More than ten years after the formation of Timor-Leste's army and the demobilisation of the guerrilla force that fought for independence, the struggle continues about how to pay tribute to the veterans. The increasingly wealthy state has bought off the threat once posed by most dissidents with an expensive cash benefits scheme and succeeded in...

Clashes between Muslims and Christians in Ambon, Indonesia, raised fears of a return to the communal fighting that wracked the region from 1999 to 2002. his time, an extraordinary effort by grassroots “peace provocateurs” and local officials largely kept the violence from spreading further in Maluku. But the unrest triggered efforts by extremists elsewhere to...

A spike in violence in Indonesian Papua over the last two months underscores the urgency of exploring new ideas to address conflict there. The conflict in Indonesian Papua continues to defy solution, but some new ideas are on the table. A spike in violence in July and August 2011 underscores the urgency of exploring them...

The Philippine government is experimenting with a creative but risky new strategy to resolve the conflict in Mindanao. It has three goals: demonstrate that good governance in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is possible through a two-year reform program; bring separate discussions with two insurgencies, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the...

This report from the International Crisis Group examines the opportunities offered by the generational and political transitions under way following the elections, and encourages Western governments to urgently adopt a new approach towards the country. Isolation and sanctions have failed to promote reform, and must end. Current policies have only served to harm the country’s...