East Timor____________________________________________________________________________________________Rai Diak
The first Portuguese set foot in Timor, perhaps in early 16th century (around 1512). Prior to the Portuguese, Timor was already known especially by the Chinese and Arab traders who were drawn by the the abundance of aromatic timber such as sandal wood. Later a famous Portuguese poet was to write:
'And here is Timor, with its forests
Of scented, invigorating sandalwood
(--Camoes, Canto X-134)
Portugal began to colonise Timor in the mid 17th century, but the colonisation itself received intense oppo- sition from the ruling "liurais" (kings) of Timor. Up until the end of 19th century, violent conflicts between Portugal and the East Timorese were regular and bloody. The partition of Timor came about in the late 18th century, when the might of the Portuguese empire was waning. The western half of Timor, with exception of the enclave of Oecusse, was given to the Dutch who by this time had already dominated most of Indonesia. Since then, East Timor was to stay under Portugal until 1975.
During world war two (WWII) East Timor was invaded by the Japanese after having been "invaded" first by Australia. Australian commandoes, numbering around 400 soldiers landed in Timor in anticipation of an eminent Japanese invasion from south via Timor. But the landing prompted the Japanese (who had apprently no plans for an invasion of Timor) to invade the island, and the Timorese, especially the East Timorese, were caught in between. The East Timorese ultimately chose to help the Australians after learning that the Australians were much friendlier. Some of the Australian commandoes who landed in Timor during WWII in their later accounts told of great sacrifice and comradery of the Timorese (see Michelle Turner "Teling East timor: Personal Testimonies 1942-1992"). Especially intriguing are the differences in the attitudes between the East and the West Timorese people towards Australian soldiers, or the "white men." The West Timorese were more hostile to the Australian soldiers where as the East Timorese proved to be in extreme opposition to their western counterpart. One of the commandoes in his account said, his group was suffering from a heavy casualty inflicted by the Japanese in West Timor and pleaded for help in a West Timorese village. However, they were rejected and were thrown out of the town. They continued to march east, and as soon as they hit the border between West and East Timor, they were received immediately by the first village in the east of the border. They were taken in, cared for and supplied with plenty of food.
Many East Timorese also volunteered for the war helping the Australian troops to combat the Japanese. The volunteers, called "creados," helped the Australian soldiers by carrying their ammunitions and spare back packs, and cooked for them. They were the personal assistant of these soldiers, their serfs. Others were used as trackers and informers. The East Timorese helped the Australians and stuck by them to the bitter end, even well after the Australians retreated from the island. All possible contacts with East Timorese were lost. The only contact the East Timorese had with the Australians were the "I owe you" leaflets dropped from high flying Australian war planes.
Meanwhile, the Japanese retaliated. People found collaborating with the Australians were tortured, then shot, beheaded or burned. Sometimes, a whole population was massacred, leaving only the life stock for the Japanese soldiers to loot and young women were taken by the Japanese soldiers to be used as sex slaves. An East Timorese lady told me that during the Japanese occupation, her mother made her look as unattractive as possible. She was not allowed to have baths and her clothes covered with filth. Nevertheless, when the Japanese campaign intensified, her mother hid her in a tree house for more than a year! She was twelve then.
As a result of the unfortunate and avoidable involvement of East Timor in the second world war, more than 45,000 East Timorese were dead. Most died for assisting the 400 Australian soldiers of whom only a few tens were killed. The rest returned home safely leaving their "creados" and the East Timorese population on their own, at the mercy of the Japanese soldiers. The remnants of the tragic experience of WWII still be found in many East Timorese. They shed tears, sadness and frustration every time they tell their own WWII experiences. It was an horrific experience tattooed in the minds of every East Timorese, perhaps for generations to come. WWII came to close anyway. But as it drew to an end, all that was left of East Timor was uncertainty, desperation and devastation.
During WWII, the allies bombed East Timor frequently, Dili the capital of East Timor was reduced to rubble. However, the rebuilding started again with the return of the Portuguese government. The end of WWII was the beginning of a new era for the East Timorese. Peace was restored and life goes back to normal. This period is said to be the happiest period in the history of East Timor since the arrival of the first European. The East Timorese dubbed this period "Rai Diak" which literally means good land. This period was widely regarded by most East Timorese as the promise to an excellent and peaceful future that lies ahead. My parents, uncles and aunts and others who formed the youth strata during those times often tell me about how beautiful and romantic that period was. Lives were as normal as possible. There were no concerns about anything but the daily livelihood. Their stories, ie. of East Timorese youth, were much like what we'd experience here in Australia, Europe or elsewhere. The romances they had, the delinquencies, the parties, the picnics, the sports, you name it. A Mr. Amandio, a Dili resident, tells how he used to ride his motorbike to parties (or discos) that located well outside Dili, sometimes in the mountain areas when there were no adequate roads. My parents exchanged their love letters after having met in Dili. Dad live in Dili while mom in Atsabe. There were the Portuguese soldiers who flirted and romanced with the East Timorese young women prompting a parent's outrage and anger.
I particularly loved the black and white pictures that were taken during that period. These pictures often show the subjects in their 1960's attitudes. The 60's fashion was very evident, from the hair stile to the slick and short lady's dresses, while the boys in their flare pants and afro-hair cuts. And of course the platforms from the 60 and 70's hey days which some East Timorese in Dili that I saw still kept them (and sometimes even worn them). It is also important to point out that these pictures also show the East Timorese, particularly the young East Timorese in very good moods. Happiness and confidence were clear on their faces and revealed in black and white photographs.
This period also prepared the future East Timorese elite who will pave the way and prepare towards the future of East Timor. People like Niculau Lobato, Xanana Gusmao, Nino Konis Sanatana, the Noble laureates Mgr. Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo and Jose Ramos Horta, Borja da Costa the great East Timorese poet and many others who were the baby boomers from the period immediately after WWII. Their elitism was the product of that happy period.
«East Timor post 1975»
AVCAT: Thursday June 04, 1998 13:59 Greenwich Standard Time