A report on the future of East Timor by the World Bank has painted a bleak picture of a nation in danger of imploding as it copes with the twin pressures of poverty and corruption.
The strongly worded assessment of the tiny state's prospects concludes that while it has performed better than other countries in the aftermath of conflict, its progress remains fragile.
'Establishing a well-functioning state will take years, if not decades,' the report says.
East Timor, which is the world's newest nation, became independent from Indonesia after decades of fighting and a 1999 referendum.
Australia, its southerly neighbour, helped bring stability to the country by sending a large contingent of peacekeeping troops to establish law and order, and by contributing generously to infrastructure and development projects.
But six years later, major challenges remain, the World Bank concedes, acknowledging that the establishment of a functioning democracy would probably take decades.