The Australia Timor-Leste Friendship Network (AusTimorFN) has welcomed His Excellency Abel Guterres following his appointment as the new Timor-Leste Ambassador to Australia. Former Australian resident and long-time Timor-Leste activist, H.E. Guterres was welcomed at a dinner hosted by the AusTimorFN at the Zen Yai restaurant in Canberra on Tuesday 1 June.
AusTimorFN convenor Rae Kingsbury opened the dinner by saying she was very pleased to welcome back her good friend H.E. Guterres. She said it was especially pleasing to see him return to Australia in his new and well deserved role.
Ms Kingsbury and H.E. Guterres together founded the Australia Timor-Leste Friendship groups in 2000. The Friendship groups network now spans more than 50 relationships between local communities in Australia and Timor-Leste. Building on a decade of cooperation, a number of Friendship groups are now planning their next 10 years of cooperative community development.
Speaking to the dinner, Friends of Balibo member Professor Damien Kingsbury noted that all present had a strong friendship with H.E. Guterres. He said that friendship between Australia and Timor-Leste was at the core of the bilateral relationship. He noted that the real strength of the friendship lay in the bonding between the communities of both countries, especially since Timor-Leste voted for independence in 1999.
Professor Kingsbury said that despite occasional ups and downs in the relationship, its enduring friendship would continue to underwrite a long-term positive relationship between the governments of the two countries and especially between the people of the two countries.
In his reply, H.E. Guterres thanked AusTimorFN for hosting the dinner and welcoming him back to Australia. He said that friendship between Australia and Timor-Leste was critical to the future of both countries, and that the community to community relationships continued to give real substance to the more formal diplomatic relationship.
H.E. Guterres also warmly welcomed Timor-Leste’s other friends to the dinner, including the Portuguese Ambassador, H.E. Rui Quartin-Santos and his wife Snr Ana Carlota Meirelles do Canto e Castro, the Brazilian Ambassador H.E. Fernando de Mello Barreto, the Philippines Ambassador, H.E, Ernesto H de Leon, and the Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd’s senior foreign policy advisor, Philip Green.
In particular, H.E. Guterres noted the long-standing contribution of H.E. Quartin-Santos to Timor-Leste, since 1976 working with President Jose Ramos-Hora during his long years of exile.
He also noted the invaluable contributions of lawyer Bernard Collaery, who during the occupation advocated on behalf of Timor-Leste and was legal advisor to the CNRT in the critical period up until formal independence in 2002.
Also acknowledged by H.E. Guterres for their friendship to Timor-Leste were former advisor to then Foreign Minister and later Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta, Janelle Saffin, MP, Senator Julian McGuaran, who was a notable supporter of Timor-Leste at a time when his own party position was in favor of Indonesian occupation, and Australian Capital Territory Deputy Chief Minister, Ms Pam Davoren, Timor-Leste Charge d’Affaires Jorge Camoes, Dr George and Barbara Preston and other guests.
H.E. Guterres said he would convene a further dinner of friends of Timor-Leste in 12 months’ time and until then that he looked forward to working closely with his and Timor-Leste’s friends.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Dr Greg Stewart to work with Dr Dan
THE strong connection between the people of East Timor and the families of the five newsman killed up at Balibo in 1975 is set to continue soon
when Dr Greg Stewart spends a stint working at the much acclaimed Dr Dan's medical clinic in Dili.
Dr Greg, who works as a GP in the Victorian country town of Daylesford and is the brother of slain newsman Tony Stewart, has previously worked
at the clinic.
He first went to East Timor when the Victorian Government purchased the Flag House in Balibo and it was refurbished as a community service house and it was presented over to the local community in October 2003.
Located in Dili, Dr Dan's Bairo Pite Clinic sees an average of 300 patients per day and is one of the most highly visited health clinics in the country.
Services provided by Bairo Pite Clinic presently include maternity and infant care, vaccinations, tuberculosis (TB), malaria and dengue fever treatment, HIV diagnosis and treatment, in-patient and dental services, health outreach, and training for local health care workers. The clinic also operates a medical laboratory, pharmacy, kitchen and laundry.
