12/01/2000
Timor Aid
Narrative Report
By Sonny Inbaraj

Title: Print Media Training Program in Dili, December 18-22, 1999

Introduction:

The training commenced on Saturday, December 18, 1999, 8:30 am, at the Hotel Tourismo. Nobel Peace Laureate and CNRT Vice-President Dr Jose Ramos-Horta was the guest-of-honor and Cerelia "Mellie" Amelia, a reporter with Radio Falintil, welcomed the guests.

A total of 30 participants, of which seven were women, registered for the five-day training. The majority were senior-level journalists and media practitioners.

Dr Ramos-Horta stressed the importance of an independent media in East Timor and thanked USAid/OTI, together with Timor Aid, for funding and supporting the training program. The Nobel Peace Laureate also acknowledged the formation of the Institut Studi Media dan Program Pelatihan (ISPELA), which is a registered local East Timorese NGO with the UN's Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

ISPELA was formed in mid-December to provide the necessary ground support for the training program, as well as to develop diverse media forms in an independent East Timor.

Dr Ramos-Horta also used the occasion to create a "media stir" when he announced that he was quitting politics in 2000 and going back to journalism. He also stated that he wanted to see a national news agency for East Timor formed and that such a news body could work under the auspices of ISPELA.

Day 1, December 18, 1999

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The discussions and deliberations through the five days were in Bahasa Indonesia and the program started with a panel discussion on "The current state of media in East Timor -- starting from  scratch", moderated by Sonny Inbaraj. This session gave an excellent opportunity for face-to-face discussions and debates between journalists from the mainstream and activist media in the open forum -- after the panel discussion.

Differences in perception began to emerge later in the day between the two groups of journalists. Senior journalists from the former Suara Timor Timur group were of the opinion that full-reporting of all facts in a particular story could create social conflicts leading to violence. They, rather alarmingly, were advocating self-censorship with the former editors saying they still had the right to be gatekeepers in the name of reconciliation and unity in the country.

On the other hand, journalists from the activist media were of the opinion that the public had the right to know and editors could not act as gatekeepers. They said they had a duty to inform without fear or favour -- even if Xanana Gusmao, CNRT, UNTAET, Falintil or anybody else had to be criticised. By being gatekeepers, they said, editors were insulting the intelligence of their readers. Let the readers, and the free market, decide what is a good and fair story, they added.

As the debate was becoming heated, and time running short, the moderator reminded the participants that there was a workshop the next day on "To take or Not to Take Sides -- getting intellectually involved in a story while retaining professionalism and credibility." At the workshop, he said, more views could be debated.

After lunch, the program moved on to looking at the paradigm shifts in East Timor, with Timor Aid's Jose Neves as moderator.

Keynote speaker Liem Soei Liong, co-founder and editor of the UK-based Tapol magazine, stressed the importance of reporting for a foreign audience. He reminded the participants that the news flow from foreign journalists trapped in the UNAMET compound, then under siege by the militias, played a very important part in influencing public opinion in Britain. He stressed that at the end of the day the halls of power, with regard to East Timor, were still in London and Washington.

Liem said that foreign journalists, now, had to report on East Timor in a new dimension. Development reporting now plays a big part, he said, and whether journalists, who had been so used to reporting on human rights abuses and atrocities carried out by the TNI, would be able to fit into and report accurately on the "new East Timor" is left to be seen.

Alan Whykes, a Darwin-based journalist reporting for the Indonesian daily Republika, said that the Indonesian press is still coming to grips with East Timor. Though there has been irresponsible reporting in the Jakarta press, many dailies, however, have accepted the fact that East Timor has broken away from Indonesia. He gave his own experiences on how he got to know about the East Timor issue and the difficulties on reporting about the territory when it was under Indonesian occupation.

Whykes also told of situations when his reporting, from Australia, on East Timor was toned down and even censored by his editors in Jakarta during the Suharto regime. But he pointed out that profound changes, in Indonesia, could be expected under new President Abdurahman Wahid -- who was bent on keeping TNI in line.

