Dili – East Timor becomes the 191st member of the United Nations on Friday, an historic day for the world's newest nation after a bloody transition from Indonesian rule, but East Timorese complain it will pass virtually unnoticed in their own land.
No flag-raising ceremony or traditional Timorese dancing or drum beating has been planned in the capital Dili or the outer reaches of the half island territory which has been under UN administration for more than three years.
Ordinary East Timorese expressed their dismay at the lack of fuss over the event and at the apparent apathy of political leaders.
"I am extremely disappointed with the government – they have not been transparent in declaring or publicising it. I only heard about it from the radio and newspapers," said 55 year-old Gabriel da Costa. "We, the East Timorese, are proud of this day and I think it deserves a celebration," he added.
Also dissatisfied, 30-year-old Antonio Rangel said: "I'm really happy to hear East Timor finally becoming a member of the United Nations but I am awfully disappointed with the government as there is no ceremony to celebrate this big day."
The first act of East Timor's 88-member parliament after it was elected in April was to sign the UN Universal Declaration of Human rights and apply to join the United Nations.
The nation of 760,000 people is Asia's most impoverished, and the 20th poorest in the world.
The United Nations first arrived in the territory to run a ballot held on August 30, 1999, in which East Timor voted overwhelmingly to split from 24 years of often brutal Indonesian rule.
That result triggered a wave of violence by pro-Jakarta militia, backed by elements of the military, in which more than 1,000 were estimated to have been killed and thousands deported across the border into Indonesian West Timor.
The world body then set up one of its biggest missions to help restore peace and security and rebuild East Timor from scratch.
One UN official in Dili said because there had been a massive build-up to independence on May 20 this year when the UN handed over the reins of power, East Timor's membership with the world body seemed like a mere formality. "To most Timorese, UN membership is not a big deal at all. It was on the front page of both major newspapers today but no one is really talking about it.