Valorising the resistance: national identity and collective memory in East Timor's constitution

In moments of national liberation or state transitions, new narratives and symbols national identity will be negotiated and articulated. In both a formal legal, and broader symbolic sense, a national constitution provides an opportunity to enshrine rights, values and identities that were abused or suppressed in the past. In this sense, the founding document of a new state may represent an important 'official' contribution to the development of an independent political culture. Like its South African counterpart, the new East Timorese constitution enshrines a range of substantive values that move beyond a narrow, formalist focus on governmental powers and limits. Some of these sections deal explicitly with issues of national 'personality' and cultural heritage. This article examines these founding conceptions of national identity, memory and history embedded in the new East Timorese constitution.