East Timor
East Timor is a small island off the coast of Australia and is the newest state in the world. When I arrived in Sierra Leone it was officially the worst place in the world to live (for those countries not actually in war). It has moved up in the last two years and is now second from the bottom but only because of the situation in Niger! East Timor is a creditable 141th! I’m moving up in the world!
By way of introduction to East Timor: On August 30, 1999, in a United Nations-sponsored ballot, East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia and for an end to a brutal military occupation. Upon the announcement of the result, Indonesian troops and their paramilitary proxies launched a wave of terror that, over three weeks, resulted in the murder of more than 1,000 people, the rape of untold numbers of women and girls, the razing of 70% of the countrys buildings and infrastructure, and the forcible deportation of 250,000 people. Over 200,000 people, about a third of the population, lost their lives due to Indonesia's 1975 invasion and subsequent occupation, making the East Timorese case proportionately one of the worst episodes of genocide since World War II. International complicity was at the centre of the East Timor tragedy. Much if not all of the horror that plagued East Timor in 1999 and in the 24 preceding years could have been avoided had countries like Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and especially the United States, not provided Indonesia with valuable political, economic, and military assistance, as well as diplomatic cover.
Clearly, East Timor has much to tell me (and us) about the contemporary world order. I’ll keep you all posted……!
By way of introduction to East Timor: On August 30, 1999, in a United Nations-sponsored ballot, East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia and for an end to a brutal military occupation. Upon the announcement of the result, Indonesian troops and their paramilitary proxies launched a wave of terror that, over three weeks, resulted in the murder of more than 1,000 people, the rape of untold numbers of women and girls, the razing of 70% of the countrys buildings and infrastructure, and the forcible deportation of 250,000 people. Over 200,000 people, about a third of the population, lost their lives due to Indonesia's 1975 invasion and subsequent occupation, making the East Timorese case proportionately one of the worst episodes of genocide since World War II. International complicity was at the centre of the East Timor tragedy. Much if not all of the horror that plagued East Timor in 1999 and in the 24 preceding years could have been avoided had countries like Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and especially the United States, not provided Indonesia with valuable political, economic, and military assistance, as well as diplomatic cover.
Clearly, East Timor has much to tell me (and us) about the contemporary world order. I’ll keep you all posted……!
posted by Pip Leighton | 2:05 AM
2 Comments:
What's taking you there, Pip? I've never been to East Timor thuogh I have sailed past it. 10 years ago while bumming around Southeast Asia I hatched the idea of mooching rides around the Indonesian archipelago on any boats which would take me on board as a deckhand. (I'd done a bit of sailing before and knew my way around, more or less, but mostly my pitch was that I played a good hand of Gin Rummy and could cook). Mostly this meant I was on small yachts owned by retiress who jumped at the opportunity of having someone else to talk to besides their wife/husband on long trips. Going past Timor, however, was on a tramp cargo vessel. Since I had no 'real' skills as a sailor wanted me to pay for deck passage. Fair enough, I thuoght, but on general principle I thuoght I'd bargain a bit. When I mentioned I'd been in the army he got more interested. It turned out that because the area was infested with piracy the guy had gotten from somewhere an old Browning M2 30 calibre machine gun in a pretty advanced state of disrepair. The Canadian army used the same thing in 7.62 mm. I cleaned it up and showed him how to adjust the headspace and timing for him in return for which they took me from West Papua to Sulawesi. I suppose the story would be better if we'd been attacked by pirates. Alas no, the trip was uneventful.
By now you know that I will no longer be going to East Timor! My partner is a "professional" UN type and, I have to say one, of the best! The UN mission in East Timor is closing down in May 06 and the UN wanted her to head up the "liquidation" (as they call it) of the mission. I was just "along for the ride"!
Last minute changes and other personnel moves within the UN have necessitated a reversal of the plan. So we will stay in Sierra Leone pro tem and until the UN decide where my partner's talents can be best utilized.
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