed.

He says on the anniversary of independence, the country should choose reconciliation⁵ over confrontation⁶.

"This year it is very important for us to in a consensus⁷, we decide together, not to look for war and not to repeat the bad experience we had during these last 10 years," said Gusmao.

Despite the crises the country faced, Atul Khare, the U.N. special representative for East Timor, is optimistic about its future.

"It is not the absence of crisis. It is the manner in which the crisis is going to be met and resolved that defines a nation," said Khare. "And I think this nation is on the right track in promoting democratic consensus and promoting compromise."

Former Prime Minister Alkatiri is not so confident. He initially⁸ supported U.N. intervention⁹ but worries that East Timor is becoming too dependent on outside help.

"It is now become used to the people to feel secure because of the international presence here," said Alkatiri. "It is not good for the future of the country. We need now to have a clear program of reform, of defense¹⁰ and security that we can transmit to the people."

Major challenges

Poverty and unemployment remain major problems, as do the lack of good roads, good schools and health care. But security and stability have made it possible to begin addressing these problems.

In 2006 there more than 1,600 families lived in a refugee camp outside of Dili. Today there are less than 50.

The government has found housing for most but Balbina Desilva and her family were not so lucky.

She says yesterday they were moved into the city but the local people did not accept them. So they had to come back.

Changes

While independence has not yet brought prosperity, many in East Timor, like Elsa Expostu, who grows coffee in the rural highlands of the Aleiu district, say they are still better off today.

She says there is more opportunity today than there was under Indonesian rule.

The country's vast offshore¹¹ oil and gas resources have provided the government $5 billion in revenue. That is a source of both hope and fear. The hope is that this money will fund development. The fear is that it will become a corrupting¹² influence upon the country's leadership.

While East Timor faces many challenges, U.N. Special Representative Khare says it is on the path to becoming a vibrant¹³ democracy.

"I think it can be a beacon¹⁴ in the coming years for those of us who believe that the values of democracy, the values for respect for human rights, the values for respect for the rule of law are indeed universal values," he said.

Nation building, he says, is a long-term process and 10 years is just the beginning.

1 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

2 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

3 ransacked   

v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 )；抢劫，掠夺

参考例句：

• The house had been ransacked by burglars. 这房子遭到了盗贼的洗劫。
• The house had been ransacked of all that was worth anything. 屋子里所有值钱的东西都被抢去了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

5 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

6 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

7 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

8 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

9 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

10 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

11 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

12 corrupting   

（使）败坏( corrupt的现在分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏

参考例句：

• It would be corrupting discipline to leave him unpunished. 不惩治他会败坏风纪。
• It would be corrupting military discipline to leave him unpunished. 不惩治他会败坏军纪。

13 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

14 beacon   

n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔

参考例句：

• The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
• The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。