Suai Media Space

“Shirley Shackleton was launched into an unexpected life as a human rights activist when her journalist husband Greg Shackleton was killed in East Timor in 1975.” This is the introduction to Shirley Shackleton’s autobiographical account of her life titled ‘The Circle of Silence’ published this year.

‘A compelling personal insight into a defining time in our history. Shirley Shackleton’s courage is inspiring’Robert Connolly, Director, Balibo

‘The Circle of Silence’ provides a profoundly disturbing insight into the kind of Australia we actually live in and Shirley Shackleton’s story is moving and inspiring for her tenacity and courage in the face of terrible odds and very powerful enemies in the form of Australian leaders, who clearly do not share the values held dear by most Australians who voted them into power.

The following is a slideshow of photographs taken at the book launch organised by the Australia East Timor Association in May 2010 featuring two of the posters they published in the 1980’s to raise awareness to the plight of East Timor.

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WITHIN days of the Chinese government’s handing over two patrol boats to East Timor, two much bigger ships from the US Navy anchored off Dili last week, bringing with them more than 2000 marines. more…

Paul Cleary: the author of this article was a World Bank-appointed adviser to the first East Timor government. He is the author of Shakedown — Australia’s grab for Timor oil.

A unique glimpse of a young teenager (Armindo), telling his story in song – accompanying himself on a beautiful little home made ukelele.  Recorded  by the documentary-maker 7 months after the Suai Church Massacre on the verandah of a house rehabilitated for the use of Timor Aid.

The following slideshow contains eleven paintings of landscapes from the bright and lush representations of ‘Collection of Flowers to the most bleak in ‘Untitled’ ‘Think about the Future’and ‘Boat of Life’.

Perhaps the most interesting are ‘East Timor‘ and ‘Habelun ho Lafaek‘ that provide interesting global and mythological perspectives on the island of East Timor. (see cultural notes on crocodile myth) Once again we find women in the landscape and just one man who could be Xanana in ‘Director Liberty’ overlooking a devastated landscape covered with bodies and guns while a young man holds up the Timorese flag. Other interesting landscape works are in the Bundoora Exhibition and Paintings on Tais.