FriendsofBalibo

Shirley and Damien after launch of 'Circle of Silence'

2011-02-26T20:34:00.000-08:00

Shirley Shackleton at Montsalvat, launching her Walkley Award winning book 'Circle of Silence'

2011-02-26T20:32:00.000-08:00

Balibo Fort House progress

2010-09-04T23:54:00.000-07:00

Following visits in June and August 2010, plans for visitor accommodation at the Balibo Fort have commenced. First mooted during a visit in December 2008, plans for a homestay in Balibo supported by the Friends of Balibo has morphed into a guest house in the historic Balibo fort and again into a small hotel located within the fort grounds, including the original fort house. A 30 year (15+15) lease was signed with the Ministry of Justice by Balibo House Trust chair and Victorian MP Rob Hudson, securing the fort site for redevelopment. Professor Damien Kingsbury signed the design contract with Community Housing Limited in the office of the Minister of Justice, Lucia Lobato, in Dili in June 2010.

A series of consultations have taken place with community leaders in Balibo, including the Bobonaro District Administrator, Snr Domingos Martins, the Balibo Sub-District Administrator, Snr Paulo dos Santos, village chiefs from Balibo and surrounding villages and a number of other local community figures. The project will initially employ and train between 15 and 20 local people for the period of construction of the project and will provide continuing employment in support capacities and tourism development following its completion.

Professor Damien Kingsbury and Dr Grazyna Zajdow both attended the August community meeting on behalf of the Friends of Balibo and the Balibo House Trust. Their visit to Balibo preceded their attendance, with Snrs Martins and dos Santos at the 'Strengthening Friendship: People to People/Haforza Amizade: Husi Povo ba Povo' conference, hosted by the Timor-Leste Ministry of State Administration and the Australia Timor-Leste Friendship Network in Maubisse on 27-28 August 2010.

Initial funds for the project have been raised by the Balibo House Trust

Balibo Community Learning Center evolves

2010-06-15T21:52:00.001-07:00

Surviving and Moving Forward Together!

The Balibo Community Learning Center (CLC) and its Community Management Committee(CMC) have walked a bumpy road after the new CMC members were elected last year. BELUN and WVTL have been continuing to assist the Balibo CMC and its activities mainly by building the capacity of the CMC and village leaders. However, building the capacity of CMC is much more than just providing training; such efforts must be tied to local needs to create trust and services for their community in the long term.

Understanding that the CMC members have different background and didn’t have experience managing community learning centre; the CMC members were trained in the area of organisational management and BELUN encouraged the CMC members to learn and share experience from others local NGOs to have better skills and understanding on how to manage a learning centre. As a result, the CMC members submitted a proposal for a comparative study to local NGOs in Baucau and Aileu districts.

Six CMC members undertook a week long internship, in two local NGOs namely CDC and CTA (Centru Treainamentu Aileu) which are located in Baucau and Aileu district respectively. All of the CMC members have learnt different skills related to their roles and responsibilities in Balibo CLC. During the internship, the Treasurer, Maria, focused on learning about financial control and management. Meanwhile Rogerio as the President of the CMC learnt about organisational structure, leadership and fund rising.
“I have never been trained on how to write proposals for donor, so far the donor who heard about Balibo House and people who works for various governmental and international organization which passed by the house stop by and asking how they can support Balibo CLC. And now I understand the importance of fund raising within and outside the community to make Balibo CLC sustainable and benefiting more community members in the future”. Rogerio has also learnt about organizational structure and how to ensure that each person in the structure understands their roles and functions.

After the study visit there have been significant changes in the CLC. Each CMC member has better understanding about their role and the trust among them is significantly improved. They also more transparent about the CLC’s income from the carpentry and mechanic classes and also the procurement process in Balibo CLC. “In the past, Rogerio, the president, took over my role, I have never been involved in procurement process such as asking for quotations from vendors before decide which vendor offer low price. Furthermore, I didn’t get involved in the approval of the payment”, Maria Lake explained. “But now the president has delegated procurement task to the treasurer and secretary, it is more transparent now and our communication and working relationship is better”, she added.

Balibo CLC serves the local communities by providing skills training in four areas, namely computers, mechanics, carpentry and sewing. The mechanic workshop is now bigger than before, in the past only a basic service was provided such as changing engine oil and small repairs, but now they can also re-paint the motorbike. “The competition among mechanic workshop is higher now, we have to have diverse and better services for our community in order to meet their demand” the trainer said. In addition to the mechanics workshop, regular furniture orders from the community continue.

Balibo CLC has several sources of income which are useful to cover overhead costs. The old generator and plastic chairs are being used to generate income. The community rents these for parties or others occasions. “People sometimes rent the truck, it is benefiting us and we can use the money to maintain the truck”, the driver added.

The Balibo CMC is working hard to increase accountability to their community. CMC has conducted a stakeholders meeting aimed to report CLC’s activities and its income from carpentry, mechanic workshop, generator and chairs hire and truck hire as well. In this meeting the CMC encouraged all participants to give inputs and feedback about what they can do to make CLC sustainable or even better in the future. The meeting included Sub-district authorities Village council representatives, the sub-district administrator, Church leader, youth group, womens group, PNTL and the CMC. “We are very proud with the significant changes achieved in CLC, now I can see that we are moving forward. The trust is increased and we have to working closely together to make everything better in the future”, the advisor said after stakeholder meeting.

REPORT TO THE VICTORIAN PARLIAMENT ON TRIP TO TIMOR LESTE-APRIL 2010

2010-06-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

REPORT ON TRIP TO TIMOR LESTE-APRIL 2010

I travelled to Timor Leste in my capacity as Chair of the Balibo House Trust from 23rd April to the 1st May.

The purpose of the trip was to:

1. To meet with the Trust’s partners Belun and the Balibo House Community Learning Centre Community Management Committee to discuss the forward plan and funding agreements for the Balibo CLC for the next 12 months.

2. To further progress work on the development of the Balibo Fort House Hotel project in Balibo.

I was accompanied on this trip by Damien Kingsbury, Balibo House Trust Board member, Rae Kingsbury, Chair of the Australia-Timor Leste Friendship Network and Ricardo Krauskopf, the Proprietor of the Alto Hotel in Bourke Street, Melbourne and a member of Port Melbourne Rotary.

1. THE BALIBO HOUSE TRUST - BACKGROUND

The Balibo House is known to many Australians as the Australian Flag House.

It was the last refuge of the five Australian based journalists who were murdered by invading Indonesian troops in 1975. It is the house on which the TV news journalist Greg Shackleton painted the Australian flag and the word Australia, believing it would make them immune from attack.

In October 2002, then Premier Steve Bracks announced the establishment of a Trust to purchase and refurbish the Balibó Flag House, with a grant of $50,000. This grant was matched by $25,000 each from Australian TV Channels 7 and 9.

I was appointed the Chair of the Balibo House Trust by the Victorian Government in March 2003.

Graduates from Multiplex played a major role in the refurbishment of the house; together with the Australian Peacekeeping Force in East Timor and local workers from Balibó.

The House was officially opened by then Premier Steve Bracks, President Xanana Gusmão, and Foreign affairs Minister José Ramos-Horta, on 31st. October 2003, in the presence of family members of the Balibó Five, overseas dignitaries and 2,000 people from Balibó and surrounding villages.

The Trust has partnered with first World Vision East Timor and now Belun to run programs from the house in conjunction with the local Community Management Committee.

The House is now a Community Learning Centre, (CLC). It includes a library, computer classes, sewing machines, carpentry and mechanics workshop and a kindergarten for 30 children. It also houses a memorial to the Balibó Five and local Balibó martyrs who were killed in 1999 by departing Indonesian forces.

In the past year, the Balibo House Trust has been negotiating with the Ministry of State Administration and the Ministry of Justice to lease the 300 year old Portuguese fort at Balibo to provide visitor accommodation in the Bobonaro District. It is hoped that this project will generate local employment and training opportunities in construction, tourism and hospitality and generate some income to support the work of the Balibo Community Learning Centre. A lease over the Fort was granted for 30 years in April this year.

MEETING WITH BELUN

A meeting was held with Luis Ximenes, CEO, Dominica Ribeiro, Accountant and Serpa Pinto, Balibo Project Worker to discuss the operations of the Balibo CLC. The discussion centred on the Strategic Plan developed by Belun in conjunction with the Balibo CLC Community Management Committee.

Belun has been working with the Balibo CLC on its Strategic Plan for the next three years and a two day workshop was held on 3rd & 4th April for this purpose. The objectives of the workshop were to strengthen the capacity of the organisation, to improve the group’s performance in implementing its activities and to reflect its established mission and vision in the strategic plan. The participants involved in the meeting were local authorities, the leaders and members of Balibo CLC and the community from 6 villages within the Balibo sub-district. Total participants in the meeting were 23, (8 females and 15 males). The first day of the workshop focussed on values, vision and mission and a SWOC analysis, (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Challenges). The second day focussed on clarifying goals and developing an Action Plan for the Balibo CLC, with 32 actions identified by the group.

The Strategic Plan affirmed the core activities of computer training, sewing, woodwork and mechanics and the kindergarten. It also identified the strategic value of the Balibo guest house project, the need to extend the space available for computer courses, more space for women in sewing and cooking, a tailor course, metal work program, cultural activities, dance and language courses. The Plan also identified a desire to reactivate and rehabilitate the youth centre.

It was clear from our meeting with Belun that:

 Belun has had difficulty in obtaining government or donor funding for the operations of the Balibo CLC for 2010.

 Balibo CLC has several sources of income, including the truck, old generator and chairs that are rented out for parties in the villages.

 Belun is clarifying the income the Balibo CLC is generating from its own activities and has requested a statement of income and expenditure from the Balibo CMC. Belun pays the CMC US$120 per month for office rental in the Community Learning Centre.
 The four core activities identified in the strategic planning for the Balibo CLC: computers, sewing, woodwork and mechanics are proceeding well. In addition the kindergarten is open and functioning.

 The Balibo CMC is working hard to increase accountability to their community. Six CMC members undertook a week long internship, in two local NGOs namely the Centro Dezelvolvimentu Communidade in Baucau and the Centru Treainamentu in Aileu. All of the CMC members have learnt different skills related to their roles and responsibilities in Balibo.

 Serpa Pinto is not able to devote as much time to the activities of the Balibo CLC because of the demands on his time from the EWER Program in the District.