Bairo Pite Clinic was previously a military clinic used by the Indonesian government and abandoned when Indonesian forces withdrew from Timor-Leste. The clinic was founded in 1999 by Timor Aid and Dr Dan Murphy and in partnership with AFAP to serve the immediate needs of a population affected by the violence of the Indonesian withdrawal. Bairo Pite Clinic became an independent NGO health clinic in 2001 that provides free health care services to those in need.
To donate funds to Dr Dan's contact Australians For People's Of Asia and the Pacific at:
Email: info@afap.org
Free Call: 1800 007 308
Phone: 02 9906 3792
Write: PO Box 12,
Crows Nest, NSW 1585
Visit: 536 Pacific Highway
St.Leonards, NSW 2065
when Dr Greg Stewart spends a stint working at the much acclaimed Dr Dan's medical clinic in Dili.
Dr Greg, who works as a GP in the Victorian country town of Daylesford and is the brother of slain newsman Tony Stewart, has previously worked
at the clinic.
He first went to East Timor when the Victorian Government purchased the Flag House in Balibo and it was refurbished as a community service house and it was presented over to the local community in October 2003.
Located in Dili, Dr Dan's Bairo Pite Clinic sees an average of 300 patients per day and is one of the most highly visited health clinics in the country.
Services provided by Bairo Pite Clinic presently include maternity and infant care, vaccinations, tuberculosis (TB), malaria and dengue fever treatment, HIV diagnosis and treatment, in-patient and dental services, health outreach, and training for local health care workers. The clinic also operates a medical laboratory, pharmacy, kitchen and laundry.
Bairo Pite Clinic was previously a military clinic used by the Indonesian government and abandoned when Indonesian forces withdrew from Timor-Leste. The clinic was founded in 1999 by Timor Aid and Dr Dan Murphy and in partnership with AFAP to serve the immediate needs of a population affected by the violence of the Indonesian withdrawal. Bairo Pite Clinic became an independent NGO health clinic in 2001 that provides free health care services to those in need.
To donate funds to Dr Dan's contact Australians For People's Of Asia and the Pacific at:
Email: info@afap.org
Free Call: 1800 007 308
Phone: 02 9906 3792
Write: PO Box 12,
Crows Nest, NSW 1585
Visit: 536 Pacific Highway
St.Leonards, NSW 2065
Saturday, May 8, 2010
PNG MEDIA FREEDOM WEEK
Port Moresby television, network` Kundu 2' broadcast a “movie marathon” recently to celebrate World Press Freedom Day, with several screenings of the movie, ``Balibo'', which tells the story of how the Indonesian army executed five Australian newsmen attempting to report their invasion of East Timor in 1975.
The movie, banned last year in Indonesia, was introduced live in Port Moresby by the Media Council’s special guest, Paul Stewart, himself a long-time journalist, the younger brother of one of the murdered Balibo Five and lead singer of Australian/East Timorese rock band The Dili All-Stars.
``I met many Papuan New Guineans who expressed solidarity with the families of he Balibo five,'' said Stewart. ``Young journalist s at a conference on media freedom even stood in silence for a minute in honor of the fallen newsmen who many regard as media freedom champions. ``I was also asked to write and perform a song about media freedom with leading PNG singer-songwriter George Telek a true legend in his homeland and who regularly yours the world. He is like the Bob Dylan of PNG.''
Each night throughout the week, Kundu 2 broadcast movies and documentaries, including several by the celebrated Australian investigative journalist, John Pilger, which illustrated the theme that the freedom of the media is a vital element of the universal human right of freedom of speech.
In addition, Kundu 2 covered all Media Freedom Week activities for regular news and current affairs programs, and for some special programs during the week.
“This is saturation coverage -- by the end of the week, media freedom will be well on the way to being a household phrase with the idea being cemented into people’s concepts of democracy. If we can achieve that, and reinforce and build on it in succeeding years, we will be fulfilling one of the Council’s key goals,” a spokesman for the PNFG Media Council.
The movie, banned last year in Indonesia, was introduced live in Port Moresby by the Media Council’s special guest, Paul Stewart, himself a long-time journalist, the younger brother of one of the murdered Balibo Five and lead singer of Australian/East Timorese rock band The Dili All-Stars.
