Introduction: The political dynamics and social effects of megaproject development

This special issue examines the political context and social impacts of plans for two statesponsored

megaprojects in Timor-Leste: the Special Zone of Social Market Economy

(ZEESM) in the Oecusse enclave, and the Tasi Mane Project stretching along the

south coast. Tracing debates about national development models in Timor-Leste back

to the Indonesian occupation and transition period to independence, this

Introduction situates these projects within contemporary debates about development.

We pay special attention to two key aspects: how megaprojects transform people’s

relations with the land, a vital source of livelihoods and cultural meaning; and how

different ethnolinguistic groups in Timor-Leste are adapting local practice to

accommodate change. We conclude by highlighting how megaprojects reflect and

affect aspects of life beyond economic development: governance practice, assertion of

sovereignty, sensory losses and identity, ritual adaptations and aspirations for the

future.