SYDNEY&mdash:Violence and instability arising from election disputes in East Timor indicate Australia can do a better job in the region, says the former deputy commander of the UN peacekeeping force in East Timor.
Retired Major General Michael Smith, now chief executive officer of the human rights group Austcare, held the senior peacekeeping role in East Timor from 2000 to 2002.
He said the current turmoil in the country he continues to regularly visit highlighted that Australia and the international community have a responsibility to provide a stronger commitment to Pacific region countries.
"I think we were keen to pull our military forces prematurely ... both the UN secretary general and the East Timorese government requested that a military contingent remain but troop-contributing nations didn't agree to that and Australia was one of them," Maj Gen Smith said.
"Can it be done better? Yes ... the lesson has been learnt.
"You've got to provide the stability for a long time because without an overall secure environment, you can't do long-term governance and you can't do long-term development, so it's not just stabilisation (and) withdrawal, it has to be stabilisation, recovery, nation building."
Maj Gen Smith said more than police and soldiers were needed to build a prosperous country.
"Most people I've spoken to, most Timorese, want peace but they also want jobs and livelihood," he said.
"What we have to do in Timor is develop civil society in the grass roots, not preach to them about how government should govern."
The former ruling party Fretilin has threatened to walk out of parliament because Xanana Gusmao, from the National Council for Timorese Reconstruction party, was offered the role of prime minister of the new coalition government.
The offer by President Jose Ramos Horta sparked violence from Fretilin supporters, angry over losing recent elections despite winning the highest number of seats in parliament.
East Timor's political history had always been fractured with different groups vying for power, Major Gen Smith said.
No one group could be blamed, he added.
"... this political stalemate and reprisal mentality that's going on is not good for anyone," he said.
"Without (current) Australian security forces on the ground the situation would be worse, most East Timorese are quite thankful that Australia is there."
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