A paper by Dr George Aditjondro, from Newcastle University, NSW, was read by Virgilio da Silva Guterres from Talitakum news magazine. Dr Aditjondro was a Tempo journalist and is well-known for his critical analysis on East Timor. He also has spent a substantial part of his academic career researching and tracking former Indonesian president Suharto's wealth and assets.

As expected, Dr Aditjondro's paper was critical of CNRT, UNTAET and even Xanana Gusmao himself. The paper was meant to initiate discussion and debate among participants about the role of the various players in an East Timor in transition to a full democracy.

The day ended with a musical night to welcome the participants.

Day 2, December 19, 1999

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The program started after lunch - taking into account the local tradition of families wanting to be together for a good part of the morning after Church.

The panel discussion for the afternoon was "Women and New Journalism".

Since there were a few foreign journalists, among the participants, covering the session both Sonny Inbaraj and Jasinto from the Melbourne-based East Timor Human Rights Center took turns interpreting from Bahasa Indonesia into English.

The moderator was former Suara Timor Timur journalist Rosa Garcia, with Isabella Fereira from the East Timorese Human Rights Commission giving a special presentation. She pointed out that in East Timor it was women who bore the brunt of suffering - while the men were in the forests - under the TNI. Because of that, she said, the role of women in East Timor's independence has to be given due recognition.

In the "new" East Timor, pointed out Isabella, women were still exploited. She said there was a proliferation of pornographic magazines in Dili which exploited women's bodies and made men just view women as sex objects.

She also said women journalists had great difficulty carrying out their work because of parental pressure. Many women reporters could not cover important night assignments because their parents refused to allow them out of the house, unaccompanied, after dark.

She also called for women journalist to be made editors -- pointing out that in East Timor there were none in any publication.

During the open forum session, participants brought out the point that Western concepts of gender equality cannot be accepted in totality in East Timor. One participant pointed out that the paying of dowry by a man for a wife is an indication that he respected her and her family - while in the West this is frowned upon. He added that Western concepts of gender development had to take into account East Timorese cultural sensitivities.

But Isabelle rebutted by saying there were many instances, in East Timor, where men after paying their dowry for brides treated them as servants and physically abused them.

A participant from Forum Demokrasi Maubere pointed out that if gender equality was advocated in East Timor, then women, too, had the right to do heavy physical work. He said this was important in order to reconstruct devastated East Timor.

During the tea break, a video by independent Australian documentary-maker Carmela Baranowska, titled "Scenes From an Occupation" was screened. This video was intended to inspire women journalists into taking journalism seriously. Carmela singlehandedly filmed, directed and edited the video. "Scenes From An Occupation" has been submitted as an entry to a film festival in Europe.

The video was very well received by the participants as well as the foreign journalists present.

The first workshop of the program, titled "To Take Or Not To Take Sides -- getting intellectually involved in a story while retaining professionalism and credibility", commenced after the tea-break. The workshop was moderated by Rico Aditjondro from the Maritime Union of Australia News, Sydney.

Again differences between journalists from the former Suara Timor Timur and the activist/ alternative emerged. This time, however, they had a full two hours to debate and deliberate their points.

Journalists from the former Suara Timor were of the opinion that even if journalists are moved by a particular story, they are not supposed to let their feelings show. Reporters from the activist/ alternative media claimed observers change reality by the very act of observing, and like it or not, reporters become a part of the story they go out to report. There is no such thing as "objective" reporting, they said.

Straight reporting, the activist/alternative news reporters said, misses the nuances of the larger truth because it does not analyse events and come to a conclusion. This, they said, was sterile one-dimensional reporting.

But journalists from the former Suara Timor Timur disagreed. They retorted by saying in-depth analysis reporting of the current situation in East Timor could create social tension which in turn creates violence in society.

The workshop ended with no decisions made on reporting styles -- each group still entrenched in their own perceptions on how to report.

In a breakthrough, however, Metha Guterres from ISPELA presented a proposal for the formation of a journalists' association as a first step towards ensuring standards and striving for a free and independent media.

This was overwhelmingly accepted by the workshop and participants agreed to discuss it at the next day's session.

