segunda-feira, agosto 14, 2006

Displaced Timorese await signals from "big people"

14 Aug 2006 11:38:03 GMT
Reuters
By Jerry Norton

DILI, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Standing amidst the jam-packed tents and smoke from wood cooking fires of a displaced persons camp, Rosa Soares says she is waiting for East Timor's leaders to reconcile before she'll feel safe about returning home.

The 29-year-old mother of two, pregnant with another child, is one of more than 100,000 East Timorese still in camps some four months after a dispute over sacked soldiers spiraled into widespread violence in which more than 20 died.

An international military and police force of around 2,500 began arriving at the end of May to restore order to this tiny young nation, but widespread looting and arson continued for weeks, and have yet to completely disappear.

While some of the displaced have gone home, others are reluctant.

"We're waiting for the big people to embrace each other and to sit down together and talk among themselves and then we'll feel safe," Soares told Reuters at the Don Bosco camp, located in a complex of Catholic institutions.

About 90 percent of East Timorese are Catholic, a legacy of hundreds of years of Portuguese rule that ended in 1975, and a number of the nearly 60 camps in the Dili area are on church grounds largely left alone by those responsible for the violence.

The roots of the turbulence are complex, but much of it relates to differences between the eastern and western regions of East Timor, which became a full-fledged country in 2002 after nearly 25 years of Indonesian occupation and an interim period of United Nations administration.

"If we went back home we're afraid of what people would do at night. Probably we're going to be dead, we're going to be killed," said Soares.

"Even among the big people there's a separation between the people from the west and the east," she added.

The man whose policies many blame for sparking the violence, Mari Alkatiri, stepped down as prime minister on June 26 under pressure from President Xanana Gusmao, but partisan accusations still fly in parliament and the process of bringing those involved in the disorder to justice has far to go.

Meanwhile, those in the camps say night remains a dangerous time in many parts of Dili and nearby villages.

"Outside of camp at night there are people throwing rocks at each other and chasing each other," said Martino Doutel, 30, wearing shorts, a green t-shirt and sandals in the tropical heat.

Some in the camps have no homes to return to. Madelena Carvalho, 28, shares a tent with her four children, her husband and mother. Her house in Baru village was burned and looted.

"Even though we go back home we can't rely on anything. Everything is destroyed, our animals. The only thing we can rely on is to stay here," she said.

Adriano de Jesus, a coordinator for the camp, said: "the government has a plan to rebuild all the houses but it's still under process... so we do not know when it will start."

He said the camp once housed more than 14,000 and the number was now 9,000, but it was unclear when the remainder might leave.

"Nowadays the main concern is about the security. If the people think that there is security stabilised, they will go home," said de Jesus, 35, a Catholic brother who ran a vocational training centre at Don Bosco before the crisis.

He too thinks the country's leaders must set an example.

"They themselves have to reconcile because they are the ones who created this problem, and now they're insisting the people to dialogue."
.

11 comentários:

Anónimo disse...

Tradução:

Timorenses deslocados esperam sinais dos “grandes”

14 Agosto 2006 11:38:03 GMT
Reuters
Por Jerry Norton

DILI, Agosto 14 (Reuters) – Em pé, no meio das tendas apertadas e do fumo das fogueiras para cozinhar num campo de deslocados, Rosa Soares diz que espera que os líderes de Timor-Leste se reconciliem antes de achar que é seguro regressar a casa.

A mãe de duas crianças, com 29 anos, grávida, é uma das mais de 100,000 Timorenses ainda nos campos quatro meses depois duma disputa sobre soldados despedidos que desembocou em violência alargada na qual morreram mais de 20.

Uma força militar e policial internacional de cerca de 2,500 começou a chegar no final de Maio para restaurar a ordem nesta pequena jovem nação, mas pilhagens generalizadas e fogos postos continuaram durante semanas, e ainda não desapareceram completamente.

Enquanto alguns dos deslocados regressaram a casa, outros estão relutantes.

"Estamos à espera que os grandes se abracem e se sentam juntos e conversem e depois sentir-nos-emos seguros," disse Soares à Reuters no campo Don Bosco, localizado num complexo duma instituição Católica.

Cerca de 90 por cento dos Timorenses são Católicos, uma herança de centenas de anos do domínio Português que acabou em 1975, e um certo número dos quase 60 campos na área de Dili estão em chão da igreja largamente abandonados pelos responsáveis pela violência.

As raízes da turbulência são complexas, mas muito tem a ver com diferenças entre as regiões do leste e do oeste de Timor-Leste, que se tornou um país completamente independente em 2002 depois de quase 25 anos de ocupação Indonésia e um período interino de administração das Nações Unidas.

"Se voltarmos para casa temos medo do que as pessoas possam fazer à noite. Provavelmente vamos estar mortos, vamos ser mortos," disse Soares.

"Mesmo entre os grandes há uma separação entre as pessoas do leste e do oeste," acrescentou.

O homem cujas políticas muitos culpam por ter despoletado a violência, Mari Alkatiri, saiu do cargo de primeiro-ministro em 26 de Junho sob pressão do Presidente Xanana Gusmão, mas ainda se fazem acusações partidárias no parlamento e o processo de levar à justiça os envolvidos na desordem ainda demora.

Entretanto, os que estão nos campos dizem que as noites permanecem perigosas em muitas partes de Dili e nas aldeias próximas.

"Fora dos campos à noite há pessoas a atirar pedras umas às outras e a perseguirem-se," disse Martino Doutel, 30 anos, vestindo calções, uma t-shirt verde e sandálias no calor tropical.

Alguns que estão nos campos não têm casas para regressar. Madalena Carvalho, 28 anos, partilha uma tenda com as suas quatro crianças, o marido e a mãe. A sua casa na aldeia Baru foi queimada e pilhada.

