I
’M STANDING WITH human rights lawyer Patrick Burgess on
the terrace of an old Portuguese pousada (guesthouse) on a
hill above Maubisse, a mountain village in Timor-Leste. We
watch as low clouds part in the valley far below, revealing a
f looded paddock on which a music festival will soon begin.
In a while, we will head down there to begin filming – we
are making a documentary about how young people are shap-
ing a positive future for the formerly war-ravaged country
through music, film and art.
For now, Patrick and I discuss the landmark year of 1999. It’s
the year Patrick arrived in Timor-Leste, located some 700km
north-west of Darwin across the Timor Sea, to begin his post
heading up the humanitarian section of the United Nations Mis-
sion in East Timor (UNAMET).
It’s also the year an overwhelming majority of people in
Timor-Leste voted for independence from Indonesia. In 1975Indonesian forces had invaded, just
nine days after centuries of Portuguese
colonial rule had ended, prompting
two and a half decades of conf lict
between separatist groups and the
Indonesian military.
Following the independence
referendum in August 1999, a violent
backlash erupted; thousands of lives
were lost and much of the country’s
infrastructure was destroyed. In
response, Australian troops were
deployed to Timor-Leste as part of a
multinational peacekeeping taskforce.
In October 1999, Indonesia relin-
quished control of the territory after a
quarter-century of occupation, oppres-
sion and violence. This ultimately led
to Timor-Leste being recognised as an independent nation in
2002, making it one of the world’s youngest countries.
Patrick began his international human rights career five years
before taking up his post in Timor-Leste after watching footage
on the evening news of the Rwandan genocide that took place
in 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. At the time, the surfer,
musician and barrister was living in the beachside suburb of
Manly, in Sydney’s north. The morning after he watched the
horrific footage, he offered his services to an aid agency and he
has never looked back.
With his wife, activist Galuh Wandita, Patrick went on to
co-found Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR), a human rights organ-
isation based in Indonesia that operates across the Asia-Pacif ic
region. Since it was established in 2012, AJAR has played
a vital role in facilitating reconciliation and repatriation
in Timor-Leste.THIS IS A HUGELY significant year in the history of Timor-Leste
(also known as East Timor), one of Australia’s closest neighbours and one
of the world’s newest nations. It marks the 20th anniversary of the
Popular Consultation, the independence referendum that took place on
30 August 1999. On that day the Timor-Leste people exercised their right
to self-determination and voted overwhelmingly for independence.
This year also marks 20 years since Australian troops were deployed to
Timor-Leste as part of the International Force East Timor (INTERFET),
the peackeeping task force that from 1999 into 2000 addressed the
humanitarian and security crisis facing the country. INTERFET was led
by Australia with (then) Major General Peter Cosgrove at its helm, involved
21 countries and made an important contribution at a critical time in
Timor-Leste’s history.
Many Australians, including a large contingent of INTERFET veterans,
are expected to attend Timor-Leste’s anniversary celebrations and the
Australian Embassy in Timor-Leste’s capital, Dili, is working closely with
the government-appointed organising committee to ensure commemorations
ref lect Australia’s involvement.Patrick Burgess, director of human
rights organisation Asia Justice and
Rights, leads a singalong with
children on the streets of Maubisse.88 Australian GeographicPHOTO CREDITS, PREVIOUS PAGE: PHIL JARRATT; THIS PAGE: PHIL JARRATT