East Timor
| Author | Ali Semerci |
| Pages | 356-357 |
Page 356
Official country name: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
Capital: Dili
Geographic description: A country located on the eastern half of the island of Timor in Southeast Asia, northwest of Australia, in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian Archipelago; it also includes the Oecussi (Ambeno) region in the northwest portion of the island, and the islands of Pulau Altauro and Pulao Jaco
Population: 1,040,880 (est. 2005)
East Timor became the twenty-first century's newest democratic country after a long and hard struggle. Although economically poor, the Timorese people voted for independence from Indonesia and subsequently witnessed the birth of a new country.
Following the announcement of the vote results, the country's previous institutions and infrastructure, including the police, prosecution, judiciary, and correctional system, collapsed. Beside this massive physical destruction, East Timor was faced with a critical shortage of skilled professionals in almost all areas including judges, prosecutors, police officers, and correction officers. This enormous devastation and vacuum posed a serious threat to the development of the new nation.
Following the successful restoration of peace and security, a transitional administration was established and endowed with overall responsibility for the administration of East Timor, including providing security and maintaining law and order. The creation of a new police service that was credible, professional, and impartial was a major part of this role. In this regard, East Timor's Police Service (ETPS) was officially established on August 10, 2001.
The name of the ETPS was respectively changed to Timor-Leste Police Service (TLPS) and Policia Nacional de Timor Leste. The established strength of the new police service was set at 3,000 officers.
The first East Timorese police commissioner was appointed on October 15, 2001. Gradually, Timorese officers have been appointed to key positions within the organization, including the director of police academy, the deputy commissioner operations, the deputy commissioner administration, the chief of operations, the national investigations, and the district commanders.
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ETPS officers have executive policing...
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