 Elections will be held in September/October 2010 for the Community Management Committee.

It was agreed out of this meeting that the Trust and Belun would discuss the following issues with the Balibo CMC at the meeting in Balibo:

1. The Strategic Plan developed by Belun and the CMC.
2. The Balibo CLC Budget for income and expenditure.
3. The needs of the Balibo CLC for building and equipment.
4. The Balibo Fort House project.

COMMUNITY HOUSING LTD.

Community Housing Ltd (CHL) is a national and international provider of affordable housing, set up with the support of the Victorian Government. In Timor Leste, CHL has carried out the design and construction of a residential centre and dwellings for 17 people with physical disabilities and a range of small housing projects in Dili. CHL also constructed residential accommodation for an orphanage in Gleno. Community Housing currently employs 40 people in its office in Dili, 90% of whom are local Timorese.

A meeting was held with Humberto Marum, the Design Manager and Architect to discuss architectural plans for the Balibo Fort House project. A new Construction Manager, Mick Petrov has recently been appointed to replace Chris Hollands and was consequently unable to attend the meeting.

Initial discussions centred on how to develop a new wing of 8 rooms that would be consistent with the heritage values of the fort and the existing fort house. From the discussions it became clear that it would be difficult to build in the old Portuguese style, which is typically heavy, high mass construction with thick walls of 60cm to 80cm and a heavy roof. Discussion then turned to more contemporary architectural designs that would fit in with the existing heritage buildings and be suitable for the East Timorese climate.

Humberto emphasised the importance of local consultation and using local labour wherever possible.
If CHL undertook this project they would:

 Consult closely with the District and Sub-District Administrators, the Chef de Succo and the village of Balibo as well as the Balibo CMC.

 Have a Project Supervisor who would live in on site.

 Bring in skilled labour where needed.

 Use local labour with a fixed price for workers and pay them every fortnight.

 Provide supervision and food for the workers.

It was agreed that CHL would develop architectural plans for the project to the design contract stage. The Balibo House Trust could then decide whether it wanted to let the contract to CHL based on a quote for the works or go to competitive tender.

It was also agreed that Humberto Marum would accompany us on the trip to Balibo to survey the site and further discuss the layout of the Fort House Hotel within the walls of the Portuguese fort.

MEETING WITH AMBASSADOR HEYWARD AND AUSAID STAFF

A discussion was held with the Australian Ambassador to Timor Leste, Mr Peter Heyward on the general political, economic and social climate in the country. Of particular interest was the national program to provide water and electricity to every village in Timor Leste by 2012, and the local government elections, now deferred until at least 2013.

There was also a more detailed discussion with Ali Gillies and Darian Clarke about possible funding sources for the operations of the Balibo CLC.

From the discussions it became clear that the possible sources of funding were:

 The Australia-East Timor Community Assistance Scheme, (ETCAS) grants of up to US$35,000.

 The new Australian Volunteer Program.

 The Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development Program.

 The Australian Business Volunteers Program

Of these the most likely source of funding for the Balibo CLC looks to be the Australia-East Timor Community Assistance Scheme. To be eligible, the Trust would need to submit an application with Belun as a local NGO. Applications for a slightly re-vamped ECTAS will open in September, with successful applicants being informed by December 2010.

MEETING WITH BALIBO CLC COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

The Board members also travelled to Balibo and met with the Balibo CLC Community Management Committee and Belun. The meeting was held with Rogerio Gonscalves and Lorenco Celestino, tow of the three leaders of the CMC, (Maria Lake was unable to attend), the Balibo Sub-District Administrator, Senor Paulo dos Santos and members of the local community. (A separate meeting was held in Dili with the Bobonaro District Administrator). The main focus of the CMC discussion was:

1. The Strategic Plan developed by Belun and the CMC.
2. The Balibo CLC Budget for income and expenditure.
2. The needs of the Balibo CLC for building and equipment.
3. The Balibo Fort House project.
4. The Balibo kindergarten refurbishment and playground project.

The main points made by the CMC at the meeting were:

 The CMC is unclear what training they can provide in the second half of 2010 because of the uncertainty over funding for the Balibo CLC, and the inability to date of the CMC and Belun to attract recurrent funding from other sources.

 The CMC wants the Balibo House Trust to provide recurrent funding for the activities of the Balibo CLC for the remainder of 2010 until other new funding sources are identified.

 The CMC currently has US$2,300 in its account from income generation activities and another US$500 at hand in petty cash.

 The CLC is providing training for 12 people in each of computers, carpentry, mechanics and sewing.

 The CLC has a need for some additional tools including a plane, circular saw, drill and compressor for the woodwork workshop.

 The CLC has a need for some additional computer equipment including a UBS Adapter, a colour printer and computer tables. The CMC would also like to install Microsoft word on the computers rather than Ubuntu, as this is the computer software program recognised by the civil service and NGO’s.

 The CMC would like to add culture as a core activity as it is a national government priority.

 Local participants should be paid to attend training and cited an ILO standard of US$5 per day.

In response the Trust Board members indicated that:

 The Balibo House Trust sees itself as principally providing capital rather than recurrent funding and that Belun and the CMC need to identify funding sources from within government and overseas aid programs. The Trust will work with Belun to submit an ETCAS grant application in September 2010.

 The Trust is willing to provide some interim funding for the second half of 2010. Hopefully, a more sustainable source of long term funding will have been obtained by then. The Trust is also willing to provide some additional funding for tools and equipment.

 The CMC will need to develop a budget with Belun outlining income and expenditure for the next six months work of the Balibo CLC. The Balibo House Trust will need to see an income statement, receipts and a list of people who are employed by the CMC or receive incentive payments.

 The Trust has made a major commitment to raise capital funds for the refurbishment of the kindergarten and playground and the Balibo Fort House project. It is also willing to commit funding to the refurbishment of the Balibo CLC, and in particular the construction of an extension of a large room on the back of the building for training and meetings.

There was also a general discussion about the Balibo Fort House project and the opportunity it provides to generate jobs and income through tourism and hospitality. The CMC and the Sub District Administrator were particularly interested in who would run the Fort House Hotel once construction was completed. The Trust indicated that staff would be employed by the Balibo House Trust, but there would be extensive local consultation and involvement, with a preference for employing local Timorese people with the appropriate skills.

MEETINGS ON THE BALIBO FORT HOUSE PROJECT

Over the course of the week a number of discussions were held with people involved in the local hospitality industry about what was required to make the Fort House Hotel successful. Visits were made to the Poussada Hotels in Baucau and Maliana and discussions were held with Barry Hinton from the eco tourism resort on Atauro Island and Ashley Reece, the Proprietor of the Esplanada Hotel in Dili.

From those discussions emerged the following insights:

 The appointment of a Manager with the requisite skills is critical. This will require the payment of a good wage and the provision of decent accommodation within the hotel complex. It may be desirable for the manager to be from outside the local community, (although other staff should be employed locally).

 Training of staff is critical and needs to be continuous. Staff wages for cleaning and cooking would be in the order of US$90 to US$100 a month, for 6 days a week, (compared to the average income of US$1-US$2 a day.)
 Good quality furniture and fittings for the hotel can be sourced relatively cheaply in Surabaya, Indonesia and shipped to Timor Leste.

 Solar panel installations are becoming increasingly cheap, (the Atauro Eco Resort provided solar power to their accommodation for approximately US$600 per hut).

 There are local options for tourism and hospitality training, (eg the Dili Institute of Technology in partnership with the William Angliss Institute). Enterprises like the Café Aroma also run training programs.

 It will be important to market the Balibo Fort House Hotel as part of tourism within the region. This will include: the spectacular coastal and mountain roads to Balibo, the hot springs on Bobonaro, the history of Portuguese colonisation and Indonesian occupation, the Balibo Flag House and fort, local sites of cultural and historical significance.

There are six potential markets for the Balibo Fort House Hotel:

 Travellers, particularly Australians who are interested in the historical significance of the Balibo Five and the Australian Flag House.

 Expatriates living in Dili who are looking for a weekend away.

 Group travel expeditions such as Intrepid Tours, Carpe Diem Travel and Eco Discovery Tours.

 Public servants and MP’s travelling to the districts for local meetings.

 Government departments and NGO’s getting out of Dili for strategic planning workshops and conferences.

 One off events coming to Balibo such as the Tour de Timor, (cycling).

Overall it was thought desirable to develop the Balibo Fort House Hotel to 4 star standard, with tariffs in the range of US$60-US$65 per room per night.

The Balibo House Trust is currently raising money for the Fort House Hotel project, and hopes to have attracted sufficient funds to commence the project in 2011.

Robert Hudson, MP
Member for Bentleigh
Chair, Balibo House Trust

AusTimorFN welcomes H.E. Abel Guterres (back) to Australia

2010-06-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

The Australia Timor-Leste Friendship Network (AusTimorFN) has welcomed His Excellency Abel Guterres following his appointment as the new Timor-Leste Ambassador to Australia. Former Australian resident and long-time Timor-Leste activist, H.E. Guterres was welcomed at a dinner hosted by the AusTimorFN at the Zen Yai restaurant in Canberra on Tuesday 1 June.

AusTimorFN convenor Rae Kingsbury opened the dinner by saying she was very pleased to welcome back her good friend H.E. Guterres. She said it was especially pleasing to see him return to Australia in his new and well deserved role.

Ms Kingsbury and H.E. Guterres together founded the Australia Timor-Leste Friendship groups in 2000. The Friendship groups network now spans more than 50 relationships between local communities in Australia and Timor-Leste. Building on a decade of cooperation, a number of Friendship groups are now planning their next 10 years of cooperative community development.

Speaking to the dinner, Friends of Balibo member Professor Damien Kingsbury noted that all present had a strong friendship with H.E. Guterres. He said that friendship between Australia and Timor-Leste was at the core of the bilateral relationship. He noted that the real strength of the friendship lay in the bonding between the communities of both countries, especially since Timor-Leste voted for independence in 1999.

Professor Kingsbury said that despite occasional ups and downs in the relationship, its enduring friendship would continue to underwrite a long-term positive relationship between the governments of the two countries and especially between the people of the two countries.

In his reply, H.E. Guterres thanked AusTimorFN for hosting the dinner and welcoming him back to Australia. He said that friendship between Australia and Timor-Leste was critical to the future of both countries, and that the community to community relationships continued to give real substance to the more formal diplomatic relationship.

