East Timor's messengers of peace, friendship

East Timor's messengers of peace, friendship

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Contributor, The Jakarta Post, Dili

East Timor may span only half a tiny island, however, it holds a
world of ethno-cultural varieties. Lafu Beun Sila and Dominggoes
Sebastiao are part of this cultural melting pot.

Lafu, a 15-year-old boy, comes from Oecusse, East Timor's
enclave in the western half of Timor island. In contrast,
Sebastiao, 30, who refused to give his real name, is an official
of the new government from Los Palos, in the eastern tip of the
new country.

Both have endured many hardships in life. In a society torn by
conflict, poverty and fear during decades of Indonesian
occupation and colonialism, they chose to seek a better life
elsewhere, but returned home at a critical time.

Lafu went to East Java and Sumatra before arriving back home
in August 1999 when a wave of violence engulfed the former
Indonesian province. Sebastiao found his way to Jakarta, pursued
professional training in Europe and returned home just before
president Soeharto fell from power in May 1998.

Like many youths of his generation, Sebastiao's parents were
killed because they were members of the Fretilin resistance group
and he was forced to help the Indonesian Army crush them.

In the Matebian Mountains in the late-1970s, he said he
witnessed the Army using the Timorese to stab and behead fellow
Timorese. Ironically, in his later years in Jakarta, he was
discovered and sponsored by a notorious Indonesian general, who
gave him a home and subsequently changed the course of his life.

"I know many people hate him," said Sebastiao, referring to
the general, "but I respect him, and thank him for financing my
studies, and my gratitude remains."

Sebastio does not seem to harbor any feelings of hatred or
revenge for what happened in his past.

While he does not deny the general's controversial past, he
refuses to talk about him, which led to false accusations that he
was an intelligence agent from Jakarta.

In the end, Sebastiao slipped away without notifying the
general and acquired a fellowship in Europe.

As an articulate speaker of Indonesian with a good command of
English and knowledge of Portuguese, he has a frank and modest
ambition: to help his country foster a friendly relationship with
Indonesia, which, in his view, is crucial for Timor's future
welfare and security.

He addresses all Indonesians he meets as kawan (friend). Given
his present position in the administration and his wide network
of friends, he will hopefully realize his dream.

Lafu, on the other hand, is the hero in David Bradbury's
documentary General Cosgrove and a Boy Hero, recently shown on
Australian television. Like Sebastiao, he, too, loves Indonesia
and has a lot of Indonesian friends.

In early September of 1999, Lafu witnessed the start of the
Oecusse massacre of pro-independent supporters following their
victory at the August referendum. "As I returned from East Java
and Aceh, I simply could not stand by watching the killings in my
home village. The (pro-Jakarta) militias even killed dogs," he
said, with anger evident on his face.

So he decided to walk hundreds of kilometers by way of Atambua
and Batugade, through the mountains to the capital of Dili,
passing through dangerous posts of soldiers and militias by
deceiving them. In his sandals, he carefully concealed a letter,
explaining the situation in Oeccuse, which finally came to the
attention of the Australian peace troops. Thanks to Lafu, the
isolated enclave was spared from a greater tragedy.

Lafu and Sebastiao are each in their own way symbols of peace
and heroes of East Timor. Sebastiao's readiness to recognize and
accept painful irony in his life, and his resolve to foster
better ties with Indonesia despite his bitter past, constitutes a
moral courage and dignity he shares with many Timorese.

Lafu's courageous mission and Sebastiao's moral resolve,
therefore, symbolize the country's desire for peace and
friendship and their roles as its messengers.