Dili, East Timor
According to abbreviationfinder, Dili is a city that is located in East Timor of which it is the capital. It is located on the north coast of the island of Timor.
History
Dili was founded by the Portuguese in 1520 and in 1769, then it became the new capital of Portuguese Timor, replacing Lifau, in the current enclave of Oecussi-Ambeno, since it was too vulnerable to the attacks of the Dutch. During World War II, Dili was occupied by the Japanese. The 28 of November of 1975 East Timor made a unilateral declaration of independence from Portugal. But nine days later, on December 7, Indonesian forces invaded Dili. On 17 July as as 1976 Indonesia annexed East Timor, who called Timor Timur, with Dili as its capital.
In 1991, the Dili massacre occurred, which gave international support to the independence cause of East Timor. On May 20, 2002, Dili became the capital of the independent state of East Timor.
International campaign for the liberation of East Timor
The international campaign by human rights organizations in favor of East Timor was intense, and in 1996 Amnesty International called for observers to be allowed into the country. That same year, exiled activists José Ramos Horta and Catholic Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo received the Nobel Peace Prize. Thanks to international pressure, in 1998 Indonesia proposed limited autonomy for East Timor. Portugal entered into talks with Indonesia and reached an agreement to convene a “popular consultation” to find out if the Timorese accepted relative autonomy from the Republic of Indonesia. On Voting Day, August 30, 1999, 98% of the registered electoral roll went to the polls to cast their vote. The vast majority of voters rejected the Indonesian autonomy plan and called for their independence.
After the elections, a wave of violence began throughout the territory. Many Timorese died and others sought refuge in Australia. The UN decidedly assumed the solution of the conflict and got multinational forces to enter the island to control the situation and restore peace and security. At the same time, humanitarian organizations brought basic services and food to the island. Indonesian authorities began to leave East Timor until they completely abandoned it. The 28 of Septemberof 1999 Indonesia and Portugal agreed to transfer the authority of East Timor to the United Nations With the idea of managing the transition to independence, the United Nations Transitional Administration (UNTAET) was created. However, UNTAET faced many difficulties. In different parts of the island the activity of guerrillas armed by the Indonesians continued, the economy was in bankruptcy and it was necessary to provide accommodation and food to more than 150 thousand refugees who returned to their country.
Geography
It is located on the northern coast of the island of Timor, which is located between Australia and Sulawesi. It was the capital and the main port of Portuguese Timor until 1975, when its control ended and that of Indonesia began. The city is built on a series of rocky hills, opens to the Ombai Strait and the Banda Sea and is protected by a coral reef.
It is the most populous city with 67,000 residents at the beginning of 2002, according to the Transitional Administration for East Timor (UNTAET). They are followed in population size by Baucau, Manatuto and Los Palos.
Climate
It has a subtropical climate that is generally hot and humid, characterized by a rainy period and a dry period.
Economic development
The city’s economy is based on the production of coffee and the manufacture of soaps, perfumes and textiles, and on the export of products such as cotton, rice, coffee or sandalwood. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Catholic church in Southeast Asia. Population (2003), 48,731 residents. See population of East Timor.
It is the main port and commercial center of the country. It has an airport, renamed after independence as Nicolau Lobato, used for commercial and military flights.
Social development
Health
The health system is precarious, the Dili General Hospital is a prime example of the health system situation throughout East Timor. Since the precipitous withdrawal of the Indonesians in early 1999, the ICRC has managed it. Today, this 210-bed hospital is fully operational with some 350 employees, 26 of them expatriates, most of whom were made available by National Red Cross Societies.
The most common diseases are malaria, tuberculosis, and gastroenteritis. Obstetric complications and road accidents are on the rise and need to be addressed without delay. Although there are many Timorese nurses, the country’s doctors are very few: only three in the Dili hospital. On average, there are two for every 100,000 residents, that is, about 20 for all of East Timor.
Education
Destruction of your union’s offices: The offices of the East Timor Teacher Union (ETTU), an affiliate of Education International, were destroyed during the violence that affected Dili in February and March 2008. The teachers’ union has not been able to function normally since then.
