According to today’s UNOTIL media monitoring, things are cooling down in Dili. There are still people leaving town, but the numbers are few compared to what it’s recently been. Maybe there’s nobody left to leave?

The same press monitor raises another serious issue. Many of the “internally displaced people” (internal refugees) are children. The majority of IDPs at for example the Dom Bosco shelter are children, and the living conditions at the shelters are not good.

The messages are mixed. Australia has recommended against travelling to Timor-Leste. USA has recommended non-essential personnel to get out. Australia is ready to send troops if Timor-Leste needs them. But at the same time, the Timor-Leste police are withdrawing most of their riot polices from the streets (still the same press review as before) and Ramos-Horta is reassuring the international community that Dili is calm.

I believe the truth is somewhere in between.