| |
East Timor (Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste)
East Timor is half of the small island of Timor that was briefly controlled by Indonesia after hundreds of years of Portuguese colonization. It is now the newest country in the world (independence May 20, 2002). The western half was colonized by the Netherlands and is still part of Indonesia. After East Timor voted overwhelmingly for independence from Indonesia in 1999, East Timorese anti-independence militias, supported by the Indonesian military, destroyed most of the country’s meager infrastructure. More than 270,000 people fled for sanctuary in neighboring West Timor. While most have been repatriated, many displaced East Timorese remain encamped in West Timor. East Timor is currently embroiled in a serious conflict with Australia over control of substantial natural gas fields in the Timor Gap. The PC(USA) works in East Timor through cooperation with its church partner, the Christian Church in East Timor (GKTT).
Pray for a just settlement so that East Timor can become self-supporting. Pray also for the small but influential Protestant church in East Timor. |
|