``I met many Papuan New Guineans who expressed solidarity with the families of he Balibo five,'' said Stewart. ``Young journalist s at a conference on media freedom even stood in silence for a minute in honor of the fallen newsmen who many regard as media freedom champions. ``I was also asked to write and perform a song about media freedom with leading PNG singer-songwriter George Telek a true legend in his homeland and who regularly yours the world. He is like the Bob Dylan of PNG.''
Each night throughout the week, Kundu 2 broadcast movies and documentaries, including several by the celebrated Australian investigative journalist, John Pilger, which illustrated the theme that the freedom of the media is a vital element of the universal human right of freedom of speech.
In addition, Kundu 2 covered all Media Freedom Week activities for regular news and current affairs programs, and for some special programs during the week.
“This is saturation coverage -- by the end of the week, media freedom will be well on the way to being a household phrase with the idea being cemented into people’s concepts of democracy. If we can achieve that, and reinforce and build on it in succeeding years, we will be fulfilling one of the Council’s key goals,” a spokesman for the PNFG Media Council.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Balibo Fort lease
Damien, Rae, Rob Hudson and Ricardo Krauskopf recently visited Balibo following the signing of a 15+15 year lease on the Portuguese fort in Balibo, with the intention of developing visitor accommodation there. For years, people have visited balibo, but have had nowhere to stay. It is hoped that the Fort accommodation will address that need, as well as attract weekenders from Dili and tourists increasingly visiting Timor-Leste to the west of the country, where accommodation is still sadly in short and ordinary supply.
The proposal to develop the Fort house and surrounds was initiated by the Friends of Balibo and subsequently taken up by the Balibo House Trust, with the support of the Victorian government.
Initial plans for the accommodation have been drawn up and it is hoped that final plans can be completed within the next few months. Construction is estimated to take up to a year, providing some work for Balibo locals.
Redevelopment of the Balibo kindergarten is also in the planning stages, with funding having been raised for that project. In other works, it is hoped that the proposed Uma Media (Media House) project for Balibo will be able to progress later this year, providing Balibo with a radio station broadcasting to the district.
The proposal to develop the Fort house and surrounds was initiated by the Friends of Balibo and subsequently taken up by the Balibo House Trust, with the support of the Victorian government.
Initial plans for the accommodation have been drawn up and it is hoped that final plans can be completed within the next few months. Construction is estimated to take up to a year, providing some work for Balibo locals.
Redevelopment of the Balibo kindergarten is also in the planning stages, with funding having been raised for that project. In other works, it is hoped that the proposed Uma Media (Media House) project for Balibo will be able to progress later this year, providing Balibo with a radio station broadcasting to the district.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Balibo Fort House lease to be signed
The Ministry of Justice has forwarded to the Balibo House Trust a draft lease to be signed to allow work to commence on the development of the Balibo Fort House for visitor accommodation. Plans have been drawn up for the accommodation, including extra bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as the refurbishment of the original house in the fort and the repair of the fort walls.
Damien Kingsbury initially developed the idea for visitor accommodation at the Balibo Fort House two years ago and it now looks like going ahead.
The lease is expected to be signed in late April by former Victorian Premier and adviser to Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, Steve Bracks, and chair of the Balibo House Trust, Rub Hudson, MP.
Damien Kingsbury initially developed the idea for visitor accommodation at the Balibo Fort House two years ago and it now looks like going ahead.
The lease is expected to be signed in late April by former Victorian Premier and adviser to Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, Steve Bracks, and chair of the Balibo House Trust, Rub Hudson, MP.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Review of 'Balibo'
Review – By Bruce Honeywill in Dili
Balibo, the movie, has two special Amnesty International screenings in Auckland before going on general New Zealand cinema release on Thursday. The film, banned in Indonesia, tells the story of the murder of five members of two Australian-based television news crews in a tiny East Timorese border village in 1975. The narrative exposes the duplicity of the Australian government – and New Zealand – in covering the truth of the deaths for more than a quarter of a century.
In 2010, I stand on the wall of the old Portuguese fort overlooking the tiny mountain village of Balibo. I was here previously, 10 years ago.
East Timor then, for a short period, was an undeclared territory under United Nations sovereignty. The Indonesian military had just withdrawn after 24 years of occupation. As the Indonesian forces withdrew in late 1999, they and pro-Indonesian militia put the tiny impoverished nation to the torch in one of the horrors of recent history.
