March 12, 2012
WHEN East Timorese voters go to the polls on Saturday to choose a new president, every candidate with a chance will be a veteran of the struggle against Indonesia.
The thousands of fighters in that long war, including the oldest and best-known, the ''generation of 1975'', were recently awarded a generous compensation scheme by the government in recognition of service.
But barely mentioned by this country's tight-knit political elite are other victims of the invasion, many of them women, who were raped or brutalised or lost parents, husbands or children in the long occupation.
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| Domingas da Silva was raped repeatedly by Indonesian soldiers. Photo: Michael Bachelard |
At 54, the pain of those events still fills her eyes with tears. ''I felt like I lost my dignity and it was painful in my heart,'' Ms da Silva told The Age.
Family and neighbours rejected her, and only the local Catholic priest would help.
Even so, there are many years she can barely remember, her mind made blank by a mental illness she cannot name.
This mental state continued for 20 years, until after independence in 1999, when a women's group brought Ms da Silva to Dili, and sought help from a group called Pradet, dedicated to trauma recovery. She is stronger now, and well enough to speak out. She wants some recognition of her pain, and some measure of justice, though not money, because the children and grandchildren born of the rapes support her.
The Association for the Victims of the Conflict 1974-'99 lobbies on behalf of people such as Ms da Silva. Spokesman Jose Luis Oliveira says his pleas for recognition have been ignored by veterans and politicians.
A bill seeking reparation for victims has languished in East Timor's parliament since 2009.
''So the victims become victims again because the state is violating them by omission,'' he says. ''This is very painful because in the past it was the victims who gave the soldiers food and helped the veterans in the jungle.''
Ms da Silva's needs are secondary, in the mind of East Timor's leaders, to two more pressing matters. The first is the veterans, who form a powerful lobby and pose a threat of unrest in this tiny country.
The second is East Timor's desire for a strong relationship with its giant and powerful neighbour, Indonesia.
Despite the mutual scars, East Timor's youth has embraced Indonesian brands and pop culture, and many traders here are Indonesian, or from Indonesian stock.
Leaders across the political spectrum have gone out of their way to forgive past wrongs and enter discussions with East Timor's powerful neighbour.
Political party Fretilin's presidential candidate, Francisco ''Lu Olo'' Guterres, told The Age: ''As president of the republic my number one role would be to nurture and maintain the relationship with Indonesia.''
Mr Guterres, a veteran of the war whose wife and many relatives were killed by Indonesian troops, says now it is the responsibility of Indonesia and the United Nations to recognise victims and seek or provide justice.
''It is the character of the people of Timor Leste that they know how to forgive,'' he says.
Former Australian envoy James Dunn said: ''I think reconciliation is important for a lot of East Timorese people, but people still care a lot about it and feel really badly hurt.''
Mr Oliveira says the suffering of victims has ''been traded for peaceful international relations''.
As for Ms da Silva, her plea is simple. ''I ask the government: Please, pay attention to us.''
Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/east-timorese-plead-for-justice-20120311-1usg3.html#ixzz1ouQznrLm
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