ABSTRACT
In early 2006 the United Nations’ presence in Timor-Leste was winding down with a sense of job well done. Peacekeepers and police had withdrawn already and the UN Office in Timor-Leste (UNOTIL), a small political mission, was scheduled to end in May 2006. Although not without its critics, the UN appeared to have successfully laid strong foundations for sustainable peace in the recently established state. Among the cherished successes was the National Police of Timor-Leste (Polícia Nacional de Timor-Leste, PNTL), the national police institution created from scratch in 1999 and midwifed subsequently by United Nations police (Jones et. al 2005). Although it was a new institution, many of its senior officers brought experience in policing, having served as Timorese members of the Indonesian police service (POLRI) during that country’s twenty-four year occupation.
