Who claims independence automatically creates wealth and security ? Only an idiot like George Bush or John Howard. Independence is a human right not to be ruled, exploited, and raped by a foreign power. What you call "democracy" is a primitive western concept of 'representative democracy' in which people are meant to select the lesser evil of those people wanting political office. It is a shame that the United Nations and Australia have imposed the western adversary system on every Melanesian state from Fiji to Timor.

The idea that East Timor - half of an island, with a population of 925,000 - can be independent, let alone have the grand title of "independent nation" as some of the luvvies are calling it, is absurd.

In "liberating" East Timor, Australia has added it to our permanent white man's burden list, where it will stay at great cost and inconvenience to us.

The Indonesians must be laughing their heads off.

The only situation that would be more laughable than an Australian peace keeping force in East Timor would be the presence of Indonesian troops keeping the peace. I mean, are we walking up the hill backwards to go down? Alice, are you there?

On reflection I must ask. Alice , have you changed your name to John...or George...or Tony? Ah, the coalition busily at work. Must be oil in them there hills, ...Or gas or minerals, must be something of worth in those there Timor hills; certainly never was the people!

So far, Timor has been a costly exercise for Australia and all for nothing. Had there been good governance, there may have been a chance for tourism to rival Bali, but that has been blown sky high.
Who would trust those young men who appear to be bent on vandalism for the fun of it. Where are their elders?
This is going to be a bottomless bucket for tax payers money.

@Leigh
Maybe this way Australians get the opportunity to know East Timorese better.
In 1975: there's civil war between East Timorese. Many people put the blame on the Portugal, but it was East Timorese who killed each other.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/15/1071336885568.html
In 1999; another bloody conflict again. Put the blame on East Timorese militias, and to some extent, the military.
In 2006, another bloody conflict. I see some Australians put the blame on East Timor's PM. But if the PM goes, are you sure they will stop killing each other?
Now Australians troops are there to restore peace and order. Who know what would happen if foreign troops leave?

@mickijo
you write :
"So far, Timor has been a costly exercise for Australia and all for nothing."
Exactly this is what most Indonesians feel about East Timor integration into Indonesia. It's costly, and it tarnished our international image and all for nothing; while all politician says that all they wanted to do was to help East Timor.
Maybe trying to integrate East Timor to Indonesia was a mistake. And to let it go is the best decision ever made.
It is proven now that Indonesia is better off without East Timor.

An opinion in Yomiuri Daily put it bluntly. "What used to be Indonesia's headache, is now Australia's."
All I can say is, good luck!

In hindsight, East Timor's freedom is not just a freedom for East Timor; it is also a freedom for Indonesia from it's worst nightmare