Today is National Youth Day in South Africa. A day that at once commemorates one of the darkest days in our recent history - the massacre at Sharpeville in 1976, and celebrates the potential of the young people of our country. Many young people were killed on that fateful day in a protest over being forced to learn the language of the oppressor - Afrikaans, while their own language(s) were disregarded. That event was a focal point for resistance efforts against the apartheid regime; it focussed the international spotlight on the country and its internal dynamics and was one step on the long road to liberation.
The situation in Timor Leste is somewhat different. They have their political liberation. However, they also have an official language policy that excludes most of the population. Portuguese, the language of a colonial power for many years, is the official language of government. Less than 25% of the population speak any Portuguese; any prospect of a key government position requires it, also in industries like telecommunications or oil. So the lack of language ability (read: being able to speak Portuguese) shuts the door to many opportunities for many Timorese. Young Timorese, frustrated by the lack of opportunities, either build up resentment if they remain, or otherwise seek their fortunes outside the country. This latter group consists largely of the more skilled group of young people who have had access to a higher level of education. That brain drain can also not be good for the country.
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