Reports on violence in East Timor have tended, in the past, to be followed by inaction. The findings of various United Nations, Indonesian and East Timorese inquiries into the mayhem around the country's birth remain, frustratingly, gathering dust in judicial archives rather than being used as foundations for specific criminal investigations and prosecutions, except in a number of minor cases. But the latest such effort, on the riots and armed conflict in April and May this year, looks more promising.
The UN's special commission of inquiry has reported this week in a timely way, so it can be taken into account and acted upon well before elections towards the middle of next year. The report is comprehensive and full of sound observations and recommendations. The initial response from the President, Xanana Gusmao, who gets some criticism himself, has been receptive rather than defensive.
The report singles out several leaders for investigation. Notably, the former interior minister, Rogerio Lobato, the former defence minister, Roque Rodrigues, and the defence force chief, Taur Matan Ruak, are cited for allegedly transferring arms illegally to civilians. There is no evidence the former prime minister, Mari Alkatiri, had such involvement, but the commission suspects he knew about Mr Lobato's arming of a civilian hit squad and did not act.
All three civilian leaders have stood down and Mr Lobato and Mr Alkatiri are already subject to judicial investigation. The President must address the position of Brigadier-General Ruak, as painful as this might be with a fellow former commander of the anti-Indonesian resistance. Likewise, the President has even more of a duty than before to bring back to justice the fugitive army major Alfredo Reinado, who escaped from prison with his followers in August, and whose group is accused by the commission of homicide.
The President himself is mildly rebuked for talking directly, outside "institutional channels", to Reinado after his desertion, but is cleared of suspicion that he ordered or sanctioned criminal acts by Reinado. That at least leaves Mr Gusmao, still the most respected figure in East Timor's leadership, with his reputation more or less intact, and he should reconsider his much-mooted plan to retire at the elections.
The same can't be said for the institutions of state. The commission concluded that their fragility and the weakness of the rule of law were the underlying factors in this year's crisis. Work has already started to rebuild the police and, as the commission suggests, respect for the law will be reinforced by providing independent judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers to help deal with the cases resulting from the events of April and May. The case for deep UN assistance in the running of the elections is made even more strongly.