We continue through East-Timor by
making one last visit in Dilli, namely the resistance museum of East-Timor. Up
until 1976, East-Timor was a colony of Portugal and experienced brief
independence in that year which was cut short by an Indonesian invasion. In the
following years, the East-Timorese people resisted Indonesian reign through
acts of inobedience and most importantly: armed resistance.
After a
long struggle, Indonesia finally relinquished its control over the region in
1999 and in 2002 East-Timor became the first new sovereign nation of the 21st
century. The museum is dedicated to those who tried to reclaim their homeland
at any cost.
As we continue our journey, we pass through a
smaller town called Bazertete, which also is evidence of the country’s violent
and tragic recent history. After the events of 1999, it was the scene of
violent intimidations by pro-Indonesian militias who resorted to executions and
rape to convince the locals to stay with Indonesia. The evidence of all these
atrocities is still visible in the town, as small ruins have remained as a grim
reminder what happened over a decade ago and the lives it claimed.
Our final
stop is the town of Liquica, which also fell victim to violence at the turn of
the century. Fortunately, peace has returned to the coastal village. Peace and
quiet is the thing that suits Liquica best. It’s almost like a paradise when
you think about it and ponder on the coffee plantations, avocado orchards and a
gentle, warm breeze at dusk. At the local port, amongst the locals scraping sea
salt for the preparation of meals and product, we’re able to take a boat that
will take us to our next destination: Indonesia where we will continue our
journey to Saudi-Arabia.
Thomas
Thomas
Sources:
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten