Nationalism, part of the identity of East Timor

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the just and highly praised Timorese nationalism leading to independence, deal, in particular, with the attitude of the East Timorese and raise questions about their national identity.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is largely based on an anthropological and political science research with interviews.

Findings

East Timor’s nationalism is unique and formerly linked to Liurai chiefs. Political nationalism is discussed in the third part of the paper.

Originality/value

This research is the first of its kind. East Timor research is mainly centered in the period 1975–1999 of Indonesian occupation. The concepts nationalism, identity and politics are under-researched concepts in East Timor. There the political system is unique.

Citation

Berlie, J.A. (2018), "Nationalism, part of the identity of East Timor", Asian Education and Development Studies, Vol. 7 No. 4, pp. 375-381. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEDS-09-2015-0047