H.E. Guterres also warmly welcomed Timor-Leste’s other friends to the dinner, including the Portuguese Ambassador, H.E. Rui Quartin-Santos and his wife Snr Ana Carlota Meirelles do Canto e Castro, the Brazilian Ambassador H.E. Fernando de Mello Barreto, the Philippines Ambassador, H.E, Ernesto H de Leon, and the Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd’s senior foreign policy advisor, Philip Green.

In particular, H.E. Guterres noted the long-standing contribution of H.E. Quartin-Santos to Timor-Leste, since 1976 working with President Jose Ramos-Hora during his long years of exile.

He also noted the invaluable contributions of lawyer Bernard Collaery, who during the occupation advocated on behalf of Timor-Leste and was legal advisor to the CNRT in the critical period up until formal independence in 2002.

Also acknowledged by H.E. Guterres for their friendship to Timor-Leste were former advisor to then Foreign Minister and later Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta, Janelle Saffin, MP, Senator Julian McGuaran, who was a notable supporter of Timor-Leste at a time when his own party position was in favor of Indonesian occupation, and Australian Capital Territory Deputy Chief Minister, Ms Pam Davoren, Timor-Leste Charge d’Affaires Jorge Camoes, Dr George and Barbara Preston and other guests.

H.E. Guterres said he would convene a further dinner of friends of Timor-Leste in 12 months’ time and until then that he looked forward to working closely with his and Timor-Leste’s friends.

Dr Greg Stewart to work with Dr Dan

2010-06-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

THE strong connection between the people of East Timor and the families of the five newsman killed up at Balibo in 1975 is set to continue soon
when Dr Greg Stewart spends a stint working at the much acclaimed Dr Dan's medical clinic in Dili.

Dr Greg, who works as a GP in the Victorian country town of Daylesford and is the brother of slain newsman Tony Stewart, has previously worked
at the clinic.

He first went to East Timor when the Victorian Government purchased the Flag House in Balibo and it was refurbished as a community service house and it was presented over to the local community in October 2003.

Located in Dili, Dr Dan's Bairo Pite Clinic sees an average of 300 patients per day and is one of the most highly visited health clinics in the country.

Services provided by Bairo Pite Clinic presently include maternity and infant care, vaccinations, tuberculosis (TB), malaria and dengue fever treatment, HIV diagnosis and treatment, in-patient and dental services, health outreach, and training for local health care workers. The clinic also operates a medical laboratory, pharmacy, kitchen and laundry.

Bairo Pite Clinic was previously a military clinic used by the Indonesian government and abandoned when Indonesian forces withdrew from Timor-Leste. The clinic was founded in 1999 by Timor Aid and Dr Dan Murphy and in partnership with AFAP to serve the immediate needs of a population affected by the violence of the Indonesian withdrawal. Bairo Pite Clinic became an independent NGO health clinic in 2001 that provides free health care services to those in need.

To donate funds to Dr Dan's contact Australians For People's Of Asia and the Pacific at:

Email: info@afap.org
Free Call: 1800 007 308
Phone: 02 9906 3792
Write: PO Box 12,
Crows Nest, NSW 1585
Visit: 536 Pacific Highway
St.Leonards, NSW 2065

PNG MEDIA FREEDOM WEEK

2010-05-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

Port Moresby television, network` Kundu 2' broadcast a “movie marathon” recently to celebrate World Press Freedom Day, with several screenings of the movie, ``Balibo'', which tells the story of how the Indonesian army executed five Australian newsmen attempting to report their invasion of East Timor in 1975.

The movie, banned last year in Indonesia, was introduced live in Port Moresby by the Media Council’s special guest, Paul Stewart, himself a long-time journalist, the younger brother of one of the murdered Balibo Five and lead singer of Australian/East Timorese rock band The Dili All-Stars.

``I met many Papuan New Guineans who expressed solidarity with the families of he Balibo five,'' said Stewart. ``Young journalist s at a conference on media freedom even stood in silence for a minute in honor of the fallen newsmen who many regard as media freedom champions. ``I was also asked to write and perform a song about media freedom with leading PNG singer-songwriter George Telek a true legend in his homeland and who regularly yours the world. He is like the Bob Dylan of PNG.''

Each night throughout the week, Kundu 2 broadcast movies and documentaries, including several by the celebrated Australian investigative journalist, John Pilger, which illustrated the theme that the freedom of the media is a vital element of the universal human right of freedom of speech.

In addition, Kundu 2 covered all Media Freedom Week activities for regular news and current affairs programs, and for some special programs during the week.

“This is saturation coverage -- by the end of the week, media freedom will be well on the way to being a household phrase with the idea being cemented into people’s concepts of democracy. If we can achieve that, and reinforce and build on it in succeeding years, we will be fulfilling one of the Council’s key goals,” a spokesman for the PNFG Media Council.

Balibo Fort lease

2010-05-05T05:42:00.000-07:00

Damien, Rae, Rob Hudson and Ricardo Krauskopf recently visited Balibo following the signing of a 15+15 year lease on the Portuguese fort in Balibo, with the intention of developing visitor accommodation there. For years, people have visited balibo, but have had nowhere to stay. It is hoped that the Fort accommodation will address that need, as well as attract weekenders from Dili and tourists increasingly visiting Timor-Leste to the west of the country, where accommodation is still sadly in short and ordinary supply.

The proposal to develop the Fort house and surrounds was initiated by the Friends of Balibo and subsequently taken up by the Balibo House Trust, with the support of the Victorian government.

Initial plans for the accommodation have been drawn up and it is hoped that final plans can be completed within the next few months. Construction is estimated to take up to a year, providing some work for Balibo locals.

Redevelopment of the Balibo kindergarten is also in the planning stages, with funding having been raised for that project. In other works, it is hoped that the proposed Uma Media (Media House) project for Balibo will be able to progress later this year, providing Balibo with a radio station broadcasting to the district.

Balibo Fort House lease to be signed

2010-03-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

The Ministry of Justice has forwarded to the Balibo House Trust a draft lease to be signed to allow work to commence on the development of the Balibo Fort House for visitor accommodation. Plans have been drawn up for the accommodation, including extra bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as the refurbishment of the original house in the fort and the repair of the fort walls.

Damien Kingsbury initially developed the idea for visitor accommodation at the Balibo Fort House two years ago and it now looks like going ahead.

The lease is expected to be signed in late April by former Victorian Premier and adviser to Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, Steve Bracks, and chair of the Balibo House Trust, Rub Hudson, MP.

video from Jessica farrelly, Stewart family

2010-03-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI6vh4NOAlE

Review of 'Balibo'

2010-02-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

Review – By Bruce Honeywill in Dili

Balibo, the movie, has two special Amnesty International screenings in Auckland before going on general New Zealand cinema release on Thursday. The film, banned in Indonesia, tells the story of the murder of five members of two Australian-based television news crews in a tiny East Timorese border village in 1975. The narrative exposes the duplicity of the Australian government – and New Zealand – in covering the truth of the deaths for more than a quarter of a century.

In 2010, I stand on the wall of the old Portuguese fort overlooking the tiny mountain village of Balibo. I was here previously, 10 years ago.

East Timor then, for a short period, was an undeclared territory under United Nations sovereignty. The Indonesian military had just withdrawn after 24 years of occupation. As the Indonesian forces withdrew in late 1999, they and pro-Indonesian militia put the tiny impoverished nation to the torch in one of the horrors of recent history.

I worked for a time with journalist/author Jill Jolliffe filming eyewitness accounts of various witnesses to the violent deaths of these five journalists and camera crew. I followed, with my camera, witnesses’ graphic descriptions of the last minutes of the lives of the group now known as the Balibo Five.

The witnesses came from both the defending East Timorese military (Falantil) and pro-Indonesian militia working with Indonesian special forces. The witnesses described how the news crews were killed by the bullet and blade of the Indonesian military and its supporters.

These witness accounts added to the volumes of research collected by Jolliffe in what became her life obsession to see the truth of her colleagues’ deaths revealed.
Journalist Jill Jolliffe's original book Cover-Up has been republished as Balibo.

Jolliffe’s ensuing book Cover-Up not only told the story of the murders of the members of the news crews but exposed the complicity of the then Australian Labor government with the United States and Britain, in tacitly supporting the invasion of East Timor by Suharto’s Indonesia.

The book particularly focused on the Australian government’s “cover-up” of the truth of the deaths of the Balibo Five.

Chillingly accurate
The story of the Balibo Five was taken by screen writer/director Robert Connolly and producer John Maynard to become the feature film Balibo.

While honed to a partly fictional narrative to meet market expectations, the accounts of the deaths of the journalists and crew are chillingly accurate to the eyewitness accounts.

The Balibo Five working for the Seven and Nine Networks in Australia mirrored the cultural makeup of their grandfathers’ generation at Gallipoli – a Kiwi, three Aussies and a Pom all under the common flag of journalism and the world’s right to know.

The Balibo Five were all in their 20s; they distilled the excitement, anarchy and inexperience of television news in those early decades before the commodification we see today.

The two journalists in particular, Greg Shackleton and Malcolm Rennie, were young and ambitious at a time when the first rule of television journalism was “get the story”. The second rule “get the story first”.

Cameraman Gary Cunningham was born in Wellington in 1947. Described as “a big, affable fellow”, Cunningham worked with the New Zealand National Film Unit in Dunedin. He was seconded to the NZ Broadcasting Corporation as a news cameraman where he won an award for his coverage of the Wahine ferry disaster.

Cunningham moved to Australia to further his love of news cinematography. After two years at the Nine Network he moved to Channel Seven in whose employment he remained until his death.

Tragic heart

While the story of the murders of the Balibo Five is the throbbing, tragic heart of the film, the narrative follows the exploits of another journalist, Roger East (Anthony Lapaglia). The story of the events leading up to and following the death of the Balibo Five is seen through the eyes of East and his interactions with a young José Ramos Horta played by Oscar Isaac.

The premise for the film is a videtaped investigative interview with a fictional Juliana, beautifully played by Bea Viegas, an East Timorese woman in her first acting role. Juliana describes how she, as a girl, watched Roger East’s execution on the wharf at Dili.

