But, political tensions within the CNRT are becoming more evident. Annan said he sympathised frustration at the pace of reconstruction. You need jobs, you need shelter. I know that you are worried about crime, about family and friends still in exile, and about the slow pace of recovery. My friends, tomorrow is going to be difficult.
Reconstruction is an immense task.
The long-suffering East Timorese want to know when. In the ensuing mayhem, hundreds of pro-independence supporters were killed, tens of thousands of others forcibly deported into Indonesian West Timor and whole towns torched and looted bare. Australia filled the leadership role and, with other friendly countries, dispatched an international force to restore peace and stability. Now, with unemployment at about 80 per cent, kick-starting East Timor's feeble economy is a priority for independence leaders like Gusmao and Nobel laureate Jose Ramos Horta. Business is picking up.