The attempted assassination of East Timor's president and prime minister this week is a reminder of the plight of Asia's youngest and poorest country. President Jose Ramos-Horta will survive, but his country needs more than his return to health: It needs sustained attention and assistance from its neighbors and the world.
Mr. Ramos-Horta, the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize winner, was shot during an altercation between his guards and a group of men loyal to former military commander Alfredo Reinado. Two years ago, Mr. Reinado led a group of disgruntled army officers in a revolt against the government. Their complaints of discrimination rallied others discontented over job opportunities, poor governance and factionalism. Eventually, several dozen people were killed, and over 150,000 people, about 15 percent of the population, were driven from their homes by the violence.
The president had been in negotiations with Mr. Reinado, but they were unsuccessful. The simultaneous attacks on Mr. Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao suggest that his grievances were deep enough to spark an attempted coup.