DILI (AlertNet), 21 October 2010 - In 2002, East Timor became the youngest nations in the world when gained full independence from Indonesia, which invaded the country in 1975. The road had been long and hard and the country remains fragile.
Reminders of the bloodshed caused by pro-Jakarta militia in 1999 when Timorese voted to become independent are still very visible in the country today.
The country's president and Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta has personally promoted sports and cultural events to show the country has moved on, but massive challenges remain.
There is still a heavy presence of U.N. peacekeeping forces. East Timor is still very poor. Infrastructure is bad, and many Timorese do not have enough food to eat. Thin Lei Win reports on the food security situation in East Timor.