We’re hoping to re-publish this post in Crikey with full links, etc. If you could let me know if that’s possible, that would be great.
Cheers, Jane
Good God……to think my sister-in-law just landed back in Timor last Friday after spending 2 months with me in Oz, after losing her husband (my brother) who lived and worked in Dili, in early December.
She would be missing him now, more than ever to protect her.
Thank Goodness she is in a relatively safe and secure location but it won’t stop me worrying about her.
Keep up the good work with reporting the local news.
I have been reading this for a year or so just trying to keep abreast of what was happening over there as my brother didn’t stay in touch as often as he could have until he came home very sick earlier last year for 3 months and after treatment he and his wife went back to Dili but sadly after a short time his health suddenly deteriorated and he tried to make it back home for Xmas but only got as far as Darwin and passed away.
Jane, feel free to reference in Crikey. But how do I get to see it. Maybe a gratis subscription ?
So, your friend drives to caz bar with his bike then goes for a cycle up and over JFK Boulevard? That’s the only way i can figure out the geography of all this… And the shooting started before he bumped into JRH at the bottom of the hill, but then the President walks calmly up into the melee without calling/radio-ing first to see what’s happening? All very weird.
Good to know ambulance was there within half an hour — guess the reports that UNPOL stood around doing nothing for an hour are somewhat exaggerated. Not just RTL’s reportage which should be taken with a pinch of salt…
Media reports of the attack on Xanana’s convoy vary from simultaneous, to 10mins, half an hour, or 90mins later. By a separate group, or perhaps the same group if the latter times are more accurate.
Who knows? Let’s just hope Horta pulls through.
Hi there, of course! If you can send me your email details I’ll put you on a sub! Cheers.
Haulagosta, I re-read what I wrote and re-considered my recollection of what I was told by 3 separate people – all doing different things at the time (ie waking up, walking and cycling).
I clearly wrote that JRH did make a phone call and based on the distance from where he was seen on the beach (on the phone) to the bottom of the JRH hill, it seems there may have been 2 separate flurries of gunfire. That’s the only conclusion I could draw but I was not there.
Squatter/Haulagosta, re all very weird.
For the President to walk calmly into the melee is far from weird. In fact, anyone who know’s JRH would tell you that this is typical. On April 28th 2006 myself and a few people I know who read this blog were at a party at which JRH was present. At around 1145pm he received a ‘phone call, said ‘yes’ a few times and hung up. He said “my people are killing each other in Tasi Toluu, I must go.” He left, alone, and drove to Tasi Toluu, where indeed, his people were killing each other. He walked into the middle and stopped the situation from getting worse than it already was. I think this may be the first time this particular story has been made public but under the present circumstances I believe it is small slice of the man’s bravery and commitment to his country. There were many instances like the above from May 2006 until February 11th 2008.
So no Haulagosta, it wasn’t weird for JRH to do what he did.
FOS-
Please take yourself out of Dili and back to whatever country you came from for a minute. In the real world, most people do not run into a firefight even when they are the great JRH. It is weird that a normal person would run towards gunfire. What were his so called bodyguards doing letting him do something that dumb? I have protected high level people and never would I let the person I am watching lead the way or go towards gunfire. I think some people just spend to much time here in Timor to think clearly.
A very rude post bj. I was just telling you what DID happen. Not what might have happened. JRH DID walk back into the shooting. Maybe if JRH had a bodyguard of your obvious calibre he might not be in a Darwin hospital right now.
I am planning to visit Timor Leste end of March to assist the ALOLA foundation with amongst other things English teaching. I will be following your postings with interest until then. Any tips for my trip preparation would be appreciated. Just discovered your categories list. Probably several useful bits of info there.Thanks!
Wow!
Hi there, Great post.
We’re hoping to re-publish this post in Crikey with full links, etc. If you could let me know if that’s possible, that would be great.
Cheers, Jane
Good God……to think my sister-in-law just landed back in Timor last Friday after spending 2 months with me in Oz, after losing her husband (my brother) who lived and worked in Dili, in early December.
She would be missing him now, more than ever to protect her.
Thank Goodness she is in a relatively safe and secure location but it won’t stop me worrying about her.
Keep up the good work with reporting the local news.
I have been reading this for a year or so just trying to keep abreast of what was happening over there as my brother didn’t stay in touch as often as he could have until he came home very sick earlier last year for 3 months and after treatment he and his wife went back to Dili but sadly after a short time his health suddenly deteriorated and he tried to make it back home for Xmas but only got as far as Darwin and passed away.
Jane, feel free to reference in Crikey. But how do I get to see it. Maybe a gratis subscription ?
So, your friend drives to caz bar with his bike then goes for a cycle up and over JFK Boulevard? That’s the only way i can figure out the geography of all this… And the shooting started before he bumped into JRH at the bottom of the hill, but then the President walks calmly up into the melee without calling/radio-ing first to see what’s happening? All very weird.
Good to know ambulance was there within half an hour — guess the reports that UNPOL stood around doing nothing for an hour are somewhat exaggerated. Not just RTL’s reportage which should be taken with a pinch of salt…
Media reports of the attack on Xanana’s convoy vary from simultaneous, to 10mins, half an hour, or 90mins later. By a separate group, or perhaps the same group if the latter times are more accurate.
Who knows? Let’s just hope Horta pulls through.
Hi there, of course! If you can send me your email details I’ll put you on a sub! Cheers.
Haulagosta, I re-read what I wrote and re-considered my recollection of what I was told by 3 separate people – all doing different things at the time (ie waking up, walking and cycling).
I clearly wrote that JRH did make a phone call and based on the distance from where he was seen on the beach (on the phone) to the bottom of the JRH hill, it seems there may have been 2 separate flurries of gunfire. That’s the only conclusion I could draw but I was not there.
Squatter/Haulagosta, re all very weird.
For the President to walk calmly into the melee is far from weird. In fact, anyone who know’s JRH would tell you that this is typical. On April 28th 2006 myself and a few people I know who read this blog were at a party at which JRH was present. At around 1145pm he received a ‘phone call, said ‘yes’ a few times and hung up. He said “my people are killing each other in Tasi Toluu, I must go.” He left, alone, and drove to Tasi Toluu, where indeed, his people were killing each other. He walked into the middle and stopped the situation from getting worse than it already was. I think this may be the first time this particular story has been made public but under the present circumstances I believe it is small slice of the man’s bravery and commitment to his country. There were many instances like the above from May 2006 until February 11th 2008.
So no Haulagosta, it wasn’t weird for JRH to do what he did.
FOS-
Please take yourself out of Dili and back to whatever country you came from for a minute. In the real world, most people do not run into a firefight even when they are the great JRH. It is weird that a normal person would run towards gunfire. What were his so called bodyguards doing letting him do something that dumb? I have protected high level people and never would I let the person I am watching lead the way or go towards gunfire. I think some people just spend to much time here in Timor to think clearly.
A very rude post bj. I was just telling you what DID happen. Not what might have happened. JRH DID walk back into the shooting. Maybe if JRH had a bodyguard of your obvious calibre he might not be in a Darwin hospital right now.
I am planning to visit Timor Leste end of March to assist the ALOLA foundation with amongst other things English teaching. I will be following your postings with interest until then. Any tips for my trip preparation would be appreciated. Just discovered your categories list. Probably several useful bits of info there.Thanks!