The Balibo Five are strongly played by Damon Gameau (Shackleton), Gyton Grantley (Cunningham), Mark Winter (Tony Stewart), Nathan Phillips (Rennie) and Thomas Wright as Brian Peters. The cinematic approach uses hand-held cameras with high grain film for the Balibo Five story that interweaves with the more traditionally shot Roger East narrative.

The skilled depths of Lapaglia’s acting and his obvious passion for the project drives the story through the few little bumps brought about by the challenges of filming on location in Dili and Balibo (although the actual death scenes had to be filmed in Darwin as the reality was considered too violent for the still traumatised East Timorese of the border towns).

Deep duplicity
This film tells a story of deep duplicity of powerful governments prepared to throw away ethical and moral responsibilities for political expediency.

It is a film of journalists at work, and sends the message that when the proverbial “hits the fan” we are all on our own.

There are a couple of interesting sidelights to the film. The East Timorese video cameraman filming the evidence of Juliana is none other than José Belo, today’s most outspoken journalist in East Timor and who won the Café Pacific award for free speech. (Balibo won the film category).

The person playing the Tetum-speaking Australian investigator is Major Michael Stone, former SAS and now military advisor to the President of East Timor, José Ramos Horta.

Here in Balibo, 2010, from my perch high on the wall of the fort I see the little town of Balibo below me: The ‘Australian Flag House’ where Greg Shackleton famously painted the Australian flag in the mistaken belief this would protect him and his colleagues, now a monument to the memory of the Balibo Five.

Death house
Across the square, the “death house” is empty and crumbling. Here in 2000 I filmed recent bullet holes, lipstick “kiss marks” revealing this was a “kissing wall” – a place of rape and murder of women, and the iconic parachute emblem of Kopassus (Indonesian special forces).

Today the old house is starting to fall in on itself as if the load of horrors over a quarter of a century is too much for the architecture.

Out across the mountains, rain clouds flume through the valleys. Corn, green with the Wet Season, grows right up to the fort wall.

I ponder on Balibo the Movie in apposition to the real Balibo beneath me. I am no film critic, just a journalist who has paid to see, in Australia, the film three times.

This is a film that everybody in the Asia-Pacific region should see. It’s a story of the counterpoint to powerful “sheriff nations” and emerging nations with aspirations of freedom. It’s a story about how the affluent can be blind to hardship, poverty and violence less than an hour distant from Australia.

This is a film of our corner of the world. Do make the effort.

Bruce Honeywill has been a journalist for 25 years work in print, radio television and online, specialising in social and environmental issues in remote Northern Australia and East Timor. He has also been a journalism educator in Australia and New Zealand.

Jill Jolliffe’s book Cover-Up has been republished under the title of Balibo . Tony Maniaty’s book Shooting Balibo also tells the story. Balibo, the movie. Investigative journalist Peter Cronau, one of the founders of Pacific Media Watch, also has a forthcoming book about Roger East, The Last Reporter.

http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2010/02/media-anzacs-a-film-everybody-in-the-asia-pacific-region-should-see/

Paulie at the Flag House: Koori spirit

2009-12-17T17:51:00.000-08:00

Koori spirit in Balibo

2009-12-17T17:50:00.000-08:00

By Paul Stewart.

The Koori ``spirit’’ has made it all the way to the small East Timorese village of ``BALIBO.’’

At the house where five journalists were murdered by invading Indonesian soldiers in 1975 it gave my great satisfaction recently to place one of Aunty Jan Brown’s Koori `Sprits Of The Dreaming’, above the photo of my brother Tony, 21, the youngest of all the journalists killed.

Aunty Jan, a proud Gumbaynggirr woman, is a true and close friend of my family and her unique hand painted ``Spirits’’ are classic works of art.

She is also a member of the Aboriginal Catholic Social Service (ACSS) who run a Community Centre for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people who live in Western Sydney including the Penrith, Mt Druitt, St Marys and Blacktown areas.
This fantastic bunch of women looks after many people in counseling/healing and support groups or art and craft activities.
``We are inspired by the actions of Mary Mackillop and the way she just helped everyone. She was also a firm believer in all children learning to read and write which we want young Koori kids to do.’’
A few years back I was real sick in hospital waiting for a new liver and was the prayers and messages of support from the women at the ACSS got me through some real tough times.
Readers of the Koori Mail may now be familiar with the incident at ``BALIBO’’ in East Timor, as this year a major film about the event starring Hollywood star Anthony La Paglia was released too much acclaim.
Along with Samson & Delilah it was one of the big winners at the recent Australian Film Institute awards.

I was lucky enough to get a new liver and came out of a hospital to work on the soundtrack for the movie.

A coupe of months back we actually won the 2010 ARIA award for ``Best Soundtrack’’ album where I met leading indigenous singer songwriter and ex-Pearl fisherman Seaman Dan from Broome, who won the award for ``Best World Music’’ album.

This year I got to return to East Timor to deliver some donated guitars but I was determined to get one of Aunty Jan’s Spirits Of The Dreaming up to the BALIBO House which was purchased by the Victorian Government several years ago and set up as a community centre.

While in the capital of East Timor Dili, I met a group of blind musicians who were ``blown away’’ and greatly impressed and encouraged when I played them some of the music of indigenous superstar Gurrumul Yunupingu

What many Kooris may not know is that many East Timorese people consider indigenous Australians their ``cousins.’’

Their elders up there tell their classic song-line story of a huge crocodile that lived in the Top End of Australia.

One day it went for a swim and where it put its head up above the water, became the island of East Timor.

I have been involved with helping the East Timorese in their fight for independence for 25 years now and have produced four compilation charity albums for the mob up there.

Generous and loving indigenous musicians to donate songs for East Timorese young mums, war widows, orphans and students include Archie Roach, Yothu Yindi, Kerri Anne Cox, The Briscoe Sisters, Christine Anu, Black Velvet and Liz Cavanagh.

Many of these albums featured artwork designed by leading Koori artist Donna Brown, also a proud Gumbaynggirr girl.

Big thanks also to the crew at 3 KND (Kool And Deadly) in Melbourne, for all the airplay as well and to Aunty Jan for her DEADLY piece of art

Indonesia’s heavy-handed censorship backfires

2009-12-07T18:35:00.000-08:00

In Indonesian political culture, there was a view that inconvenient or challenging truths should be suppressed in order to retain harmony. This view had largely disappeared from Indonesian political life in the 1950s, but was re-invented by former President Suharto in order to remove challenges to his personalised authoritarian rule between the mid-1960s and the end of the 1990s.

One consequent of this was that Indonesia has refused to accept culpability for the deaths of almost 200,000 people in East Timor between 1975 and 1999. So too Indonesia has steadfastly denied responsibility for the deaths of five Australian based journalists at Balibo in October 1975, maintaining the fiction that they were killed in a cross-fire.

Now, a former Indonesian special forces officer has confirmed what we have known from a range of sources for decades, that the ‘Balibo Five’, as they have become known, were murdered by Indonesian troops to cover up the first moments of Indonesia’s invasion of that tiny territory.

This stark admission by a former Indonesian army officer, who was at the scene of the crime, that the Balibo Five were murdered by Indonesian troops because they were reporting on an illegal invasion follows the banning and then illegal screening of the Australian movie ‘Balibo’ in Jakarta last week.

‘Balibo’ is a dramatised account of the murder of the Balibo Five, and the search for the truth of their murder by another Australian journalist, Roger East, who was himself murdered by Indonesian troops at Dili’s wharf almost two months later.

The Jakarta Foreign Correspondents’ Club intended to screen the movie last week, but was stopped by Indonesia’s censorship board, at the behest of the Indonesian military. An army spokesman has since said that the movie should not be screened because it would damage Indonesia’s international standing and harm Australia-Indonesia relations.

The army spokesman also said that the search for truth over the murder of the Balibo Five should be based on a ‘consensus’ on those events. This idea of ‘consensus’ also harks back to the Suharto era, in which a confluence of views, usually dominated by the most powerful source – the army – displaced verifiable truth.

Despite the army’s attempt to have ‘Balibo’ banned, an Indonesian sub-titled version was privately screened last Thursday night, and has since been screened to audiences of hundreds in Jakarta, including Indonesian journalists, pro-democracy and human rights activists and others . DVDs of the movie will hit Jakarta’s streets soon.

As Indonesia democratises, elements of its former authoritarian rule continue to resurface. As the progenitor for Indonesia’s descent into authoritarian militaristic rule the army has, unsurprisingly, been the slowest and most reluctant institution to reform. Yet the tide of openness that necessarily accompanies democratisation has continued to rise. That a retired Indonesian army officer has finally confirmed what we already knew is surprising only because he has broken ranks on the issue.

Indonesia’s has a profoundly troubled past, one of the smaller parts of which was the murder of the Balibo Five which has become, for outsiders at least, emblematic of the much greater horror visited upon the people of East Timor. There is also the murder of perhaps a half a million or more suspected communists and sympathisers in the mid-1960s, the gross human rights abuses and repression employed in West Papua, Aceh and upon trade unionists, activists and even many ordinary Indonesian citizens who lived under the Suharto regime.

The old political method of suppressing inconvenient truths continues to hold sway in Jakarta, but it is under real challenge. It may be expecting too much to hope for accountability for those responsible for the murder of the Balibo Five, much less the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, who have been murdered, tortured or imprisoned in Indonesia.

But it is encouraging that a film that was intended to open a door to the gross human rights violations in East Timor, through the device of focusing on the deaths of six newsmen, has had the type of impact that was hoped for it. And it is encouraging that the heavy-handed attempt to censor the film has had the opposite effect of burying the truth, but rather helping reveal it.

New developments at Balibo

2009-10-19T15:23:00.001-07:00

Damien and Rae Kingsbury, and Victorian parliamentarian Judith Graley and her husband Stephen, visited Balibo on 6 October to progress plans for the further development of the Flag House and environs. Judith was in Timor-Leste on a scoping mission to assess the options for a parliamentary delegation visiting Timor-Leste in 2010, to begin an on-going dialogue with the parliement of Timor-Leste.

More locally, on behalf of the Balibo House Trust, Damien signed an MOU with the Flag House committee of management convenor, Rogerio Goncalves, and the following day with the Dili-based NGO Belun, committing all three parties to work together for the future of Balibo around the Flag House project. Belun has placed a worker at the Flag House, who will assist the committee of management with planning and seeking sources of funding. The Trust has also committed to providing capital for the development of varous projects associated with the Flag House.

