On June 16, Golden Year 3 (2006), an amazing event occurred in East Timor, a small country next to Indonesia.  The leader of the group of  soldiers who have been fighting the government voluntarily surrendered his rifle to Australian-led peacekeepers and ordered his followers to do the same.[1]

In April 2006, East Timor erupted in a conflict, during which 133,000 people have been displaced, and several police and rebels have been injured and even killed.[2] The small country was on the brink of civil war.  As a result more than 2,200 peacekeepers were deployed in East Timor from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Portugal to help restore order.[3 ]

The weapon hand-over occurred in Dili, the capital of East Timor, when the commander Major Alfredo Reinado gave up his M-16 rifle to Australian troops and instructed his followers to do the same. Major Reinado is quoted as saying, "Everybody has to cooperate. This is only another mechanism to reach the objective. The objective is peace and justice." Around a dozen guns were handed in, which were secured in metal containers.[4]

 The giving up of the weapons is a powerful act which instills confidence and peace of mind in the general populace.  This heroic gesture is especially significant in East Timor, as the nation has suffered a continuous series of wars for several decades, costing hundreds of thousands of lives.  Notwithstanding, it is a land of celebrated poetry and handicrafts, known especially for its production of sandalwood.  Now in the Golden Era, as its citizens put away their instruments of war, this fragrant island is ascending to its natural status as one of the most beautiful and celestial islands of the Pacific.