Day 3, December 20, 1999

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The participants wanted a full three-hours to discuss and debate the formation of a journalists' association.

Various structures were put forward with regard to the secretariat -- ranging from a radical presidium-style format with various secretary- generals to a committee-like structure.

Disagreements again began to surface. While the activist/ alternative media wanted a declaration to be made at the end of the program with regard to a commitment to form the association -- leaving discussions on the administrative structure to a later date -- the mainstream media led by the former Suara Timor Timur journalists wanted to debate the various models.

There came a point where the former Suara Timor Timur journalists accused the activist/ alternative media of having an agenda and "pretending" to be professional journalists when they were in fact NGO activists.

Liem Soei Liong and Sonny Inbaraj intervened, at this juncture, saying the intention to form a  journalists' association was indeed a historical moment for the media in East Timor and that  window of opportunity must not be shut because of petty disagreements. All parties agreed to a cooling off period.

After lunch, Othello Ote -- a veteran journalist with the former Suara Timor Timur -- gave a special presentation titled "Rising From The Ashes:

Publishing a newspaper from zero." Ote gave touching accounts of his time in Suara Timor Timur, where despite facing harassment and censorship threats from the publisher he continued reporting as he did before.

"Everyday my publisher would come down hard on me, sometimes even using swear words, after he had seen what I had written in the papers. He tried to censor what I wrote but since I was always the last to leave the office, I made sure what I had written got published," said Ote.

These words served as an inspiration to the participants and put them in a better frame of mind for continuing discussions on the formation of a journalists' association.

The cooling-off period, together with Ote's inspirational paper had worked. The discussions this time were more focussed and all parties agreed that a declaration should be made at the end of the program, on Dec 22, with regard to the formation of a journalists' association. All agreed that the wording of the declaration would be debated on Wednesday, December 22 and that Metha Guterres and Virgilio da Costa Guterres   would draft the declaration.

Day 4, December 21, 1999

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The day started with a special panel session on "Coverage of East Timor for the international media," with Timor Aid’s Alex Gusmao as moderator.

The first presenter was Liem Soei Liong who spoke on the "Tapol" experience in Europe. Liem said Tapol was founded primarily to disseminate information about East Timor during the period the territory was closed, by the Indonesian armed forces. It was during this period that the worst human rights abuses were carried out in the territory.

The main subscribers to Tapol are foreign embassies in Europe and readers in ASEAN. Liem stressed that Tapol "created" news through investigative reporting rather than straight reporting and most of the reports were semi-analytical because they were used by foreign embassies.

Tapol also supplied information to various lobby groups in Europe and helped them in joint strategies.

The second presenter was Sonny Inbaraj and he spoke on how East Timor challenged ASEAN's boundaries. He talked on the wavering of Malaysia with regard to East Timor, despite the fact that the country had the most experience in the region when it came to peacekeeping operations.

Initially Malaysia ruled out joining the Australian-led Interfet forces but changed its mind after Indonesia's persuasion. It has sent a team of 30 military officers to East Timor.

Sonny told participants that two countries in ASEAN warranted special attention from East Timor's leaders: the Philippines and Thailand. The Philippines may be a natural ally for East Timor, as the other Catholic nation in the region and, moreover, one with a strong commitment to democracy. Similarly, Thailand's strong commitment to democracy may engender natural sympathy for the plight of East Timor.

Both Thailand and the Philippines, said Sonny, have assumed an openly pro-democracy posture with ASEAN and been outspoken on the need for a more critical intra-regional approach to human rights. While not being able to provide substantial financial guarantees, he added, the Philippines and Thailand may be able to provide valuable advocacy within Southeast Asia on East Timor's behalf. This will be important if East Timor is to evolve into a fully independent state in its own right rather than, for instance, a frail Australian dependency.

Sane Liem, an activist from Peace Brigades International working in the West Timor capital of Kupang, briefed participants on the situation there.

Some 170,000 refugees from East Timor remain in camps in West Timor, and many are essentially being held captive, said Sane. For them, the crisis

isn't over, and it shouldn't be for the media and the international community, stressed the PBI activist.