In recent developments, new computers bought by the Trust have been installed by InfoTimor, and discussions are underway concerning the establishment of a satellite up-link to provide internet access to the Flag House. A new, larger generator was also recently installed, providing adequate reliable power for all the Flag House needs.

Damien Kingsbury took to the Flag House a framed poster from the movie 'Balibo' which had been signed by the cast and director. This is intended to hang above the pictures of the 'Balibo Five' and Roger East in the Flag House front room. InfoTimor has said it will soon take a copy of the movie 'Balibo', dubbed in Tetum, and hold a public screening in the town.

The Trust was also recently approached by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) about establishing an 'Uma Media' (Media House) at the Flag House. This move was supported by the Trust and has received in-principle support from the management committee. ICFJ representative Emmanuel Braz will hold further discussions about the establishment of the Uma Media at the Flag House, including a news and information gathering and distribution network and a small radio station. If the Uma media project goes ahead, the ICFJ will employ a local person to be a full-time worker at the Flag House.

Similar Uma Media have been established elsewhere in Timor-Leste and the proposal looks to be able to add yet another important and exciting element to the work that is going on in conjunction with the Flag House.

Funds were recently raised by a melbourne Rotary branch to help with the refurbishment of the kindergarten, which continues to be in need of repair, especially the fencing and playground. It is hoped work on this project can commence early in 2010.

Discussions also continue with the Ministry of State Administration about the refurbishment of the house in the old Portugese fort for visitors. People coming to Balibo for training from outlying villages often require a place to stay, and it is hoped that the 'Fort House' will be able to provide such accommodation, as well as for visitors and tourists coming from Dili and further afield. There is an in-principle agreement to develop the Fort House, with some technical details now being worked through.

At one level, progress on these projects seems too slow, perhaps more reflecting the impatience and excitement of the those involved. But after something of a lull in developing new projects at the Flag House, there is again significant movement, with 2010 holding the prospect of new, large developments for the Balibo community.

2009-09-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

2009-09-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

Visit to Balibo June 2009

2009-09-14T15:17:00.001-07:00

REPORT ON TRIP TO TIMOR LESTE - JUNE 2009 – Rob Hudson, Chairman, Balibo House Trust, Member Friends of Balibo

I travelled to Timor Leste, (East Timor) for six days from the 24th June to 4th July, 2009 as Chair of the Balibo House Trust. The purpose of the visit was to meet with Trust partners World Vision Timor Leste, Belun and the Balibo House Community Learning Centre Community Management Committee to develop a forward plan and funding agreements for the Balibo CLC for the next three years.

I was accompanied on the trip by Damien Kingsbury, Trust Board Member and Convenor of the Friends of Balibo Network and Rae Kingsbury, Convenor, Australian Timor-Leste Friendship Network.

TRUST MEETINGS

WORLD VISION EAST TIMOR

We first met with World Vision Timor-Leste (WVTL) National Director Stephen Harries, and ADP Program Officer, Try Laksano Harysantoso.

For the last six years the Balibo House Trust has formed a partnership for the delivery of programs and services at the Balibo CLC with World Vision Australia and World Vision Timor-Leste. In June 2008, WVLT indicated that it would be ending its association with the Balibo CLC and refocussing its efforts on maternal and child health, nutrition, water, sanitation and agricultural programs.

At that time, WVTL agreed that it would provide transitional funding to support the Balibo CLC until September 2009 and would facilitate a transition to a new partnership between Belun, the local Community Management Committee and the Trust. The main purpose of the meeting was to finalise these transitional arrangements.

There was a wide ranging discussion about the activities of the Balibo CLC.

Try Laksano made the following observations:

 The Balibo CMC has rented two rooms in the CLC to Belun. One is used by Belun as an office and the other is used by the worker, Serpa dos Santos, to sleep in during the week. On the weekends he returns home to Maliana.

 There is still a need to build the capacity of the Balibo CLC Community Management Committee in financial matters. One of the barriers is that a number of the CMC are civil servants and therefore do not have a lot of spare time to devote to the CLC.

 There is the potential for the Balibo CLC to look at income generation opportunities in areas such as providing facilities for local events and parties. This could include the hire of chairs, crockery, kitchen utensils, marquees and a generator.

 The young people’s music band that operates from the house and plays at parties needs an electronic keyboard to complement the guitars provided by Paul Stewart.

 The furniture workshop and the motor mechanics workshop are going well and have made a profit of US$500 since October 2008. There is the potential to expand this source of income generation. There are five regular participants in the furniture making workshop and seven in mechanics.

 The sewing machines are being taken out from the Balibo CLC and sewing classes are being provided in the outlying villages.

 There is a need for a permanent house toilet.

 The water pump for the well doesn’t work and needs to be replaced.

 The library needs some new books for children. One possible source could be CARE International (near the Biro Pite Health Clinic in Dili), which has a monthly magazine for children.

 There is a strong local desire for English classes, but appropriate English teachers willing to come to Balibo are hard to find.

 Opportunities to sell the Balibo movie DVD from the house should be explored following the general release of the movie. The Trust should also look at an audio visual display in the memorial section of the house and the production of a local tourist brochure.

 There is a need for a new, more powerful diesel generator which would be cheaper to run. For 8 hours a day, the current generator costs about US$450 per month to run.

The main outcomes from the meeting were:

 WVTL agreed to purchase a new, more powerful generator for the Balibo CLC from the available transitional funds.

 WVTL agreed that even though the Balibo CLC Budget was underspent, all the remaining funds would be applied to Balibo CLC programs and activities.

BELUN

We also met with Luis Ximenes, Director, Rebecca Engel, Principal Adviser, Andrew Marriott, Program Manager and Dominica, Finance Administrator, at Belun.

Belun specialises in building the capacity of civil society in areas such as organisation, finance, administration and leadership.

The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss how the transitional arrangements from World Vision East Timor to Belun were proceeding, future funding for the Balibo CLC and a possible Memorandum of Understanding, (see Appendix B), between Belun and the Balibo House Trust.

At the meeting we were informed that:

 The current operational Budget of the Balibo CLC is US$21, 911. Belun contributes 50% of this funding and WVTL 50%. WVTL also currently provides a car and pays for a security guard at the House.

 The four volunteer Program Managers at the Balibo CLC receive some payment from Belun, (5% of income generation activities). The Trainers are paid US$80 per month.

 Computer training is provided free for 3 months. After this there is a small charge.

 The worker based at the Balibo CLC, Serpa Dos Santos, spends around 75% of his time on Community Learning Centre activities. The remainder of the time he works on land title issues and conflict resolution as part of the Early Warning and Response (EWAR) conflict resolution program run by Belun.

 Belun cancels training for the Balibo CMC if Committee Members are unable to attend. A number of the civil servants on the Committee often get caught up on government business.

 It is not yet clear what the programmatic sources of funds for the Balibo CLC from the Government of Timor-Leste could be. Possibilities in the future could be the Civil Society Program from the Ministry of Justice or the Decentralisation Program. However, this will not be rolled out until well after the local government elections and new local administration is established. Another possible source of funds could be AusAID.

 The crèche, including its roof, needs refurbishment. Belun tried to obtain funding from UNIMET for this, but was referred back to the Department of Education. At this point the proposal has not been funded.

A draft of the proposed MOU between Belun and the Balibo House Trust was subsequently discussed with Rebecca Engel and Luis Ximenes, (see Appendix 1).

THE MINISTRY OF STATE ADMINISTRATION

We held a meeting with Mr Abelio Caetano, Director of State Administration in the Government of Timor-Leste.

The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss the possibility of utilising former administrative buildings or land at or near the old Portuguese fort in Balibo to provide visitor accommodation.

The Director indicated he was supportive of this proposal, as did the Minister for State Administration, Archangelo Leite, in a subsequent discussion.
A subsequent meeting was held with Mr Domingos, the District Administrator for Bobonaro, and Mr Paulo Soares, the Sub-District Administrator for Balibo, on the visit to the Balibo CLC.

The Sub District Administrator revealed that the former administration buildings at the fort were occupied by sub-district administration workers, although it was not clear on what basis.

However, land on which government buildings had previously stood below the fort as well as land with a burnt out building and on the opposite hill adjacent to the square were identified as suitable for constructing new visitor accommodation.

Local Council Elections – December 2009

Following Local Council election in November, there will be two elected leaders in the Bobonaro District; the Mayor and the President of the Local Assembly, who will be elected by the Councillors. The elected Mayor in effect replaces the District Administrator. Councillors themselves will be elected from a list provided by the competing political parties at the elections.

It is anticipated that Local Councils will have three sources of income: per capita funding, tied grants and council rates. Other sources will include the funding that is provided by Friendship Groups.

Local government will provide:

 basic health services such as community health, immunisation and child health, but not medical clinics
 Water and sanitation
 Core administrative functions

Education services and programs will continue to be delivered by the government of Timor-Leste.

BALIBO CLC COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (CMC)

A meeting was also held with the Chair of the Balibo CLC Community Management Committee, (CMC), Rogerio Gonscalves, some CMC members and the local Belun worker, Serpa Dos Santos.

The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss the current program of activities at the Balibo CLC, discuss the next three year Strategic Plan and inspect the CLC and possible sites for visitor accommodation in Balibo.

At the meeting we were informed that:

 The current number of regular participants in Balibo CLC programs is: computer training-24; carpentry and furniture making-5; motor mechanics-7; sewing classes-10; the crèche- 40 to 50. (Since the visit, 8 new computers with new software, training, maintenance and support have been installed by Info East Timor, funded by the Trust).

 In relation to the crèche, there is a need to provide toys and other educational materials for the children and to refurbish the building and playground. At the moment there are some problems with adjacent building works that are spilling over into the crèche playground.

 The CMC would be interested in the proposed visitor accommodation at Balibo. The CMC indicated that it could also provide overnight accommodation for outlying villagers who come some distance to the CLC for training and cannot return home in one day.

 The Balibo CMC is elected for two years until October 2010. The CMC were concerned that if they prepared a 3 year Strategic Plan for the CLC they may not be around to implement it after new elections in October 2010. Nevertheless, the CMC agreed to prepare such a Plan outlining their priorities in conjunction with Belun.

 The CMC were interested in becoming incorporated as an NGO in 2010.

