What is the likely political impact of the assassination attempt on President Jose Ramos-Horta?
East Timor has been dogged with varying levels of instability since independence. It is feared the assassination attempt was part of a planned coup, and its failure could spark the kind of violent unrest last seen in 2006. But the death of the would-be assassin, Major Alfredo Reinado, removes one of the main obstacles to peace in the country. What happened in 2006? The government of Mari Alkatiri collapsed after the sacking of 600 mutinous soldiers, mostly from the west of the country, prompted rioting in which 37 people died. More than 150,000 people were displaced in the unrest. The situation was brought under control by Australian troops. What lay behind the violence? The army had been plagued by east-west rivalry and accusations of discrimination by officers from the east against those from the west. Rivalries in the liberation movement continued to fester after independence. Who is President Ramos-Horta? He was a key figure in the independence movement and was awarded the Nobel pe
