In the eastern city of Los Palos, a mob attacked a power station, beating the two employees inside, because they mistakenly thought that power was being routed only to the part of town where many U.N. workers stay. On Jan. 15, at the U.N. compound in Dili, part of a 7,000-strong crowd of job seekers hurled stones at Interfet soldiers when they learned that some English was essential for the 2,000 U.N. positions available. Whether these are isolated incidents or an alarming trend is still an open question. 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.