East Timor - Religion or Greed?

Indonesia is the most populated (212 million) and predominantly (87%) Muslim country. East Timor was one of 13,000 islands, which makes Indonesia.

According to former US ambassador to Indonesia, Edward Masters, Indonesia did more in 35 years to develop barren, infertile East Timor than Portugal did in four centuries.

Indonesia allocated development funds to East Timor at a rate six times the national average. In 1975, less than 10% of Timorese were literate, there were only 50 schools, and no colleges. By 1994 East Timor had 600 elementary schools, 90 middle schools and three colleges. Under the Portuguese East Timor had only two hospitals and 14 health clinics. By 1994 there were 10 hospitals and nearly 200 village health centers. In 1975 it had 20 km hard surfaced roads, by 1994 there were 500 km. The number of Catholic Churches in predominantly Catholic East Timor quadrupled under Indonesian rule

But Christian separatist rebels Fretilin supported by world churches played Muslim-Christian religious card and continued to resist Indonesian rule, and offshore oil discoveries made matters worse.

"Australian oil technicians say that the Timor seabed could yield some of the world's most productive oil fields," reported the Multinational Monitor. A treaty was signed in 1989 by Australia and Indonesia. Australia needs this oil, and since its separation from Jakarta, massive revenues have been reported flowing from East Timor to Australia with no relief for ordinary citizen.