Les combats de coqs à Timor-Leste : un jeu d’argent institutionnalisable ?

Abstract

Timor-Leste is a South-East Asiatic State, independent since 2002. Its economy is having a strong internationalization period, due to hydrocarbons, and the country is becoming integrated to international community. Cockfight - manu futu - is a very common practice, a form of sociability and a cultural ingrained habit in this country where population is mostly young, rural and agricultural. Correlated with the State building, regulations are set up on gambling activities since 2008. The goal is to get subsidies and to control a business sector more and more globalized. Timorese government is trying to regulate cockfights but this practice is deeply perceived as a strong component of Timorese identity therefore is it possible to institutionalize it ? First, the article presents manu futu as a fighting game, with bets very codified. In a State both in building and emerging phase, then the analysis focus on the business sector aspect. Far from an abrupt change between a traditional game and a “modern” country, the recent and fast mutations in action in Timor-Leste give rise to reorganizations and entanglements obvious in gambling.

Keywords

• Timor-Leste
• cockfight
• manu futu
• identity
• culture
• State