JAKARTA, March 17 (UPI) -- East Timor has fired move than a third of its army after troops walked off the job in protest of poor working conditions and low chances for advancement.
Despite a proposed inquiry into the matter by President Xanana Gusmao, hundreds of troops refused to end a month-long impasse with the government in which they demanded a halt to "nepotism and injustice" in the military, reports the BBC.
The loss of almost 600 soldiers will have a significant impact on the 1,400-strong army, which was established following East Timor's independence form Indonesia in 1999.
Soldiers claim they have not been fairly compensated for services rendered to their country, one of the world's smallest independent states.
A recent U.N. development report touted a number of socio-economic advancements, but East Timor remains the poorest country in the region with a 40 percent poverty rate and a shortage of skilled workers that led to an influx of foreign employees.