I worked for a time with journalist/author Jill Jolliffe filming eyewitness accounts of various witnesses to the violent deaths of these five journalists and camera crew. I followed, with my camera, witnesses’ graphic descriptions of the last minutes of the lives of the group now known as the Balibo Five.
The witnesses came from both the defending East Timorese military (Falantil) and pro-Indonesian militia working with Indonesian special forces. The witnesses described how the news crews were killed by the bullet and blade of the Indonesian military and its supporters.
These witness accounts added to the volumes of research collected by Jolliffe in what became her life obsession to see the truth of her colleagues’ deaths revealed.
Journalist Jill Jolliffe's original book Cover-Up has been republished as Balibo.
Jolliffe’s ensuing book Cover-Up not only told the story of the murders of the members of the news crews but exposed the complicity of the then Australian Labor government with the United States and Britain, in tacitly supporting the invasion of East Timor by Suharto’s Indonesia.
The book particularly focused on the Australian government’s “cover-up” of the truth of the deaths of the Balibo Five.
Chillingly accurate
The story of the Balibo Five was taken by screen writer/director Robert Connolly and producer John Maynard to become the feature film Balibo.
While honed to a partly fictional narrative to meet market expectations, the accounts of the deaths of the journalists and crew are chillingly accurate to the eyewitness accounts.
The Balibo Five working for the Seven and Nine Networks in Australia mirrored the cultural makeup of their grandfathers’ generation at Gallipoli – a Kiwi, three Aussies and a Pom all under the common flag of journalism and the world’s right to know.
The Balibo Five were all in their 20s; they distilled the excitement, anarchy and inexperience of television news in those early decades before the commodification we see today.
The two journalists in particular, Greg Shackleton and Malcolm Rennie, were young and ambitious at a time when the first rule of television journalism was “get the story”. The second rule “get the story first”.
Cameraman Gary Cunningham was born in Wellington in 1947. Described as “a big, affable fellow”, Cunningham worked with the New Zealand National Film Unit in Dunedin. He was seconded to the NZ Broadcasting Corporation as a news cameraman where he won an award for his coverage of the Wahine ferry disaster.
Cunningham moved to Australia to further his love of news cinematography. After two years at the Nine Network he moved to Channel Seven in whose employment he remained until his death.
Tragic heart
While the story of the murders of the Balibo Five is the throbbing, tragic heart of the film, the narrative follows the exploits of another journalist, Roger East (Anthony Lapaglia). The story of the events leading up to and following the death of the Balibo Five is seen through the eyes of East and his interactions with a young José Ramos Horta played by Oscar Isaac.
The premise for the film is a videtaped investigative interview with a fictional Juliana, beautifully played by Bea Viegas, an East Timorese woman in her first acting role. Juliana describes how she, as a girl, watched Roger East’s execution on the wharf at Dili.
The Balibo Five are strongly played by Damon Gameau (Shackleton), Gyton Grantley (Cunningham), Mark Winter (Tony Stewart), Nathan Phillips (Rennie) and Thomas Wright as Brian Peters. The cinematic approach uses hand-held cameras with high grain film for the Balibo Five story that interweaves with the more traditionally shot Roger East narrative.
The skilled depths of Lapaglia’s acting and his obvious passion for the project drives the story through the few little bumps brought about by the challenges of filming on location in Dili and Balibo (although the actual death scenes had to be filmed in Darwin as the reality was considered too violent for the still traumatised East Timorese of the border towns).
Deep duplicity
This film tells a story of deep duplicity of powerful governments prepared to throw away ethical and moral responsibilities for political expediency.
It is a film of journalists at work, and sends the message that when the proverbial “hits the fan” we are all on our own.
There are a couple of interesting sidelights to the film. The East Timorese video cameraman filming the evidence of Juliana is none other than José Belo, today’s most outspoken journalist in East Timor and who won the Café Pacific award for free speech. (Balibo won the film category).
The person playing the Tetum-speaking Australian investigator is Major Michael Stone, former SAS and now military advisor to the President of East Timor, José Ramos Horta.