AUSTRALIAN VOLUNTEERS INTERNATIONAL (AVI)

A meeting was held with Glenda Laslett, the AVI Country Manager for Timor Leste in Dili, to talk about the possibility of basing an AVI volunteer at the Balibo CLC.

There are currently 17 AVI volunteers in Timor-Leste. Each volunteer costs AVI around $25,000 per annum. AVI provides each volunteer with a living allowance and an accommodation allowance.

Each volunteer also needs infrastructure support, including transportation, a secure place to live and desirably, email capacity.

Glenda stressed that an AVI volunteer in Balibo would need to be self sufficient, used to working with minimal contact with other westerners in remote locations. Training and organisational support skills are also necessary.

Glenda was replaced by Martina Shanahan on July 6th 2009. Martina has previously worked in Southern Sudan, Uganda, Sri Lanka and conducted civil society work with the support of Irish Aid.

CONCLUSION

To be sustainable in the long term, the Balibo CLC needs four key ingredients:

1. Community buy–in and ownership by local people in the Balibo sub-district.

2. A plan with a vision and a strategy that is jointly shared by the Balibo House Trust, the Community Management Committee and Belun.

3. An external focus on the needs of the village of Balibo and the surrounding sub-district.

4. A sustainable organisational and funding model.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

That the Balibo House Trust:

1. Finalise the draft Memorandum of Understanding with its partners, Belun and the Balibo CLC Community Management Committee.

2. Work with Belun and the Community Management Committee to finalise a Strategic Plan for the Balibo CLC by December 2009.

3. Work with its partners to source funds for the refurbishment of the crèche building and playground as soon as possible.

4. Work its partners and the governments of Timor Leste and Victoria to establish visitor accommodation at Balibo.

5. Negotiate with Australian Volunteers International for the placement of a volunteer with the Balibo CMC.

APPENDIX B:

DRAFT JOINT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BALIBO HOUSE TRUST, BELUN AND THE BALIBO COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

INTRODUCTION

The Balibo Community Management Committee (CMC), Belun and the Balibo House Trust agree to work in partnership with the Balibo community for the next four years up to October 2013.

The Balibo CMC, Belun and the Balibo House Trust will jointly work to develop a Strategic Plan for the development of the Balibo Community Learning Centre over the next four years.

Work on the Plan will be initiated by the Balibo CMC in partnership with Belun in August 2009.

Final agreement on the Plan will be reached between all three parties by December 2009.

Each party to this agreement makes the following commitments:

THE BALIBO HOUSE TRUST

The Balibo House Trust is committed to work with the people of the Balibo Sub-District in accordance with the Trust’s purposes, (see Appendix A).

The Balibo House Trust is committed to provide all funding necessary for the maintenance and refurbishment of the Balibo CLC and its associated grounds and buildings.

The Balibo House Trust will provide funding for new capital equipment and buildings jointly agreed between the Trust, the Balibo CMC and Belun.

The Balibo House Trust will work with the Department of State Administration in Timor Leste, the Balibo CMC and Belun to build an accommodation facility that could assist in providing accommodation for visiting CLC participants from the surrounding Balibo Sub District, the Belun staff member and other visitors to the area.

The Balibo Houst Trust will seek interim support for Belun and the CMC during the strategic planning phase after which any recurrent costs will need to be generated by Belun with the support of Balibo House Trust.

THE BALIBO COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

The Balibo CMC, with the support of Belun will engage with and consult the villages of the Balibo Sub-District to ascertain their priorities for the work of the Community Learning Centre and will wherever feasible incorporate them into the four year Strategic Plan.

The Balibo Management Committee will adjust and/or revise its organisational procedures and by-laws necessary for good governance of the Balibo CLC and as a result of its community consultation process.

The Balibo CMC will maintain the Community Learning Centre in good order and provide a security guard to protect the assets of the CLC at night.

The Balibo CMC will make every effort to ensure that the CLC is opened during the day for visiting tourists.

The Balibo CMC will provide an office in the CLC for the use of Belun at an agreed yearly rental.

The Balibo CMC will explore further opportunities for income generation through the activities of the Balibo CLC.

The Balibo CMC will conduct elections for positions on the Management Committee every two years in accordance with its organisational procedures and by-laws.

BELUN

Belun is committed to work with the people of the Balibo Sub-District in accordance with Belen’s strategic plan for the Conflict Early Warning and Response Program in the District, (see attachment).

Belun, with the support of the Balibo House Trust, will facilitate a strategic planning process with the CMC and in consultation with the Balibo Sub-District community.

Belun will seek to secure and provide funding to meet the recurrent costs of the Balibo CLC in accordance with the agreed Strategic Plan and Budget.

The funding will be at least equivalent to the current Budget for the Balibo CLC for the year September 2008 to September 2009.

Belun will provide at least one part-time staff member to support the work of the Balibo CLC and help facilitate decision-making and the implementation of decisions by the Balibo CMC.

Belun will facilitate organizational development workshops/ training opportunities for the CMC and Learning Centre program staff on finance, administration, leadership and conflict prevention and resolution.

2009-09-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

Another test for Australia-Indonesia relations

2009-09-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

The Australian Federal Police announcement that it will investigate charges of war crimes against perpetrators of the murder of five Australian based journalists in the East Timorese town of Balibo in 1975 has put a legal cat among the diplomatic pigeons. Already senior Indonesian politicians have objected, saying they will not cooperate with such an investigation, while the Australian government and department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is going into a now well practiced mode of damage control.

The Australian government, including PM Rudd and Foreign Minister Smith, have predictably – and correctly - said that the matter is a judicial one that does not involve political intervention. Indonesia’s President Yudhoyono is likely to say much the same, although a government spokesman has already reacted with some hostility.

The questions now are whether AFP members will need to travel to Indonesia to collect evidence and be allowed to do so, whether charges will ultimately be laid, and whether Indonesian courts will uphold the provisions of an extradition treaty to allow those who may be charged to be tried in Australia.

One objection to the investigation, from Indonesia as well as from some pundits in Australia, is that the crime was committed too long ago and should not now be allowed to disrupt otherwise good bilateral relations. Some also note that the Indonesia of 2009 is a much improved place over that of 1975.

Indonesia is indeed democratising, and paying much greater respect to the rule of law. It is also true that Indonesia’s statute of limitations for conventional criminal charges has been exceeded. However, under international war crimes provisions, there is no statute of limitations; witness the pursuit of war criminals decades after the end of World War II, and from Pol Pot’s Cambodia.

Further, for Indonesia’s democracy to be more than procedural, impunity from rule of law must cease. Indonesia has a long history of unresolved gross human rights violations, and cooperating with the AFP investigation would be one important step in ending that culture of impunity.

However, many in Indonesia remain untrusting of Australia’s intentions, do not accept the separation of powers between government and judicial processes, and are in many cases still mired in authoritarian thinking. The reality is that if charges are finally laid – and this is by no means a certainty – then extradition from Indonesia will still face a large and probably insurmountable hurdle.

In the meantime, the roller-coaster that is the Australia-Indonesia bilateral relationship is again plummeting, and its much-touted ‘maturity’, and that of the respective political leaders, will be tested on the way down.

Associate Professor Damien Kingsbury is from the School of International and
Political Studies at Deakin University, and is a member of the Balibo House Trust http://balibohouse.com/

Movie 'Bablibo' to be dubbed in Tetum

2009-08-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

TETUN VERSION OF BALIBO MOVIE TO BE RELEASED.
``The Stewart family are thrilled that in the new East Timorese dubbed version of Robert Connelly's ``BALIBO'' movie the voice of our brother and son Tony Stewart will be played by our long time East Timorese friend and founder of The Dili Allstars, Gil Santos.

The voice of East Timor's then young Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta will be played by East Timorese actor Alex Tilman who starred in the Australian/Canadian tele-movie ``Answered By Fire'' several years ago.

Producer John Maynard said he would leave for East Timor soon with the new version of the movie proudly boasting that it featured 100 per cent Tetun dialogue apart from a few words in English spoken by Gough Whitlam.

``The East Timorese Government have purchased a 20 foot screen and a couple of large sound speakers and we will screen the movie in seven different locations. In some areas where we show the film it will be the first time ever the locals will have seen a big movie so it should be a real thrill for them,'' he said recently.

``It has also been announced that the film will be screened at this year's Toronto Film Festival.''

Producer Maynard, actor Damon Gameau and Dili Allstar Paul Stewart will all attend a charity screening of the movie at
Sydney's Cremorne Orpheum on Monday August 31.

Money raised on the night wll go to the Alma Nuns who look after disabled children in East Timor.

Paul Stewart
paulieboys@mac.com

2009-08-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

2009-08-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

Timor Ten Years After

2009-08-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

Damien Kingsbury*

On Sunday (30 August), it will be 10 years since the people of East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia. Following 24 years in which more than a quarter of the population was killed or died as result of the occupation, the vote of almost 80 per cent in favor of independence was not surprising.

What was extraordinary was that in what had become a war zone, 98.6 per cent of registered voters turned out to vote. Many had trekked long distances over rough tracks, coming down from the relative safety of the mountains to line up before dawn at polling stations across the territory.

Heavily armed Indonesian police and soldiers stood at, and inside, polling centres. The Indonesian army’s proxy militias strolled in and out intimidating voters. In the village of Balibo, Indonesian intelligence officers directed the Halilintar (Lightning) militia and paid cash to ‘voters’ trucked in from West Timor.

Yet wearing their best clothes, the East Timorese defiantly voted, before returning to their homes or to the mountains.

By early afternoon on the 30th, the first polling station, at the village of Ritabou, near the troubled town of Maliana, was already in flames. Thus ended the brief hours of ‘truce’ that divided the violence leading up to the ballot and that which followed it. An orgy of violence and destruction spread from there, engulfing whole communities, a whole people.

At Maliana, the people had been told they would be safe at the police station. Once inside, the police helped the militias stage a massacre. Hundreds were similarly murdered at the cathedral in Suai on the south coast. Balibo on ballot day had been dangerous. A few days later, it was the scene of another massacre, of students trying to return to Dili.

Officially, around 1,4000 people were said to have been killed across East Timor, although many more have never been accounted for. Unofficially, the UN Serious Crimes Unit investigating these war crimes estimated that three to four thousand people were murdered, their bodies believed to be buried across the West Timor border or dumped at sea.