She said propaganda used by the militias, echoed by the tabloid press in Kupang, was very much responsible for preventing the return of refugees to East Timor. She said the rumours ranged from "Interfet planning to bomb Atambua" to "Falintil planning to kill all militia family returnees."

Sane said it was important East Timor's Bishop Carlos Belo and independence leader Xanana Gusmao give strong assurances to the refugees, many of whom are now from militia families, that they won't be physically harmed if the return back home. She said the local East Timor media could work with local NGOs by bringing taped messages to the refugees from their families, urging them to return. This could calm them and help allay their fears.

Questions were also asked on why ASEAN journalists were still very reluctant to cover East Timor from an in-depth perspective. In reply,

Sonny Inbaraj said because there was little or no coverage of East Timor in ASEAN during the days of the Indonesian occupation, regional journalists now didn't know how to cover the issue during a crucial moment in the making of world history.

The day's program was cut short to allow participants to attend Interfet's Christmas Rock Concert at the stadium. A special invitation was extended to the training program from the  Australian Defence Forces.

Day 5, December 22, 1999

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The translators from English to Bahasa Indonesia, for the participants, were Alan Whykes and Sonny Inbaraj.

Rob Wesley-Smith gave the history of Radio Maubere and how it was operated from Darwin. He said for the period between 1975-1978, it was the only news service available other than official Indonesian propaganda.

Wesley-Smith's short talk was a good percussor to Commado Akhita's 'Vos de Esperanca'.

Radio Falintil, said Akhita, was born when the resistance moved into a new base camp in Remexio district east of Dili in preparation for the return of Xanana Gusmao, who was travelling to East Timor from Darwin. Radio Falintil, broadcasting on FM88.10 for two to three hours everyday, is the third radio station in Dili besides Radio UNTAET operated by the UN Transitional Authority in East Timor and the Catholic Church-owned Radio Kamanak.

Akhita said the initiative to start Radio Falintil came from young Falintil commandoes who felt that the resistance had now a new role to play following the withdrawal of all Indonesian troops from East Timor and the presence of an armed international peacekeeping force. ''Many Falintil fighters have now decided to come down from the mountains to be with their families in Dili and this radio station helps them keep in touch with their commanders and Falintil's plans for a transition to peace,'' said Akhita.

But Akhita said he was disappointed with the aid agencies, whom he accused of being biased against Radio Falintil. ''None of them have approached to help us with training or equipment. We are already broadcasting with the little we have. But motivation alone is not enough, we need extra equipment and some resources to help meet our expenses.''

Sascha Rundell briefed the participants on the functions of Radio UNTAET. She said Radio UNTAET was working with CNRT on developing a media training program. Rundell said there were no intentions to make Radio UNTAET the national broadcaster and the station could work with all parties concerned.

She said UNTAET would like to see all media organisations under one roof and Radio UNTAET plans to reach a wider audience in East Timor.

Ilana Eldridge, who was formerly with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, gave her experiences working with a national broadcaster.

East Timor, she said, was a sensitive issue for the ABC even till the 90s and how radio   journalists (herself included) who overstepped  certain parameters were given the sack or forced  to resign.

She also gave examples of how influential forms of radio in Australia, like talkback radio, were neither informative or entertaining and merely served the interests of big advertisers. One prominent example she gave was the John Laws Show -- where Laws currently is under investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for receiving cash in return for favourable comments on air.

Eldridge also played pre-recorded pieces of different news presentation styles in radio   programs.

At the open forum, the majority of questions were directed to Sascha Rundell. Firstly, the participants were concerned that UNTAET was, what they claimed discriminatory, in their recruitment policies. There were many ex-TVRI East Timorese journalists in Dili, but they were not even considered for recruitment by Radio UNTAET.

Secondly, many participants felt Radio UNTAET was not reporting fully on news in East Timor and questioned its independence. An ongoing protest by local UNAMET staff over wages, was not reported by the radio.

Thirdly many questioned Rundell's comments at the panel session on the intentions of UNTAET to house all media organisations in one building.

