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>>Global Information About World Christian
Frontier (WCF) >>Articles to front page >>Linkages 2002
ETYC Photo Album 
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WITNESSES OF THE PAST'S VIOLENCES One day, DeWe (Danny) asked me, whether I wanted to go to his friend house or not. First I thought "what for?" but after he explained, that his friend had an art training club, I was interested. Then after dinner, we (Me, DeWe, Kak Delmi, Frits, Sang Gag opa, and Eric) went to his house together. In his house there are so many art products, especially woodcut printing products. What impressed me was the products always shown some social protests, and they all are extreme. And it's easy to find Che Guavara's figure in some of the products. Danny's friend said that the artists who make those products are the local youth. He said that he trained them the woodcut skill, and those products are produced to be sold, so the local youth can create their own income source. Interesting! Beside woodcut printing, they also produce printing t shirt (remember our Che Guavara's t shirt, guys?), the t shirts are sold in Dilli. I've learned some printing methods when I was in university, so we discussed a bit about it. Anyway, from discussed about printing methods, he also told us his amazing (and horrible,too) experiences. He's one of the timorese who are pro to East Timor Independence. Before the independence he lived in jungle, avoiding ..uhm, well, let's say some people who don't like this movement. While he talked, I noticed that there is a scar in his forehead.. I wondered what happened, but then without asking, I already got the answer by his story…. He was tortured, and wounded by bayonet, and it's not only on his forehead, but also on his chest. Gosh! I've heard this kind of violence's stories from some medias, but listening from the true witness was different. He said, that his brother was skinned - alive , he also told us, that once he got caught (with about 15 friends), and they were placed in one small cauldron - 1 x 1 m wide- together. And the cauldron was filled with water - 50 cm deep-. Can you imagine? they couldn't move, just stood still facing each other, they couldn't sleep, they were hungry, because they were not given food (only water), and they couldn't even fulfill their natural call! It lasted for a week. After that they were released, and given so many delicious food. First, they felt relieved, but…. The torture wasn't over, because after they finished having their meal, they were tortured again, until they threw up … and they were soo many more horrible stories he told us, it really made me said,"Oh my God, why?" I'm not a kind of person that interested to political stuffs, in this case, I don't wanna stand in anyone's side. I just stand as a normal human being. And as a normal human being I saw it horrible! How can human treat other human like animal? Where the f***in' hell are their heart of hearts? (whoops, excuse my language…) … I asked him whether he wanted to revenge.. But, he, lightly said, "what for?" He also said, "what important right now is not revenges, because we need to develop ourselves after independence… and about the revenge, it's not our rights." Anyway, talking about the independence period, I also heard some stories that were told by kids from neighborhood. One day, when it was my turn to cook, some kids came and tried to help me. Suddenly, one girl took a knife, and while laughing she said,"I cut your ears!" to her sister, I know, she's only joking… but that was not funny at all, it's dangerous. I was angry and told her to put the knife back on the table… After that, they all told me about everything that happened to them and their families, some of them lost their family in the pre-independence period, some of them witnessed how their family being tortured, how they saw their houses being destroyed and burnt, how they lost their properties and how they ran away out of East Timor to save their life…… But they told me those horrible experiences, like most of children tell their experiences in the school, or playground, really.. I didn't see the anger… Gosh, why them? Why those innocent kids should face this kind of situations… I get used to see children who live as they suppose to be, but these Timorese kids? They see what they shouldn't… and I think it leaves scar in their heart. It's easy to heal the wounds, but it'll take a very long time to erase the scars from their hearts…. I believe, with love and patience, they'll be healed. |