Here in Balibo, 2010, from my perch high on the wall of the fort I see the little town of Balibo below me: The ‘Australian Flag House’ where Greg Shackleton famously painted the Australian flag in the mistaken belief this would protect him and his colleagues, now a monument to the memory of the Balibo Five.
Death house
Across the square, the “death house” is empty and crumbling. Here in 2000 I filmed recent bullet holes, lipstick “kiss marks” revealing this was a “kissing wall” – a place of rape and murder of women, and the iconic parachute emblem of Kopassus (Indonesian special forces).
Today the old house is starting to fall in on itself as if the load of horrors over a quarter of a century is too much for the architecture.
Out across the mountains, rain clouds flume through the valleys. Corn, green with the Wet Season, grows right up to the fort wall.
I ponder on Balibo the Movie in apposition to the real Balibo beneath me. I am no film critic, just a journalist who has paid to see, in Australia, the film three times.
This is a film that everybody in the Asia-Pacific region should see. It’s a story of the counterpoint to powerful “sheriff nations” and emerging nations with aspirations of freedom. It’s a story about how the affluent can be blind to hardship, poverty and violence less than an hour distant from Australia.
This is a film of our corner of the world. Do make the effort.
Bruce Honeywill has been a journalist for 25 years work in print, radio television and online, specialising in social and environmental issues in remote Northern Australia and East Timor. He has also been a journalism educator in Australia and New Zealand.
Jill Jolliffe’s book Cover-Up has been republished under the title of Balibo . Tony Maniaty’s book Shooting Balibo also tells the story. Balibo, the movie. Investigative journalist Peter Cronau, one of the founders of Pacific Media Watch, also has a forthcoming book about Roger East, The Last Reporter.
http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2010/02/media-anzacs-a-film-everybody-in-the-asia-pacific-region-should-see/
Balibo, the movie, has two special Amnesty International screenings in Auckland before going on general New Zealand cinema release on Thursday. The film, banned in Indonesia, tells the story of the murder of five members of two Australian-based television news crews in a tiny East Timorese border village in 1975. The narrative exposes the duplicity of the Australian government – and New Zealand – in covering the truth of the deaths for more than a quarter of a century.
In 2010, I stand on the wall of the old Portuguese fort overlooking the tiny mountain village of Balibo. I was here previously, 10 years ago.
East Timor then, for a short period, was an undeclared territory under United Nations sovereignty. The Indonesian military had just withdrawn after 24 years of occupation. As the Indonesian forces withdrew in late 1999, they and pro-Indonesian militia put the tiny impoverished nation to the torch in one of the horrors of recent history.
I worked for a time with journalist/author Jill Jolliffe filming eyewitness accounts of various witnesses to the violent deaths of these five journalists and camera crew. I followed, with my camera, witnesses’ graphic descriptions of the last minutes of the lives of the group now known as the Balibo Five.
The witnesses came from both the defending East Timorese military (Falantil) and pro-Indonesian militia working with Indonesian special forces. The witnesses described how the news crews were killed by the bullet and blade of the Indonesian military and its supporters.
These witness accounts added to the volumes of research collected by Jolliffe in what became her life obsession to see the truth of her colleagues’ deaths revealed.
Journalist Jill Jolliffe's original book Cover-Up has been republished as Balibo.
Jolliffe’s ensuing book Cover-Up not only told the story of the murders of the members of the news crews but exposed the complicity of the then Australian Labor government with the United States and Britain, in tacitly supporting the invasion of East Timor by Suharto’s Indonesia.
The book particularly focused on the Australian government’s “cover-up” of the truth of the deaths of the Balibo Five.
Chillingly accurate
The story of the Balibo Five was taken by screen writer/director Robert Connolly and producer John Maynard to become the feature film Balibo.
While honed to a partly fictional narrative to meet market expectations, the accounts of the deaths of the journalists and crew are chillingly accurate to the eyewitness accounts.
The Balibo Five working for the Seven and Nine Networks in Australia mirrored the cultural makeup of their grandfathers’ generation at Gallipoli – a Kiwi, three Aussies and a Pom all under the common flag of journalism and the world’s right to know.
The Balibo Five were all in their 20s; they distilled the excitement, anarchy and inexperience of television news in those early decades before the commodification we see today.
