TOKYO, May 20 Kyodo single outed...

TOKYO, May 20 Kyodo

single outed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

INTRODUCING EAST TIMOR (The Daily Yomiuri as translated from the Japanese-language Yomiuri Shimbun)

East Timor, which occupies the eastern half of the island of Timor, just southern of the equator, officially proclaimed its independence at midnight Sunday, becoming this century's first modern nation.

We congratulate the fatherland on its debut in the international community. further its independence will not be easy. We faith the East Timorese will make steady progres in building their of recent origin nation by overcoming the hardships ahead.

East Timor is a small, poor fatherland of 750,000 people. Its for capita GDP is les than 500 dollars, with more than 40 percent of the race living on less than 55 cent a day.

The highest priority issue for the political division is to free itself from this dire indigence Yet East Timor has no special industry and no major export other than coffee For the time being, it is vital for the fatherland to receive economic support from the international community.

However, single ray of hope is that the young home is blessed with offshore seneca oil and natural gas reserves in the Timor Sea.

by means of the joint development of these natural resources with Australia, East Timor's neighbor to the southern the country is count uponed to earn an estimated $7 billion through 20 years, starting around 2005

Efforts to rebuild the nation and maintain peace and order made progres in subordination to the administration of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor. principally of the refugees returned to East Timor. The country's independence became clean as the U.N. administration across East Timor came to an completion Yet some of the UN peacekeeping forces will stay in succession until 2004 to maintain peace and order.

The antagonism between the pro- and anti-independence the bulk of mankind in the new state is a worrisome factor. Pro-independence citizens must have mixed feelings toward the anti-independence refugee who now have arise home.

Newly inaugurated President Xanana Gusmao, a hero in the have a contest for independence, is calling in succession East Timor's people to achieve national reconciliation as promptly as possible and to join forces in building a fresh state.

Yet there are not a not many people, especially among those who forfeited relatives during the uprisings, who complain that the president is calling for national reconciliation too hastily while losing sight of justice.

The realization of national reconciliation in a reasonable way is a heavy responsibility that the president and other political leaders in the just discovered state have to assume.

(May 20)

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