ABSTRACT
The 2006 political-military crisis Tensions between the army and police forces came to a head in April and May 2006. Though it had multiple causes, the 2006 political-military crisis highlighted one fault line in particular, which would become paradigmatic of recognition struggles in post-independence Timor-Leste. In this case, the focus was regional. Resentments were brewing within the F-FDTL between former resistance fighters from the east, and newer more junior recruits from the west, over which ‘region’ had contributed more in the war of resistance. In particular, younger recruits felt disrespected by reported claims among senior army officers that easterners had dominated the resistance, and ‘won the war’ (Grove et al 2007: 4). Reports of this type dated back to the cantonment of FALINITL in 1999 (see Kammen 2010: 258-9); causing great resentment among western veterans and newer recruits alike. In the process of forming Timor-Leste’s security forces, these tensions were institutionally embedded. Although soldiers from the three eastern districts formed only a slim majority of overall forces in 2006 (56 per cent), senior veterans from the east – where the armed resistance had ultimately been more sustainable for geographical reasons – comprised 85 per cent of officer ranks (ICG 2006: 6). Though efforts were made to recruit junior officers from the west in the early years of independence, including one Major Alfredo Reinado, the regional bias in senior FDTL ranks would become a major ground for conflict. Further embedding the division, Battalion 1 of the FDTL formed in 2001 was dominated by former veterans and recruits from the eastern districts, whereas newer recruits who had not fought with FALINTIL formed the majority of Battalion 2 (Rees 2004: 31). By 2006, these ‘historical’ grievances were compounded by claims of discrimination in promotions and living conditions against newer soldiers from the west. This became the subject of a petition in January 2006, initially signed by some 200 serving FDTL soldiers.
