The Asia Foundation

Social instability still constrains development in Timor-Leste, despite substantial United Nations presence. Residents suffer from rampant domestic violence, volatile martial arts groups, and rapacious land grabbing. Courts, out of reach and inaccessible even in this small, island state, leave limited choices beyond customary practices. Many disputes, if unresolved are handled through vigilante justice, which in turn ignites small-scale conflicts that tend to escalate to tragic proportions within the clan-based society. In 2009, authority will begin to be transferred to the National Police of Timor-Leste, or PNTL, and, in a strategic, on-the-ground effort to promote stability during the handover, we surveyed police and citizens in 2008—a first such research effort there. We discovered a long-standing lack of contact and cooperation between police and citizens, and surprisingly, we also found a high degree of confidence in police officers among citizens. Using this data, we created a landmark pilot program in two sub-districts that, when launched, will include monthly problem-solving public forums on crime and security and new, accessible communitypolice information centers. For PNTL Sub-inspector Joao Belo dos Reis, the survey proves what he and others have only supposed. "The survey gives numbers to the real issues that we face in the National Police. The results will help us prioritize our efforts."