"Mesmo se regressássemos a casa não nos podíamos apoiar em nada. Tudo foi destruído, mesmo os nossos animais. A única coisa em que nos podemos apoiar é ficar aqui," disse.

Adriano de Jesus, um coordenador do campo, disse: "o governo tem um plano para reconstruir todas as casas mas ainda se processa... assim não sabemos quando começará."

Disse que o campo já abrigou mais de 14,000 e agora 9,000, mas que não está claro quando é que estes possam sair.

"Hoje a maior preocupação é sobre a segurança. Se as pessoas pensam que há segurança estabilizada, regressarão a casa," disse de Jesus, 35anos, um irmão Católico que estava à frente de um centro de treino vocacional em Don Bosco antes da crise.

Também pensa que os líderes do país devem dar um exemplo.

"Eles próprios têm de se reconciliar porque foram eles que criaram este problema, e agora insistem com o povo para dialogar."

Anónimo disse...

The crisis relates to "eastern and western regions of East Timor"- these foreign media are ignorant. Surely, by now, it must be clear that the real issues are not East and West, but political.

Anónimo disse...

Which big people! If you want to refer to the leaders of East Timor, you should say "the puppets"

Anónimo disse...

they may be puppets but it seems to me that your are a clown.

Anónimo disse...

I rather be a clown. A clown has his own act! Puppets are guided to perform! And in East Timor those puppets and guiders are so obvious!

Anónimo disse...

Great reply..... Anonymous Quarta-feira, Agosto 16, 2006 7:57:52 AM

Anónimo disse...

Clowns only pretend to be what they are not simply to entertain puppets. Write directly to Ramos-Horta and Xanana, sign your letter cause they may need some toilet paper in this crisis period.

Anónimo disse...

Anonimo das 6:39:52
It would be a waist of my time and a waist of my paper to write to them, and it not my intention to do so. I don't think they need toilet paper as they normally use dry corn cobs without the corn, and you can make them company and have some fun!
See you at election time buddy!

Anónimo disse...

Correction:
I meant "waste" and not waist

Anónimo disse...

You bite the coy. Great stuff the corn cob without the corn. Even greater when used as you do, not to rub the arse but to stuff it inside. HAHAHA

Anónimo disse...

Local newspaper news today:
*Timor Post, January 12, 2007 (translated from tetum)

The sub-village chief of Ermera Vila, Armindo Soares rejected the rumour
of the terror to the population of Major Alfredo with his group when
moving from Suai to Ermera. However, he declared it in a contradiction
that Major Alfredo did not arrest him. He rejected the false information
in a few days ago, he said. Major Alfredo called him as the sub-village
chief in Ermara Vila to ask for the confirmation over the romour that
the sub-village chief did propaganda that Major Alfredo and his group
came to Ermera to terrorize and threaten and, arrest the people in
Ermera Vila, he added.

*The trial for the case of allegation of illegal guns distribution to
the civilians
Witnesses declare to obey the order of Rogerio (Translated from Tetum)
*Timor Post, January 12, 2007

The trial for the case of allegation of illegal guns distribution to the
civilians of the accused Rogerio Tiago Lobato on January 11 that comes
to the third day, to hear the declaration from the three witnesses who
were the leaders of PNTL with the level of inspectors. There were
Inspector Antonio da Cruz, the Commander for Border Control Police,
Inspector Basilio de Jesus, the Commander for logistic and finance of
PNTL and the Chief of army warehouse at PNTL HQ, Miguel de Deus. Antonio
told to the court that he delivered the guns to the Railos' civilian
group was to obey the order of Interior Minister Rogerio Tiago Lobato at
that time. He was asked to hand over the guns to the Railos' group in
the Indonesian military cemetery of Pilila of Liquica district via mobile
phone of the accused of Rogerio as the Interior Minister ordered him on
May 8, 2006. .

*Law for pension vitalization
Fr Martinho: Veterans work for 24 years but get nothing (Translated
from Tetum
*Timor Post, January 12, 2007

The director for Justice and Peace for Baucau Diocese, Fr Martinho
Gusmao, said, "my conscious was not able to stand for the law for
pension vitalization if the people who worked for 24 years but get
nothing." The law for pension vitalization for ex-PN approved already,
people may accept it however it can not yet solve many cases, morally it
has a question, meant that many people worked for 24 years with all
willing and works, moral obligation and now they are veterans,
ex-prisoners, there was no compensation to their work, he said. He said
his from B commission after finishing the audience for the defense and
military issues on January 11.

That's all I want to share with you about the news on local newspaper.

Traduções

Todas as traduções de inglês para português (e também de francês para português) são feitas pela Margarida, que conhecemos recentemente, mas que desde sempre nos ajuda.

Obrigado pela solidariedade, Margarida!

Mensagem inicial - 16 de Maio de 2006

"Apesar de frágil, Timor-Leste é uma jovem democracia em que acreditamos. É o país que escolhemos para viver e trabalhar. Desde dia 28 de Abril muito se tem dito sobre a situação em Timor-Leste. Boatos, rumores, alertas, declarações de países estrangeiros, inocentes ou não, têm servido para transmitir um clima de conflito e insegurança que não corresponde ao que vivemos. Vamos tentar transmitir o que se passa aqui. Não o que ouvimos dizer... "
 

Malai Azul. Lives in East Timor/Dili, speaks Portuguese and English.
This is my blogchalk: Timor, Timor-Leste, East Timor, Dili, Portuguese, English, Malai Azul, politica, situação, Xanana, Ramos-Horta, Alkatiri, Conflito, Crise, ISF, GNR, UNPOL, UNMIT, ONU, UN.