Ola Bebe's Struggle Against the Dutch

Kupang (ANTARA) - “Lewo ni go amak naen hala dan Tanah ni go amak naen hala, go gwetek matanek. Naku Lewo noon Tanah ni go amak naen, nuan tou go balik lewuk tanah”. The Lamaholot phrase translates as: “If this village and land are not my father’s, then I will surely die in prison and never return; but if this village and land are my father’s, then no matter how many years the prison sentence, I will return home.” Yoseph Ola Bebe made this statement immediately after being sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Dutch Colonial Court for charges of rebellion against the government. The message was reiterated during a Thanksgiving Mass held on Tuesday, 19 May, to commemorate the 50th anniversary (1976-2026) of Yoseph Ola Bebe’s death, a freedom fighter who resisted Dutch soldiers in 1912. The 1912 Incident.