They were of the opinion that UNTAET will be tempted to exert control over the organisations, thus interfering with the independence of the media.

Rundell said Radio UNTAET wanted more feedback from the people and she was happy to listen to any complaints. The media center, in one building, was not meant to exert control, she assured participants, but rather to encourage the development of journalism in East Timor.  

Plan of Action 2000

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After a brief deliberation, all the participants agreed on the draft wording of the declaration for the Timor Lores Journalists Association

(TLJA). They also unanimously agreed that Othello Ote be the acting coordinator and an inaugural Congress be organised in January 2000 to discuss the constitution of TLJA and elect office-bearers.

The declaration for the formation of the Timor Lorosae Journalists Association (TLJA) was made on Wednesday, December 22, 1999 at 4:00 PM at the Hotel Tourism -- at the end of a five-day media workshop.

The guest-of-honour on that historical day ,for the media, in Timor Lorosae was Noble Peace Laureate Dr Jose Ramos-Horta.

The Bahasa Indonesia version of the declaration was read by Othello Ote and the English version by Virgilio da Costa Guetrres. The declaration was as follows:

DECLARATION

Timor Lorosae Journalists Association (TLJA)

"After the result of the Aug 30 referendum was announced, it is clear, now, that freedom of information in Timor Lorosae is a basic human right. We realise that the press in Timor Lorosae must place highest priority on truth and justice and at the same time fight any attempts at censorship.

In achieving these aims, the press in Timor Lorosae must also take into account nation-building efforts aimed at reconciliation and unity. These take priority over all other personal, private or sectoral interests.

We further state that democratic principles will be espoused and promoted by the press in Timor Lorosae. The press in Timor Lorosae will respect all democratic laws in the new country of Timor Lorosae, but WILL NOT bow to what is deemed injustice and repressive.

Based on the above mentioned principles, we, the journalists in Timor Lorosae declare:

1. We will reject all forms of interference, intimidation, censorship and attempts to silence the press in its pursuit to report on the truth and inform the public;

2. We will reject all attempts to impede and intimidate the activist/ alternative press in their efforts to report, inform and analyse;

3. We will reject sectoral and personal interests and one-sided views for the sake of promoting national reconciliation and unity;

4. We will reject all forms of laws and legislation that go against the spirit of democracy;

5. We will reject the concept of only a single professional body for journalists in Timor Lorosae.

In order to uphold the above principles as our contribution towards the establishment of a democratic Timor Lorosae and to conduct advocacy on behalf of the journalists of Timor Lorosae, we therefore on this day, Wednesday Dec 22 1999 at the Hotel Tourismo in Dili, declare the establishment of the Timor Lorosae Journalists Association.

Until such time as can be organised, the inaugural Congress to discuss the constitution of the Timor Lorosae Journalists Association, this body will be under the authority of an acting co-ordinator, spokesperson, secretary and treasurer."

About 45 men and women lined up to sign the document at the end of the reading of the declaration.

"There cannot be a democratic country, democratic society without freedom of the press," Jose Ramos-Horta, vice-president of the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT), said at the ceremony.

Ramos-Horta told the gathering he has already spoken with CNRT president Xanana Gusmao about dedicating a park in honor of the six foreign journalists murdered by Indonesian troops in East Timor in 1975 and also a Dutch correspondent and an Indonesian journalist who were murdered this year.

He said they died "in the pursuit of truth."

"It will be altogether eight journalists and that is not a small number in such a small country," Ramos-Horta said.

SHORTCOMINGS IN MEDIA TRAINING PROGRAM

1. There must be a well-thought-out plan for gender equality in the media. The present levels of gender representation are appalling with the profession still very male-dominated and women relegated to just being junior reporters without any decision-making powers.

2. The issue of language in the media still HAS NOT been resolved. While CNRT strongly advocates the use of Portuguese, the majority of journalists still write and speak in Bahasa Indonesia. Unless and until there is a concerted effort to develop Tetun as the national language and revamp it to incorporate modern and technical terminology, Bahasa Indonesia, unfortunately, will still be used by the media. Portuguese IS NOT widely spoken in East Timor.

