Violence has engulfed East Timor, Asia's youngest and poorest nation. The situation has exposed deep divisions in the country and threatens to unseat the government of Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri. Neighboring countries have sent troops to help restore stability, but any military solution will only be temporary. Enduring peace requires a functioning economy. That alone will not heal the wounds that feed violence, but it will help end frustrations that create desperation among Timorese.
East Timorese have many reasons to be unhappy. The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, as the country is formally known, first came into existence in 1975, when it declared itself independent after four centuries of rule by Portugal. Independence was short-lived: Days later, Indonesia invaded the country and annexed it as a province. Timorese were restive, fighting for greater autonomy and independence from Jakarta.
The struggle yielded a brutal occupation that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths -- some estimate the toll as high as one-third of the population -- and blotted Indonesia's human-rights record.