In a clever strategy of intimidation, ballot observers and UN staff had been directly threatened but rarely harmed. Yet the day after the ballot, my house in Maliana was in flames. At one of 13 militia roadblocks between Maliana and Dili, a screaming militia member affected by drugs and alcohol put an M-16 rifle to my head. The TNI gave the militias amphetamines the locals called ‘anjing gila’ (‘mad dog’), describing its effect. East Timor began to burn more furiously with the police, sent under a deal with the UN to protect it, standing by and watching, or helping to burn it.

After the 30th, our observer group had been leaving as they could, the last main group going out on the 4th of September on the deck of a refugee filled cargo boat, leaving the port under gunfire as the flames spread. In the following days, a third of the population was forced at gunpoint across the border to become hostages, and more fled to the hills.

It was only the strength of public Australian feeling that forced the deeply reluctant Howard government to form Interfet, and an American requirement that Australia lead it. After the TNI and militias withdrew across the border, the first emergency months were devoted to keeping people alive. The hard work started after that.

In the lead up to the ballot, the expectations of independence had been impossibly high. The reality disappointed, as it so often has after a semi-competent colonial power departs, taking administrative capacity, jobs and money with it.
Indonesia not only pulled out its trained staff, but murdered many of the few skilled people who would have remained. More than 70 per cent of the country was burned and, beyond a few roads, there was no infrastructure to speak of left.

After promising the people of East Timor that it would not leave, the UN returned to begin building a new country. It brought very mixed skills and interest and consequently produced very mixed results. As local and returning elites vied for greater political control, the UN was only too happy to hand over power and then withdraw too early.

The result was a fledgling government with limited capacity faced with growing disenchantment and dissent. The dominant group in the government, including the prime minister, Mari Alkatiri, had received their political training in Mozambique, which was not known for its tolerance or pluralism. In the face of dissent, the government increasingly trended towards authoritarian responses.

The people of East Timor had, however, not voted out Indonesia to replace it with domestic authoritarianism, but the party of government, Fretilin, had wrapped itself in the cloak of independence. The stage was set for a split, which in 2006 almost plunged the fledgling country into civil war.

Having left too soon, the international community returned, elections scheduled for 2007 were held and the government was changed. Despite some post-election violence, the situation increasingly settled.

Particularly in 2008 and into 2009, the economy has grown, largely due to government spending on the back of oil receipts. The drought that had plagued recent years also ended and the markets are again full of food, in part assisted by government purchases of subsidised rice. Public works and infrastructure development is visible, notably in Dili.

A sense of security and stability has returned to East Timor. After two years when people would not venture out after dark, public life in the evening has returned to Dili, and other centres are even more tranquil.

East Timor continues to face many obstacles. It takes many years to turn around illiteracy and limited health care, and economic growth, while good at 13 per cent, is still off a very low base.

But East Timor is not a failed state and is decreasingly likely to become so. It has overcome the common post-colonial challenge of slipping into an easy authoritarianism. There have been elections and democratic consolidation. Its people have embraced electoral politics, voluntarily turning out for elections in numbers equal to compulsory voting in proudly democratic Australia.

It is ten years since the brutality and destruction surrounding East Timor’s brave and defiant vote for independence. There have been difficulties over that decade, hardly surprising given this nation’s traumatic birth.

Ten years on, East Timor is a small country and still vulnerable, but after the Indonesian occupation, and the events of 1999, its people are now beginning to enjoy at least some of the fruits of political freedom.

*Associate Professor Damien Kingsbury, of the School of International and Political Studies at Deakin University, is author of ‘East Timor: The Price of Liberty’ (Palgrave, 2009). He was in-country coordinator of the 1999 Australian non-government observer group, and again for the 2007 elections.

Guitars to Timor-Leste, Five to Balibo

2009-06-03T17:51:00.000-07:00

From Paul Stewart

WHEN my band mate Gil Santos lost his father in the 1975 Indonesian
invasion all he was left with was his Dad's ``soccer ball and guitar.''
It was fitting really because music is such a vital part of life too
many Timorese as we found out on a recent return visit to East Timor
where Gil and I distributed 30 donated guitars to groups of blind,
disabled and struggling musicians.
Giving a kid a guitar in Timor is like giving them a car, such is the
joy and wide eyed rapture at such a gift.
Amongst the 30 guitars, we thought it only fitting to take five
guitars up to the Balibo House to donate one for each of the
journalists lost there in 1975.
It was a great trip and house manager Rogerio gladly accepted the
instruments.
Once again, though any visit to East Timor only opens you up to other
worthy fund raising tasks,
For example in Dili we met the Alma Nuns who look after the disabled
kids of Timor Leste.
Unfortunately for the Sisters their work load is an equation that
just does not add up.
Afterall, there are hundreds of disabled children, four nuns and they
own only one tiny motor scooter.
The spirit may be willing but it just does not add up for the ALMA nuns.
The four nuns of this religious order, inspired by the work of Mother
Teresa, fight a constant battle against the numbers in their
inspirational work looking after the disabled children of the former
Portuguese colony who are described in social terms as ``the lowest
of the low.’’
Raising a disabled child is hard enough to contemplate in well to do
Australia but in one of the world’s newest and poorest nations it is
just a nightmare.
The nuns of the ALMA order are attempting to help the parents of
disabled children with their help but because of their limited means
of transport they just cannot get around to visiting enough kids.
ALMA is an acronym for " Asossiasi Lembaga Misionaris Awam", which
means Association of Lay Missionaries for the poor and the disabled).
The Nuns who consecrate themselves completely to Christ and the
Kingdom of God, serve only the most disadvantaged children (the poor,
the abandoned, the disabled) and live amongst them in togetherness in
the community.
The sisters task is to help and to empower the abandoned, poor and
disabled helping along the way to change the mentality of the
community towards them.
They are under the jurisdiction of Bishop Dili and their mission has
been operation in for three years.
At the homes they do visit the Sisters perform physiotherapy on the
disabled children and then instruct the parents of the disabled child
to do the same.
Their work is showing great results.
On a recent visit around the back blocks of Dili with the Sisters I
met a young chap called ``Lorenzo’’ who could now sit in a chair and
perform tasks his crippled body just would not let him perform until
he started therapy with the nuns.
Unfortunately, the Sisters say they cannot keep up with the huge
demand for their services.
East Timorese Alma Nun Sister Justine said the order had only the use
of one tiny motor scooter.
``If we had a four wheel car with a tray we could do a lot, lot more
work,’’ she sighed.
``We could even get out into the countryside to visit the really
disadvantaged disabled children.
``It would be a miracle if Australian Christians could help us get a
vehicle. Not brand new just one to help us with our work.’’
A leading East Timorese Government official Joaquim Santos has said
he would purchase a good vehicle for the nuns from a credible Dili
second hand car dealer.
``We would just need about $10,000 in funds,’’ he said.
``While the world is going through tough economic times and money is
tight for everyone these kids need a lot more help than most.’’
The Jesuit’s have come to the party agreeing to get funds to the nuns
via their Dili office.
Those wishing to making a donation should send funds to ``ALMA Nuns
East Timor’’ c/o The Jesuit Mission, P.O. Box 193 (31 West Street)
North Sydney NSW 2059 AUSTRALIA.

‘Balibo’: film, truth and justice

2009-05-23T23:18:00.000-07:00

The movie ‘Balibo’ headlining the coming Melbourne International Film Festival will again put in the spotlight the murder and its cover-up of six Australian based journalists in East Timor in 1975 - five in the border village of Balibo and one in Dili eight weeks later.

There will be some who argue that the events depicted in ‘Balibo’ are now part of history, that again raising this issue serves no productive purpose and, perhaps, that we still don’t know what really happened in that remote border village on 16 October 1975.

Despite these often self-serving objections, what ‘Balibo’ does remind us of is that grave crimes have gone unpunished. It also shows that the mistakes of our governments still reverberate, and its continued inability to be honest about these events tells us much about the difference between the type of society we think we live in, and that which we actually live in. As a society, we retain a stain that can only be removed with the application of transparency and accountability.

On 16 October 1975, Indonesian special forces led by Yunus Yosfiah murdered Australian-based journalists Greg Shackleton, Tony Stewart, Gary Cunningham, Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie, who were reporting on Indonesia’s then covert invasion of East Timor. Roger East, who went to investigate their deaths, was murdered in Dili during the formal invasion, eight weeks later, on 7 December.

‘Balibo’ recreates these events, and the circumstances around them, with great skill and accuracy. But more than simply telling a story, ‘Balibo’ reminds us that the Indonesian military commanders who thereafter perpetrated massive crimes in East Timor continue to lead lives of impunity. As with the crimes against humanity that were pursued for decades after World War II, the crimes committed in East Timor have not disappeared because of the passage of time. It is simply that their perpetrators have managed to evade justice.

As a movie, ‘Balibo’ is confronting, heart-wrenching, and raises a sense of legitimate anger. These responses parallel how many Australians responded to events in East Timor in 1999, when by their numbers they compelled the Australian government to finally intervene.

Such responses also parallel how many Australians felt in 1975, and in the years since. If the concerns of 1975 faded, it was because our governments so effectively covered-up the truth of these events, and the horrors subsequently perpetrated upon the people of East Timor. The Indonesian government led that complicity, culminating in the carnage and its ignominious departure from East Timor in 1999. But our own governments, under Whitlam, Fraser, Hawke, Keating and Howard, participated in that complicity.

The movie ‘Balibo’ also captures the reality that East Timor’s its people were just ordinary human beings caught in terrible circumstances. The scenes, too, in the forests and of streams, over the steep mountains and of the sea and sky are so accurate because they are East Timor. Dili’s emblematic Hotel Turismo had, and retains, the atmosphere of a Graeme Greene novel.

‘Balibo’s’ critics will attack it not for its art, but citing that Australia’s relationship with Indonesia is, these days, positive, and East Timor is now an independent state with its own aspirations and struggles. What they are unlikely to admit it that the problems that East Timor has endured since independence have been rooted in its brutal past.

Importantly, too, two of the generals who were so instrumental in East Timor’s misery are now competing for Indonesia’s vice-presidency. Wiranto and Prabowo Subianto were not expected to be successful, but that men who might legitimately face charges of crimes against humanity could run for office a heart-beat from leading Indonesia speaks volumes. This impunity continues to gnaw at the people of East Timor, as well as the families and friends of the murdered Australian journalists.

