To understand this country, and to appreciate how special the people who live here really are, I think maybe I might provide a small snapshot of the awful the history this little slice of paradise has had to endure.
Firstly, let me emphasise just what a lovely and warm culture I’ve experienced. Crime is almost non-existent. Everyone has a smile. Everyone tries to help, and tries to put their fellow human totally at ease. They are friendly, warm, funny, happy and generous. There is an almost no alcohol culture. No big boozy bars, not much alcohol consumed. It is a very Catholic community. I just witnessed a bunch of teenagers near me do the sign of the cross when the local church bells rang.
I’d add that the living standards here are low, and so many people demonstrate these traits with very little behind them to feed their families. But (an example) walking around, everyone smiles and says hello. Everyone waves as I drive by. These people invented nice…
So, a snapshot.
- The Portuguese settled here in the 1500’s. The fort at Balibo, where I’m staying, was built around 1655. Things bumped along OK, until the precious resources the Portuguese craved ran out. So they planted coffee and used the local Timorese as slave labour.
- The Dutch settled in wesr Timor, the Portuguese in the east. They fought pretty much constantly for 300 years. Also, the native Timorese fought them both. In 1859 the Portuguese (with nothing more to sell) gave the Dutch west Timor, along with Flores. The Dutch had control over everything that is now Indonesia.
- In 1912 there was an uprising against the Portuguese. It took three years but it was squashed – with the loss of 25,000 Timorese lives.
- WW2 was interesting. The Aust army was pretty much smashed by the Japanese when they invaded Timor. However, some 300 Aust soldiers escaped into the hills. These 300 men frustrated the Japanese on Timor for 12-18 months using guerilla tactics. Some 20,000 Japanese were deployed here, rather then elsewhere. The 300 Aust’s had no contact with Australia for 3-4 months, but built a radio and made contact. Their numbers were augmented by Aust civilians, but numbered still in the hundreds. The Aust guerilla campaign only happened due to active support of the local Timorese. The price they paid is measured in deaths somewhere between 40,000-70,000, mostly in retribution for supporting the Australians.
- Portugal had significant political change in 1975, and many of their former colonies were handed back to local leadership. This included Timor Leste.
- However, in late 1975, the Indonesians were regularly crossing the border to secure military objectives. Balibo was captured Oct 1975.
- On 16 Oct, 1975 Indonesian soldiers caught and executed 5 Aust reporters working for Channel 7 & 9. These were the Balibo 5. They were all in their 20s. This is the house they lived in – where they were murdered. I visited it today. The flag was what they drew on the building to identify themselves as Aust journalists – it in fact led the militia straight to them.
- A freedom militia was formed – FRETILIN. In response the Indonesians launched a full scale military invasion in Dec 1975. Local resistance was fierce – in response the Indonesian put 300,000 Timorese citizens into internments camps. Torture, starvation and death to thousands was the result.
- On 17 December 1975, Indonesian forces executed around 150 Timor Leste citizens by leading them to the end of the pier in Dili, shooting them and letting their bodies float on the harbour for days. This included another Australian journalist, Roger West.- I could see the pier from my hotel – less that a km away.
- During the 1980s the world really didn’t care. Timorese resistance continued. After 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell, international attention was finally focused on Timor.
- In 1991, 250 Timorese – many of whom were woman and children – were slaughtered by the Indonesians while attended a funeral in Sata Cruz. This was filmed and footage made it out of the country.
- In 1999 there was an independence referendum. Some 78% of West Timorese citizens voted for independence from Indonesia, despite militia activity where some 1,500 Timorese were murdered.
- In April 1999, 250 people sought refuge in the home of a priest in Liquica. Women, children, seniors… The Indonesians opened fire and killed over 200. Some survived to tell the story. This is the church – I was at that site yesterday.
- Because of the militia activity, 250,000 East Timorese were forced into Indonesian controlled west Timor.
I found a quote…
The Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor estimated the number of deaths during the Indonesian occupation between 1975 and 1999 from famine and violence to be between 90,800 and 202,600, including between 17,600 and 19,600 violent deaths or disappearances, out of a 1999 population of approximately 823,386.
- The scrutiny of the world zeroed in on Timor Leste. The UN deployed troops. Then a combined military force (largely of Aust NZ forces) deployed into Timor Leste, staying until 2005. By then Indonesia had given up any thoughts of retaining Timor Leste.
- But still bad things happened. I am horrified that in 2006 Aust ASIO services under the Howard Govt bugged the Timor Leste cabinet room to gain an edge in negotiations over a gas field in the Timor Sea. A whistle blower was subsequently tried and convicted behind closed doors (Abbott / Dutton) and Timor Leste remains poor. What dirty filthy scumbags those guys are – making Australia richer while this country languishes on the poverty line.
You might sense some emotion in me. This is a beautiful country in every sense. If any population deserved to hold a grudge and think themselves as victims, these guys certainly do. But instead, they are warm, generous and kind. They don’t have much, but they embrace religion, life, love and friendship.
But mostly, they are joyful. This is what I was looking for, when I started this whole thing. I am searching for joy. This place has it in spades.
I love it here. I will come back. I hope some of you might read this and consider spending your money in this country.
God, it’s my first country! If I have these moments everywhere I go I’ll be well satisfied.