Comments

Thanks Ken. I agree that the notion of labour migration spurring a 'brain drain' is a misplaced concern. There's all sorts of social and economic benefits to having a population with more experience of the world and access to some money. Even in the case of people who migrate permanently, as some have done to the UK, they're still linked into family networks back in Timor.

Thanks Manuela, both for the compliment and your own research in such an interesting and important field.

Good luck Sheilla, I'm sure you understand more about the issue than me in many ways. If I had one piece of advice it would be to make sure your research also draws on the lived experiences of people within the SWP and PLS (importantly I think) as well as policy and economic research. Feel free to be in touch (you can easily find my ANU email through Google) if I can be of any help.

An insightful and well argued paper, thank you.

I'm a Timorese student who is currently pursuing my master degree in South Korea majoring in International Economics, and I'm planning to write a thesis regarding the impact of remittances on economic growth in Timor-Leste. I really hope I can get some insight surrounding this issue.

A good article on a very important issue. I agree with the author that addressing the root causes of violence against women - "the rules and structures that encourage violence and gender inequality" - while continuing to support survivors and to expand awareness of, and implementation of, the legal framework, is the only way to effectively and sustainably address this global issue.

As a portuguese who has taught and done extensive field work in Timor Leste (intersted in Timorese Traditional Music) I agree with your perspective! "Obrigadu barak" for sharing your point of view.

She says there is a root cause for violence but still fails to define what root cause. The solutions she offers are just other bandaids, not the real solutions, because she did not point out the root cause.

I remember talking to a Timorese diplomat about her compatriots living and working in the UK, and was dismayed by her negative and dismissive comment about 'brain drain', despite it being 'money gain' especially as this was in the mid-2000s when far fewer Timorese migrant workers would have had university degrees than now. But even if they are university graduates, why shouldn't they look to work abroad, even if it's unskilled work? Is it any different from doing what New Zealanders call the 'OE' or 'Overseas Experience' (I don't think Australians have a similar term) with the added bonus of being able to support their families back home? An increasing number of Timorese in the UK are applying for permanent residence as Brexit (if and when that happens) will bring their ability as Portuguese citizens to live and work in the UK into question. There are large numbers of them in Northern Ireland, with Dungannon being 'New Dili', but they may move across the border into the Republic, where there was once an active solidarity campaign headed by Dublin bus driver Tom Hyland.

Thanks Elizabeth. We agree that the important work that Voice for Change, Kup Women for Peace and Highlands Human Rights Defenders has been integral to mobilizing community and police support in addressing many issues, including SARV.

I want to work in any seasonal work to improve my standard of living, plus the economic growth of my country - Solomon Islands.

There are about 160,000 first year working holiday visas issued each year and about 40,000 second year visas issued. The proportions have only changed slightly over the past eight years. It is along bow to suggest that the visa is morphing into an agricultural visa. Only one in four working holiday makers applies for a second visa which has the requirement of having completed 88 days work in a prescribed occupation in a regional area. We think the downturn in first year visa applications (fallen every year in the past six) has to do with the high visa fee (more expensive than competitive destinations), the difficulties is some source economies (eg Germany and UK), high university fees (which leave students with high debt) and finally the so called backpacker tax now back in the news again.