T

he pretty shores of Lecidere in Dili is where young people hang out with their laptops and gadgets, enjoying free WiFi under a roof shaped like a wave.

Elsewhere in Timor Leste, however, communications infrastructure and electricity '€” or the lack thereof '€” are just two of many sources of complaints. As our neighboring nation observes its 11th Independence Day on May 20, optimists in Timor may shrug and point to their former occupiers: Look, Indonesians are still whining about traffic jams, water and other public services as they mark 15 years of reform.

As our former fellow compatriots, we congratulate the Timorese, hoping that they can learn from Indonesia'€™s mistakes. For the Timorese have expressed the same frustrations as we have, mainly over corruption. Instead of starting fresh, the infant nation has learned the worst from the best, at least when it comes to siphoning off public money or how to steal and get away with it.

Thus, investors-to-be have been turned off by the unclear fees needed to open businesses in Timor Leste. Many blame the incumbent prime minister, former freedom fighter Xanana Gusmão, for doling out to his former comrades in arms the most lucrative projects.

 Timor Leste must also reduce its dependency on oil, despite its unexploited resources. The nation of just over 1 million has been valiantly striving to hold its own with firms from other nations, especially Australia, that have the resources needed to help the nation benefit from the oil and gas fields under the Timor Sea.

Maintaining good relations with Indonesia has been a priority of the leaders of the impoverished nation. They see no choice, even though human rights violations committed by Indonesians in its former province before, during and after the 1999 referendum, remain unresolved.

Indonesians thus feel safe that their former leaders will never be prosecuted, despite the conclusion of the Indonesia-Timor Leste Joint Commission for Truth and Friendship that said that '€œTNI [Indonesian Military] personnel, police and civilian authorities consistently and systematically cooperated and supported the [pro-Indonesia] militias in a number of significant ways'€, contributing to various crimes.

Some Indonesians still think that the Timorese brought trouble upon themselves when they secured independence. But if Timor can end corruption and impunity, Southeast Asia'€™s giant will have much to learn from the new kid on
the block.