Suai Media Space

A summary autobiography – written for sms by Pedro Lebre June 2005
On the 25th, April 1974 a coup took place in Portugal.
I was in Australia when the coup in Portugal happened. I left Timor in March 1974, and that happened a month later. I was glad because I could return to my country.
I had to leave my country because of the Portuguese intels’ suspicions about me over of the relationship with foreigners, mainly australians, with whom I worked.
Also because I come from Uatucarbau, the place where the revolt of 1959 took place against the Portuguese. Read the rest of this entry »

Two poems by Pedro Lebre are being posted on the 32nd Anniversary of 28 November, 1975 when the Democratic Republic of East-Timor was proclaimed. East Timor was colonised by Portugal since the 16th century, and was known as Portuguese Timor until Portugal’s decolonisation of the country. In late 1975 East Timor declared its independence but was invaded and occupied by Indonesia later that year, and declared that country’s 27th province the following year. Poetry

written by Pedro Lebre – Villa Harmonia – Dili Timor Loro Sae (only available in Tetun)

Pedro gave me this copy of his poem while I was staying at Villa Harmonia, June 14, 2003. Villa Harmonia was home to many Australians and other activists during the Indonesian occupation. We hope to hear from some of you. Read the rest of this entry »

written by Pedro Lebre – Villa Harmonia, Dili.

Pedro gave me this poem also for sms on June 14, 2003 (only available in Tetun we are waiting on a volunteer to translate it.)

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I wrote this poem in 2000. I rang the East Timor Human Rights Centre to make an appointment. Ana Noronha told me that they were compiling a register of names of people who died and who were missing. She also told me that women in East Timor were picking up bones from the ground and secreting them in tais (the traditional cloth of East Timor), until they could conduct remembrance ceremonies with dignity. I was moved to write Bones (Ruin).

I have learned that though few of us are poets, when circumstances in life move us very deeply, the need to speak from the heart can become overwhelming and often it comes in poetic form. This was one of those moments for me. Read the rest of this entry »

I met Filomena when she was in Suai for the First Anniversary of the Suai Church Massacre in September 2000. She was directing a re-enactment of that massacre to assist with the healing of the people of Suai. The re-enactment was accompanied by an appeal, to the international community present, for justice.

I didn’t see Filomena again until 2005 briefly when she was here for a conference. The first film I made titled ‘The Circle of Stones’ intercuts Filomena’s play with the story of the Suai Church Massacre and the grieving taking place in front of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Suai where the massacre took place. I had sent her a copy of the video and I knew somehow that she had taken it to the U.S. in 2002 when she made a tour of that country saying “the women of East Timor are screaming for justice” . I think I read an article in the paper titled ‘Screaming for Justice’.

On this trip Filomena stayed with me and told me a lot more about that film and how she used it. When she was invited to speak to the U.S. Senate Filomena elected to screen ‘The Circle of Stones’. We are still waiting for justice. Filomena has a funny story to tell about this so I’m looking forward to her telling here in this space in the near future.

On Jen’s verandah Nov.2007

This poem written in 1999, has been published in ‘Written in Blood’ by Filomena Barros dos Reis. Performed November 10th 2007 at the Boite Cafe to Commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the Suai Church Massacre.

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