Local Governance in Timor-Leste - Secretaria de Estado da Arte e ...

interests of those who are most vulnerable. In the context of minimal state 'presence'in the rural areas, the mutual recognition that is achieved tends to be dictated more bythe requirements of lisan, with the focus on holding families together and maintainingthe status quo. This holds clear implications for the Timorese government and otherexternal actors in how human rights are protected within the suku, particularly indealing with the difficult issue of domestic violence.The internal contestation and negotiation that is an inherent part of politics—whetherlocal, national or regional—means that while the institutional layers of uma kain,aldeia, suku and subdistrict provide the basis for our understanding of the localgovernance environment, these institutions do not by themselves determine socialoutcomes. Taking a critical approach to institutionalism allows us to see how thispolitical engagement is structured, and the dialectic that occurs between structure andagency as local leaders strategically engage with modern and traditional institutionalstructures, making important decisions to which others in the community are thensubjected.167