On grounds of truth, it is difficult to fault director Robert Connelly’s film, from the order and accuracy of events to the dress of the characters. Colonel Dading Kabualdi is shown to murder Brian Peters, although it was Yunus Yosfiah who fired the shot, if on Dading’s orders. On the back of his gruesome work in East Timor, Yunus rose to become a Lieutenant-General, and later Indonesia’s information minister.

The remnants of Australia’s discredited ‘Jakarta Lobby’ might claim that its depictions have not yet been proven. Yet the now formally recorded eye-witness accounts have become too overwhelming for any doubt to remain. The 86 people, including Roger East, murdered on Dili wharf on 7 December 1975, is known because others who lived were made to count as they were shot.

In the following few years, somewhere between a quarter and a third of East Timor’s population were killed or died of starvation or preventable disease, establishing a record of brutality matching that of Pol Pot’s Cambodia. ‘Balibo’ takes us back to the first fearful moments of that unimaginable human catastrophe, precipitating that which followed.

Connolly is to be congratulated for creating, with ‘Balibo’, a landmark piece of Australian cinematography. He is also to be congratulated for reminding us of crimes still unpunished and of wounds that, without justice, remain unhealed.

Pictures from Paul's visit to Balibo, with the gift of guitars

2009-05-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

2009-05-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

Paul Stewart at Balibo, with a gift of guitars

2009-05-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

Another visit to Balibo

2009-03-04T02:07:00.000-08:00

Damien Kingsbury and Rae Perry visited Balibo on 24 and 25 February, meeting with Rogerio Goncalves of the Balibo Flag House Committee of Management, and others in the town. Despite numerous trips to Timor-Leste, it was Rae's first visit to Balibo since 30 August 1999, when Rae visited as an observer with the Australian Parliamentary delegation to the 'popular consultation', otherwise known as the vote of self-determination which allowed East Timor to finally achieve independence.

This visit focused primarily on discussions around the possibility of establishing the house in the old Portuguese fort as a home-stay for visitors, given there is no accommodation in Balibo at this time. The idea of establishing a home-stay in the fort house has been favorably received by the government of Timor-Leste, although there are numerous issues to sort through before this can become a real possibility. Damien also talked with locals about issues of language, which were raised in his last visit.

The regional linguistic patchwork of the sub-district includes the (Austronesian - Malayo-Polynesian, similar structure to Malay) Tetum Terik (original Tetum) being spoken at Cova, near the Indonesian border, Tetum Praca (Market Tetum) at Batu Gade, and Tetum Praca and some Tetum Terik as well as (Austronesian) Kemak being spoken in and around Balibo. About seven kilometres south of Balibo, next to the Indonesian border, the people of the village of Leohitu speak Becais (which they call Welaun). Becais is aalso an Austronesian language, of about 3,000 speakers and which is related to, but distinct from, Kemak.

Across the Bebai River, the villages of Leolima and Nunara speak Kemak, while in the sub-district of Maliana the languages of Tetum Maliana (a minor variation of Tetum Praca), Kemak and (the Trans-Papuan) Bunak are spoken. However, within the trading town of Maliana itself, Indonesian remains dominant: ‘It is the language of business’, said one local resident. Near Maliana, the border villages of Tapo Memo, Sebura, Holsa and Oromau all speak Bunak.

Beyond this linguistically inclined visit, there has been discussion with the Balibo House Trust about the type of arrangement that might exist between it and the Friends of Balibo. The Trust was undergoing a reorganisation at the time of writing, and it was hoped that following that reorganisation, a formal, cooperative arrangement would be established.

Report of Friends of Balibo visit, 13 December 2008

2008-12-19T23:28:00.001-08:00

Damien Kingsbury and Grazyna Zajdow made the first visits as ‘Friends of Balibo’ to Balibo on Saturday 13 December. The visit followed a visit to meet the program manager of the Timor-Leste NGO Belun, Luis Ximines, and future Belun Balibo worker Feliciano da Costa Araujo, who will take over from World Visions T-L in assisting coordination and development of the Balibo Flag House project.

Damien and Grazyna arrived in Balibo after a long drive from Dili through Ermera, Hatolia and a night in Maliana, before arriving at Balibo the following morning. For those who have not done this drive, it offers some of the most breath-taking scenery in an already breath-takingly beautiful country. The view from above Hatilia of the junctions of three rivers at the foot of the mountains is one of the world’s most magical.

Damien and Grazyna were met at the Balibo Flag House by the recently elected coordinator of the Balibo Flag House Committee of Management, Rogerio Goncalves, and a small welcoming party, where they discussed some options for local development.

In particular, the Flag House Committee is keen to receive technical and training support for its computer project. It has some computers in a dedicated room, but irregular electricity (there is a generator but it costs money to run) and no telephone/data connection to allow the internet. The committee would also like to receive training in the use of the computers and the internet. There has been discussion by the Balibo House Trust about the possibility of such support being provided by Andrew Maher of InfoXchange Australia, which has assisted with a similar project at the Friends of Baucau-supported community house in Baucau.

Rogerio also noted to Damien and Grazyna that while the Flag House had a small motorcycle workshop and some basic tools, its mechanics required training. The furniture making workshop associated with the Flag House, though, appeared to be working well, producing household furniture for local consumption. The nearby crèche associated with the Flag House currently looks after 27 children.

The group also discussed the possibility of establishing a homestay in Balibo, to be able to offer accommodation to foreigners who might wish to visit Balibo and its sub-district. The house located in the old Portuguese fort was considered as a possible site, and this idea was later supported in principle by the Director of State Administration, Snr Abilio Caetano.

Formal government approval will need to be arranged, along with ensuring that the house is in a condition to have guests before this idea can progress. But there was general support for it, and the idea of a poussada in Balibo, even if smaller than that of Maubisse and Bauacau, would assist in attracting some of Timor-Leste’s small but growing tourism trade. Further, not only would visitors be able to stay at Balibo, rather than at Maliana more than a half an hour’s drive away, but they would also be able to use Balibo as a base to explore the region, including the local villages such as Cova near the Indonesian border, and the old fort at Batu Gade on the coast.

The visit by Damien and Grazyna was a first, tentative step in making links to give substance to a Friendship arrangement with Balibo. But if the warmth and level of agreement on both sides was any indication, the Friends of Balibo may well have a promising future.

Balibo visit, 13 December 2008

2008-12-19T20:59:00.000-08:00

First Friends of Balibo visit, 13 December 2008

2008-12-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

Friends of Balibo launched!

2008-11-26T17:40:00.000-08:00

Following the long-standing successes of other Australian-East Timor friendship groups, the Friends of Balibo was launched at the offices of the Victorian Local Governance Association at 7pm on Wednesday 26 November 2008.

Because of the symbolic significance of Balibo to all Australians, the Friends of Balibo represents a 'community of interest', rather than a community based on a Local Government area as with other Friendship groups.

The Friends of Balibo project has the support of the Balibo House Trust, including the families of the Balibo Five journalists.

The meeting was well attended, including as inaugural members:

Rae Perry, VLGA

Shirley Sackleton, Balibo House Trust

Rob Hudson, MP, Balibo House Trust

John Milkins, Balibo House Trust

Liz Milkins

Greg Thomas, VLGA

Richard Brown, Friends of Aileu

Mario Soares, Friends of Aileu

Trish Woodcroft-Lee, Friends of Baucau

Jorge de Araujo

Kate Jeffery, East Timor Projects Coordinator

Fiona Nolan

Isaac Reichman, Taking Off Tours

Luna Reichman, Taking Off Tours

Paul Stewart, and members of Dili Allstars

Sofie Anselmi, Australian Volunteers International

Bruce Butler, Friends of Same

Valeria D'Agostino, VLGA

Darren Ray, A/CEO, VLGA

Barbara Bennett, VLGA

Damien Kingsbury, Deakin University

Grazyna Zajdow, Deakin University

Filomena Capela, International Affairs

Beth Davidson, VLGA

Joao Jong, Timor-Leste Consulate

Kevin Bailey, Timor-Leste Consul, Melbourne

Nuno Saldhnha, Radio Timor-Leste

Monica Ferrie, Department of Planning and Community Development

Ann Cunningham

Judy Bannerman

Ian L Gray

Jane Stewart

Anne Stewart

Peter Broadbent

Apologies

Bernie Millane

Margaret Wilson

Chris Maddock

Esther Anderson

Gil Santos

The Agenda for the inaugural meeting was as follows:

Chair: Rob Hudson

1. Welcome: Damien Kingsbury

2. Apologies

3. Discussion on the purpose of Friends of Balibo: Damien outlined the gap in the Friendship groups, which had been created largely because of the existence of the Balibo Flag House as a community project.

John Milkens: It is ironic that Balibo did not have a Friendship group.

Paul Stewart: Asked if there were any links with WWII diggers that could be explored as further deepening the Australian connection. Paul also suggested contacting T-L and Portuguese authorities regarding the future of and access to the 'old fort', as well as making contact with Cuban doctors who had worked in or were working in Balibo.

Richard Brown: Friendships groups promote links between people, not large aid projects, mutual respect, collaboration and mutual learning, and local decision-making. They are community to community, person to person, and long-term in focus.

Mario Soares addressed the meeting on the status of the Friends of Alieu.

4. Relationship between the Friends of Balibo and the Balibo House Trust. It was agreed that the Friends of Balibo would work in support of and cooperation with the Balibo House Trust, noting overlap of Friendship and Trust members.

5. Determination of offices: Deferred to next meeting

6. Election of office holders:

Interim convener: Damien Kingsbury

Interim steering committee: Shirley Shackleton, John Milkins, Monice Ferrie, Rob Hudson, Peter Broadbent, Ann Cunningham, Anne Stewart, Nuno Saldanha.

7. Options for work in the Balibo sub-district: To be explored over coming visits by Damien Kingsbury and Grazyna Zajdow, and Anne Stewart.

Discussion of options for tourism, in particular visits to the Flag House and the fort, which is currently closed to the public.

Kevin Bailey: Development of homestays in Balibo?

Discussion of arranging an AVI volunteer to work in Balibo.

8. Links for Friends of Maliana, Bobonaro: To contact Friends of Maliana; Friends of Bobonaro represented.

Any other business: The meeting was adjourned with agreement that the steering committee would try to meet before Christmas.