14/2/2008
Things are better.
We're still wound tight. But Timor has been remarkably - almost supiciously - peaceful.
Regular updates on the radio (they've ditched the "remain calm" guy) and SMSed news clippings from friends in Singapore have made the story clearer.
From CNN.com:
[[DILI, East Timor (AP) -- East Timor declared a state of emergency Tuesday... assassination attempt Monday against President Jose Ramos-Horta and the failed attack on Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.
The country's top fugitive, Alfredo Reinado, and one of his men were killed in the attack on the president. One of the president's guards also died.
...international soldiers and police patrolled the streets of the capital, Dili, where many shops and businesses were closed. There were no immediate reports of unrest.
Reinado was among 600 mutinous soldiers dismissed by the government in 2006 -- a move that triggered gunbattles between security forces that later spilled over into gang fighting and ethnic unrest.
At least 37 people were killed and more than 150,000 people forced from their homes in the unrest, which also led to the resignation of the country's first post-independence prime minister.
Reinado was arrested but escaped from prison after several months.
He was charged with murder in connection with the 2006 violence, but had remained in hiding and had threatened armed insurrection against the government.
The streets of Dili were calm after the attacks, and Gusmao said an overnight curfew was in place. The United Nations, which controls security in the country, said checkpoints had been set up on main roads.]]
I had to squeak through two checkpoints, getting to Dili today.
Just outside laid-back Liquica, it's all smiles, backslapping and "how-ya'-doin". But Dili's fortified checkpoint greets me with the less-than-neighbourly barrel of an M-60.
The Portuguese UN troops immediately single me out for interrogation - the only foreigner, and a bestubbled one with a fancy laptop computer at that. The furrowed eyebrows, unslung rifles and clipped tones quickly dissipate, however, upon a shameless flourish of my stethoscope. Ah, a medic! I'm merrily planted back on my truck with fresh smiles. And another backslap.
Timor's not out of the deep waters yet, but the crisis appears to be over. We're drifting back toward normality.
- raj
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Crisis
11/2/2008
Timor is in crisis. Attempted assassination of the president and the prime minister in the capital Dili this morning.
At least three dead, several wounded. Prime minister has been evacuated to Darwin with bullet wounds. Curfew declared in the late afternoon, we're expecting state of emergency soon.
I found out en route to Dili.
Vehicles being turned away by a new military checkpoint just outside the city. Tension rising among the dozen passengers stuffed into the back of the minivan with me. Ominous snippets filtering to us from shouted warnings of drivers heading the other way: gunfights in the streets, dozens killed, mobs and looting. The women start crying.
Word of violence rapidly puts Timorese on edge - they've been through this too many times. The last outbreak in 2006 saw running gunbattles between the police and mutinous soldiers in Dili's streets, turning into inter-ethnic violence leaving 40 dead and 150,000 in refugee camps.
Our minivan turned back.
Home now.
No electricity, so no TV. The surviving cellphones only do incoming. The radio plays patriotic anthems, punctuated by a grating appeal to 'remain calm'.
Passports, cash and laptops sit in our backpacks, should we need to evacuate (to where?). Yudha gets the golf club, I sleep with the machete. I tell myself that we are fairly safe in Vatunau - agitation rarely reaches this far out into the sticks.
But we legitimately worry for the dozen or so missionaries and friends in Dili.
We worry for Timor. We know maddeningly little about the state of the nation right now, beyond the end of our street. We're sitting on a tinderbox, we don't know if the fuse is alight.
The uncertainty is bewildering.
Timor is in crisis. Attempted assassination of the president and the prime minister in the capital Dili this morning.
At least three dead, several wounded. Prime minister has been evacuated to Darwin with bullet wounds. Curfew declared in the late afternoon, we're expecting state of emergency soon.
I found out en route to Dili.
Vehicles being turned away by a new military checkpoint just outside the city. Tension rising among the dozen passengers stuffed into the back of the minivan with me. Ominous snippets filtering to us from shouted warnings of drivers heading the other way: gunfights in the streets, dozens killed, mobs and looting. The women start crying.
Word of violence rapidly puts Timorese on edge - they've been through this too many times. The last outbreak in 2006 saw running gunbattles between the police and mutinous soldiers in Dili's streets, turning into inter-ethnic violence leaving 40 dead and 150,000 in refugee camps.
Our minivan turned back.
Home now.
No electricity, so no TV. The surviving cellphones only do incoming. The radio plays patriotic anthems, punctuated by a grating appeal to 'remain calm'.
Passports, cash and laptops sit in our backpacks, should we need to evacuate (to where?). Yudha gets the golf club, I sleep with the machete. I tell myself that we are fairly safe in Vatunau - agitation rarely reaches this far out into the sticks.
But we legitimately worry for the dozen or so missionaries and friends in Dili.
We worry for Timor. We know maddeningly little about the state of the nation right now, beyond the end of our street. We're sitting on a tinderbox, we don't know if the fuse is alight.
The uncertainty is bewildering.
Back In Timor
5/2/2008
Back after 10 days in Singapore/Batam. Feels like I've returned home.
Top 5 things I've missed in Singapore:
1. Hot showers
2. Cold coffee
3.
4.
5.
Well... can't think of much else, really.
- raj
Back after 10 days in Singapore/Batam. Feels like I've returned home.
Top 5 things I've missed in Singapore:
1. Hot showers
2. Cold coffee
3.
4.
5.
Well... can't think of much else, really.
- raj
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