Now East Timor's Marxists are preparing for battle at the ballot box. In a building once occupied by the feared Aitarak militia, the Timor Socialist Party, or PST, is mapping out its new campaign. Anti-independence graffiti has not yet been scraped off the walls. At the height of the violence after the 1999 referendum, Aitarak men were interrogating refugees outside as they tried to flee to the hills. Several people were killed nearby.
Many buildings are still in ruins just along the street.
The electricity supply is erratic at best, but the Indonesians have gone. But it is pragmatic about the near future. It is too soon for communism. Our understanding is that communism is a concept that is premature. It is something that is ideal.