As Patricia Nunan reports from Jakarta, much of East Timor's infrastructure was destroyed when anti- independence militias swept through the territory, killing thousands and setting fire to buildings and homes. They want to start by providing basic services such as water, electricity, sanitation, and telecommunications for the territory. The struggle to improve East Timor's infrastructure comes as part of an international effort to restore order to the territory, wracked by two weeks of bloodshed earlier this month. Armed militia groups caused riots throughout the territory, killing thousands and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee. Much of the East Timorese capital Dili has been burned to the ground.
Aid workers say the same holds true for most towns outside the capital.
The militia groups are opposed to independence for East Timor. An international peacekeeping mission was launched in East Timor 10 days ago in response to the militia violence. International relief organizations are focusing on providing basic necessities to East Timorese refugees, many of whom are returning to the capital Dili after weeks spent hiding in the hills. Aid workers say one- quarter of the 60 thousand people who fled the capital for the nearby town of Dare have begun to return, in desperate need of assistance. Meanwhile the head of the Indonesian Armed Forces cautiously welcomed an official inquiry to be launched by the United Nations, into alleged war crimes committed by Indonesian troops in East Timor.