18 July 2012

Clashes in East Timor "The fear that dominates us"

18 July 2012 A reflection on one of today’s problem - It’s understandable that we live in a culture of fear, manufactured by alarmists in wich the protagonists are the media, press, journalists, advocacy groups, business, religion, political, highlighting crimes, emphasizing violence, tampering numbers, statistic data, dominating the news, and especially taking advantage of the limitations of people in a time that the grounds of "fuss" in Timor should be Joy.

Right now people talk about the death of one of the supporters of FRETILIN party involved in disturbances in Dili last Sunday July 15. In social networks ther are comments emphasizing this "disgrace" and turning it into a form of political propaganda proclaiming it even as a heroic act. In fact we feel the loss and respect it , however, we must look at these events in a different way, we cannot be straight nor fail to be concise, because these are acts which are recorded in the history of our country and serve as a lesson so that we fight against ourselves and against our own impulsiveness, because sometimes, we are our own enemies, and the result is in plain sight of us all in addition that to this type of "emphasizing and transformation" in no way contributes to the development and welfare of our country.

This is a difficult phase, some call it "culture of violence" that although it has been minimized since the Restoration of Independence in 2002 as statements of Jose Maria Guterres (article. Pub. FH date 07/04/2012), on Sunday the crisis returned. The instability is created and from this "fear dominates us" making so that in most cases we do what we least expect.

It is sad that these issues happen because of ideological disagreements, there are those who manifest in the worst way demonstrating their dissatisfaction in acts of rebellion that eventually become violent. Unfortunately it is a regret to us Timorese to watch in first pages news the following highlights: "Timor: Portuguese advised to stay home at night, Timor: almost 60 cars destroyed in riots, Dili: GNR had to intervene in clashes between political factions, and finally "EAST TIMOR: Disturbances lead to a dead" and feel it in first hand. Why not, 'Timor gets a new government, Timorese Celebrate together "??

Another least happy experience that our country faces at the moment, but this serves as a lesson so that in future we can look back and be self-critical. One more opportunity to think about solutions and not just accusations.

As our President Taur Matan Ruak called at the Presidential Palace in Dili yesterday July 16: "hotu hotu fo liman ba malu, haluhan buat ne'ebe liu ona, hakat ba oin kaer liman hamutuk foti ita nia nasaun nia oin no dignidade nasaun ida ne;'e nian". in English "let's all join hands, forget what happened, take a step forward to join hands with dignity and raise the name of our nation, this nation".

Let us hope not to be overcome by fear and that the interests of Timor are only those who serves us and those who contributes to the development of our country!

By Dalia Agostinho

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