Watch Matt Frei's report

In East Timor it is wise to trust only in God and virtually no one else.

The churches are packed in this far flung corner of Catholicism that was for centuries a Portuguese colony.

But after 23 years of occupation by Indonesia and its military, fear and suspicion are etched on almost every face.

In the congested cemeteries there is a suspiciously large number of graves dating back to the late 1970s.

As a result of the Indonesian invasion over 200,000 people were killed by soldiers, disease or hunger - one third of the population, a world record.

Something has changed

Suspicion is everywhere

But something seems to have changed in the last six months. For the East Timorese this is the moment they want to seize to get their freedom.

Recently the province's governor ordered the civil servants to oppose independence.

Their response was a rally in the capital Dili. In the past such a demonstration would have been crushed. But after Indonesia toppled its dictator, the Timorese also wanted change.

'A war of a nation'

Heavily armed police make their presence felt in the streets of Dili

In July, Indonesia withdrew up to 1,000 of its combat troops - a gesture that the new government hoped would persuade the Timorese to settle for autonomy rather than independence.

But at least 250 special police officers were re-deployed recently and were seen patrolling the streets with balaclavas and automatic rifles.

They may be ready to use them, but Sebastio Dorego Guterez, a student leader, says it is already too late to stop the momentum for independence.

"We are talking about a war of a nation ... [There is] no war without sacrifice," he said.

And if political struggle fails, more than 500 East Timorese rebels - who have lived up in the mountains since the invasion - are ready to continue with the military struggle.

Freedom seems still distant

The East Timorese rebels have killed more than 1,000 Indonesian soldiers

Five months ago, after the fall of President Suharto, the Timorese thought that self determination was finally within their reach.

But now it seems they still have to wait a long time.

The evidence suggests that the Indonesian army is building up and not scaling down.