The two journalists in particular, Greg Shackleton and Malcolm Rennie, were young and ambitious at a time when the first rule of television journalism was “get the story”. The second rule “get the story first”.
Cameraman Gary Cunningham was born in Wellington in 1947. Described as “a big, affable fellow”, Cunningham worked with the New Zealand National Film Unit in Dunedin. He was seconded to the NZ Broadcasting Corporation as a news cameraman where he won an award for his coverage of the Wahine ferry disaster.
Cunningham moved to Australia to further his love of news cinematography. After two years at the Nine Network he moved to Channel Seven in whose employment he remained until his death.
Tragic heart
While the story of the murders of the Balibo Five is the throbbing, tragic heart of the film, the narrative follows the exploits of another journalist, Roger East (Anthony Lapaglia). The story of the events leading up to and following the death of the Balibo Five is seen through the eyes of East and his interactions with a young José Ramos Horta played by Oscar Isaac.
The premise for the film is a videtaped investigative interview with a fictional Juliana, beautifully played by Bea Viegas, an East Timorese woman in her first acting role. Juliana describes how she, as a girl, watched Roger East’s execution on the wharf at Dili.
The Balibo Five are strongly played by Damon Gameau (Shackleton), Gyton Grantley (Cunningham), Mark Winter (Tony Stewart), Nathan Phillips (Rennie) and Thomas Wright as Brian Peters. The cinematic approach uses hand-held cameras with high grain film for the Balibo Five story that interweaves with the more traditionally shot Roger East narrative.
The skilled depths of Lapaglia’s acting and his obvious passion for the project drives the story through the few little bumps brought about by the challenges of filming on location in Dili and Balibo (although the actual death scenes had to be filmed in Darwin as the reality was considered too violent for the still traumatised East Timorese of the border towns).
Deep duplicity
This film tells a story of deep duplicity of powerful governments prepared to throw away ethical and moral responsibilities for political expediency.
It is a film of journalists at work, and sends the message that when the proverbial “hits the fan” we are all on our own.
There are a couple of interesting sidelights to the film. The East Timorese video cameraman filming the evidence of Juliana is none other than José Belo, today’s most outspoken journalist in East Timor and who won the Café Pacific award for free speech. (Balibo won the film category).
The person playing the Tetum-speaking Australian investigator is Major Michael Stone, former SAS and now military advisor to the President of East Timor, José Ramos Horta.
Here in Balibo, 2010, from my perch high on the wall of the fort I see the little town of Balibo below me: The ‘Australian Flag House’ where Greg Shackleton famously painted the Australian flag in the mistaken belief this would protect him and his colleagues, now a monument to the memory of the Balibo Five.
Death house
Across the square, the “death house” is empty and crumbling. Here in 2000 I filmed recent bullet holes, lipstick “kiss marks” revealing this was a “kissing wall” – a place of rape and murder of women, and the iconic parachute emblem of Kopassus (Indonesian special forces).
Today the old house is starting to fall in on itself as if the load of horrors over a quarter of a century is too much for the architecture.
Out across the mountains, rain clouds flume through the valleys. Corn, green with the Wet Season, grows right up to the fort wall.
I ponder on Balibo the Movie in apposition to the real Balibo beneath me. I am no film critic, just a journalist who has paid to see, in Australia, the film three times.
This is a film that everybody in the Asia-Pacific region should see. It’s a story of the counterpoint to powerful “sheriff nations” and emerging nations with aspirations of freedom. It’s a story about how the affluent can be blind to hardship, poverty and violence less than an hour distant from Australia.
This is a film of our corner of the world. Do make the effort.
Bruce Honeywill has been a journalist for 25 years work in print, radio television and online, specialising in social and environmental issues in remote Northern Australia and East Timor. He has also been a journalism educator in Australia and New Zealand.
Jill Jolliffe’s book Cover-Up has been republished under the title of Balibo . Tony Maniaty’s book Shooting Balibo also tells the story. Balibo, the movie. Investigative journalist Peter Cronau, one of the founders of Pacific Media Watch, also has a forthcoming book about Roger East, The Last Reporter.
http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2010/02/media-anzacs-a-film-everybody-in-the-asia-pacific-region-should-see/
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