3. It will make NO sense conducting media training programs in English in East Timor for the time being. We will need at least two years before English can be used fully and journalists should be encouraged to use the language in order to  communicate internationally.

4. The terms of reference for many participants were still based on events in Indonesia, rather than global ones. Exposure trips are necessary to give local journalists a macro perspective of their working environment.

Darwin, January 10, 2000

Annexure 1: Media reports in the international press

The Australian
19dec99
Ramos-Horta to exit politics

Ramos-Horta campaigned tirelessly for the rights of East Timorese people after Indonesia invaded the former Portuguese colony 24 years ago.

He said he held no ambition to take part in the East Timorese government, which is expected to be formed within three years, but wanted to become a journalist.

East Timor is currently administered by the United Nations Transitional Authority in East Timor. Indonesia relinquished control of the territory after a August 30 independence referendum.

"I told our president Xanana Gusmao my public political involvement will not extend beyond  December 2000,"  Ramos-Horta told journalists at a media training seminar in Dili.

"By then I hope the journalists' association will allow me to join you, go back to what I always wanted, and that is to be a practicing journalist."

Ramos-Horta also told the seminar the development of a free and independent media was an integral part of building a free and independent East Timor.

"There would not be a free and democratic East Timor without freedom of the media. Freedom of media is not an abstract concept, it has also some very practical implications," he said.

Ramos-Horta is involved in setting up the East Timor News Agency, which will work under the auspices of the Portuguese wire serve, Lusa.

East Timor journalists vow to promote democracy

DILI, East Timor, Dec 22 (Agence France-Presse) - Young East Timorese journalists vowed to promote democracy and fight censorship as they formed the Timor Lorosae Journalists Association (TLJA) on Wednesday.

"We realise that the press in Timor Lorosae must place the highest priority on truth and justice and at the same time fight any attempts at censorship," they said in a declaration.

About 45 men and women lined up to sign the document at the end of a five-day journalists' training seminar.

"There cannot be a democratic country, democratic society without freedom of the press," Jose Ramos-Horta, vice-president of the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT), said at the ceremony held in a local hotel.

Most of the association members have recently returned to East Timor from Indonesia where they were studying and worked on publications, said Virgilio da Silva, of Ispela, a media research and discussion group formed just days ago in East Timor.

Ispela co-sponsored the training seminar along with the Timor Aid aid group and the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has committed to six months of further training, da Silva said. He said the young journalists plan to train others and start a bi-weekly newspaper in the new year. Some members of the TLJA formerly worked on Suara Timor Timur, the daily newspaper under Indonesian rule.

They voted Otelio Ote, a former Suara Timor Timur journalist, as co-ordinator of the TLJA. Ote is also a correspondent for the Jakarta newspaper, Media Indonesia, and for the RCTI television network.

The journalists stood as Ote read the TLJA declaration in the Indonesian language and then da Silva read it in English.

They pledged to "take into account nation-building efforts aimed at reconciliation and unity" and agreed to promote democratic principles.

"The press in Timor Lorosae will respect all democratic laws in the new country of Timor Lorosae, but WILL NOT bow to what is deemed injustice and repressive," the declaration says.

"It must be an independent media," da Silva told AFP. He said the press will play a key role in educating people to know their rights and their duties so they can contribute to democratic society. He said East Timor cannot become like other countries which fought for freedom only to be burdened by a new authoritarian regime.

"The role of the media in Timor Lorosae will be very important because the people have suffered for 24 years under repression," da Silva said.

Formerly a mechanical engineering student in Indonesia, he was arrested after a demonstration in Jakarta that followed the 1991 massacre by Indonesian troops at Santa Cruz Cemetery in East Timor. Da Silva said he spent 30 months in an Indonesian prison.

Ramos-Horta told the gathering he has already spoken with CNRT president Xanana Gusmao about dedicating a park in honor of the six foreign journalists murdered by Indonesian troops in East Timor in 1975 and also a Dutch correspondent and an Indonesian journalist who were murdered  this year.

He said they died "in the pursuit of truth."