While the U.N. has accomplished a great deal, it has also come under fire for moving too slowly. The situation remains calamitous. Unemployment is rampant. Infrastructure has been destroyed and yet to be rebuilt. Materials are scarce.
Malaria is endemic.
There are no quick fixes, despite expectations that Independence would bring a better life. Xanana Gusmao concedes that his people's impatience, after 24 years of waiting, may be the greatest obstacle to overcome. We were united in a common objective. We will have to face many, many social, economic and political conflicts, many, many problems. But for every problem, there is an act of quiet dignity and survival.