Expanding State, Expectant Citizens : Local Perspectives on Government Responsibility in Timor-Leste

Abstract

When the prime minister requests further sacrifice to strengthen the 'fragile' state, one might ask how much more determined and tolerant of hardship are the people of Timor-Leste willing to be? Even as the government has been working with international agencies towards a more concerted effort of 'participatory intervention' (Chopra & Hohe 2004), those farmers and families now urgently needing state support are also those for whom the sacrifice will be most acute. With this potentially destabilizing situation in mind, in this briefing note the report investigate local engagements between citizens and their state, and sketch out the values, hopes and expectations that underlie these encounters and shape rural communities' definition of state responsibility. At present, Timor-Leste's citizens see the state as being 'in their debt', and expect it to repay the suffering endured during their fight for independence. State initiatives proving long-term commitment to settling this debt (though they might involve only small, incremental advances) are regarded positively, as are programs which make use of local resources and labor. Such initiatives fit with customary patterns of exchange, and contribute to strengthening state legitimacy at local levels.