Timor-Leste has held competitive elections and undergone peaceful transfers of power since gaining independence in 2002, but its democratic institutions remain fragile, and disputes among leaders from the independence struggle dominate political affairs. Due process is undermined by serious capacity deficits.

• In April and again in October, the government added six-month extensions to a temporary ban on all martial-arts groups (MAGs) that it had first introduced in November 2023, in response to violence linked to some of the groups. Martial arts are widely practiced in the country, but in addition to their cultural, social, and sporting elements, MAGs have been tied in the past to criminal activity, partisan political mobilization or intimidation, and episodes of communal conflict. The government maintained that the purpose of the ban was to reduce violence, and that martial arts would be more heavily regulated once the ban was lifted.
• Also in April, Parliament approved a legal change that would allow it to appoint or dismiss the head of the Anti-Corruption Commission with an absolute majority vote, removing an additional requirement that at least three-quarters of all legislators be present. Opposition members objected to the amendment, arguing that it was hastily adopted and would weaken the rule of law. A new commissioner was appointed to a four-year term under the revised law in June, with the main opposition party declining to participate.
• Pope Francis visited Timor-Leste in September, and during the government’s preparations for the event, officials evicted residents living without authorization on public land near the capital; they were offered financial compensation but reportedly criticized the amount as insufficient. A journalist covering evictions of street vendors in Dili that month was briefly detained, and police seized the camera of another. President José Ramos-Horta later issued a statement opposing any interference with journalists’ work.

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For additional background information, see last year’s full report.