TIMOR • TIMOR
the people, even though it is for the common good and the government will compensate for the costs of restoration and relocation. In his Bull “Hope Does Not Disappoint” promulgated for the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025, Pope Francis states: “The Christian community should be at the forefront in pointing out the need for a social covenant to support and foster hope, one that is inclusive and not ideological, working for a future filled with the laughter of babies and children, in order to fill the empty cradles in so many parts of our world. All of us, however, need to recover the joy of living.” I sincerely hope that the Timor-Leste government, the government of a people who resisted long periods of foreign rule, walked the path of hope for independence, and finally achieved it, will build a nation in which all its citizens can experience the joy of living.
El tema del Año Jubilar 2025 es la esperanza, que, por otro lado, refleja el clima mundial actual, plagado de injusticia, conflicto y ansiedad. La palabra japonesa para “esperanza” ( ) se compone de dos caracteres chinos: ( ) “ki” y ( ) “bou”. “Ki” significa “difícil de alcanzar” y “bou” significa “deseo”. En otras palabras, “esperanza” significa “desear algo que no se alcanza fácilmente”. Lo que Timor-Leste anhelaba era una situación igualmente valiosa, pero difícil de alcanzar: el ejercicio del derecho a la autodeterminación o, en términos simples, la independencia. A lo largo de 450 años de dominio colonial portugués, tres años y medio de ocupación japonesa durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial y, finalmente, 24 años de ocupación indonesia, el pueblo de Timor-Leste siempre mantuvo vivo el noble ideal de la independencia nacional. Esta esperanza, no solo un sueño, por la que literalmente derramamos sangre, se hizo realidad en mayo de 2002. Durante ese tiempo, en particular durante la ocupación indonesia, nuestro Instituto participó en diversas acciones de solidaridad con el pueblo timorense en varios países. Esto condujo a la fundación de una casa nuestra al año siguiente de la independencia. Actualmente, contamos con casas Many of the houses around the convent, especially those built in narrow spaces along the roads, were completely demolished, while others were partially demolished. As a result, many people lost their jobs in Dili and were forced to return to the countryside. Why was this urban planning of the capital, Dili, suddenly implemented, with road and sewer construction taking place everywhere? One reason is clearly to fulfill the requirements for Timor-Leste’s membership in ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations). Joining this association was a long- cherished dream for Timor-Leste, and it is set to be realized in October this year. According to Timor-Leste’s Land Expropriation Law, the government must go through seven stages before expropriating citizens’ land and buildings. One of these was the need for consultation with local residents. The fact that the land and buildings of many citizens in our region were expropriated without any consultation whatsoever shows that this is a policy that shows a profound disregard for
Monica Nakamura, aci Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Timor-Leste
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