Memorable moments in East Timor

So many; here are just a few. The Catholic church, and Bishop Belo, played an important role in sustaining the people of East Timor in their struggle for independence. Development and Peace was able in turn to support the East Timorese church in these efforts even prior to independence.

Edna, D&P's in-country support, who set up our schedule,and organized transportation for the group, with Jess Agustin, D&P's program officer for the country. Edna supports our ET partners, and Jess spent two years in Timor following the independence vote.

Bishop Ricardo of Dili welcomes the delegation to his house. The peace accords were negotiated in the kitchen of the Bishop's residence. At the end of the meeting the Bishop will present a plaque of thanks to Development and Peace for its support in East Timor during the past 10 years. Development and Peace was one of the first NGOs involved in the newly-independent country, because of our connection with the Catholic Church and Bishop Belo's role in supporting the people in their movement to independence. See the D&P blog on our website: http://www.devp.org/, for pictures of the presentation.

260 unarmed students involved in a peaceful demonstration against the Indonesian occupation were shot to death in this cemetery in 1991. It became one of the defining moments of the movement to independence. We pay our respects.

When the Indonesian army left after the independence vote was succesful in 1999, they were determined to destroy all that they could of the new country. For several days they terrorized the population, killing people in Dili and destroying buildings. We stand before the well of the former governor's house. The governor and his family were massacred and thrown in the well along with others who had sought refuge at his house. D&P program officer, Jess, was in Dili at the time, and with one of the priests, managed to save some lives.

Father Domingo (left) chats with members of the delegation at RPK radio station, a Church project. It seems that every adult who has survived the violence of the Portuguese and Indonesian occupations, and subsequent internal strife, has a story to tell, and Father Domingo's is exceptional. In 1999 (or was it 2006, when the army and the police had a showdown over old greivances?) he and everyone else at the seminary were woken by shelling and gunfire aimed at them. On his knees, about to be executed, he asked for a moment to pray. The soldier it turns out wasn't all that keen on killing him, and as soon as there was a distraction, urged him to run.