DATE=6/23/2000
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=TIMOR - BURNT HOUSE
NUMBER=5-46548
BYLINE=PATRICIA NUNAN
DATELINE=TIMOR
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: In Dili, East Timor's capital, people are still
trying to rebuild their lives and homes after violence
broke out following the territory's August
independence vote from Indonesia. Amid the cleanup,
there is a restaurant in the capital which is
attracting diners far and wide -- not so much for the
food, but more for its unique surroundings. Patricia
Nunan went to Dili to have a look for herself and
filed this report.
TEXT: /// ACT: SOUND OF SIZZLING ///
Here among the crumbling walls of this Portuguese
restaurant, you can get a sumptuous meal in somewhat
austere surroundings.
Manuela de Silva and Libania Borges, along with their
other sister, run "Uma Mutuk" or "Burnt House" - a
restaurant in the East Timorese capital Dili.
The sisters, who left East Timor as children, returned
after anti-independence militias went on a rampage of
killing and destruction after the territory voted to
break free of Indonesian rule in August.
Ms. De Silva says they came back to find their aunt
traumatized.
/// DESILVA ACT ///
Actually I thought about it and said, well, after all
these years and what happened. We have to go there and
start something to help, because my aunt was very,
very sad. So this time we wanted to do something just
to distract her.
/// END ACT ///
The "Burnt House" restaurant is exactly that: the
remains of their aunt's home after the militias all
but destroyed it.
The walls remain charred by fire and marked by
graffiti.
/// DESILVA ACT ///
DeSilva: This is the house my family owned. Eight
bedrooms, but then the militias came. This is where
I'm using now, as you can see the wall is very damaged
-- and we kept it like that.
Nunan: Why not just buy some paint?
De Silva: it's for people to remember what has
happened here. This is another, a long room that we've
got here. And as you can see we've got 5 tables here.
/// END ACT ///
In the August rampage East Timor was leveled. Since
then food has been scarce. The lack of supplies in
East Timor means most of the food has to be shipped in
from Darwin, Australia -- and diners are offered a
choice between just two dishes every night. But that
doesn't seem to affect the daily flow of customers.
/// DE SILVA ACT ///
Average? Sometimes 40. Sometimes 60. Sometimes I have
to turn customers away because we are too full.
/// END ACT ///
/// ACT - PEOPLE EATING: ESTB. FADE UNDER //
The make-up of the clientele at Burnt House also
reveals something about East Timor's recent history.
Aid-workers from the dozens of non-governmental
organizations rub shoulders with United Nations
peacekeepers -- sent to help restore calm to East
Timor after the violence.
At times, some of the world's most important decision-
makers have even stopped by.
/// De SILVA ACT ///
It's nice to know all these people, like Mr. Kofi
Annan, the Secretary General, it's the first time I
met him. I never thought I could meet him in person.
/// END ACT ///
On this night, the United States Ambassador to
Indonesia and East Timor, Robert Gelbard, is one of
the diners.
/// GELBARD ACT ///
I think the idea of this restaurant is outstanding.
First because it makes people remember the horror of
what happened in East Timor. And of course, let's be
honest, it's the major draw as far as food is
concerned which means that fundamentally the
international community but also the leaders of East
Timor would be coming here too. Even the press.
///END ACT ///
But even more pleased than the diners is Maria Freitas
Ribeiro -- Manuela and Libania's aunt.
/// ACT- AUNT SPEAKING PORTUGUESE: ESTB. FADE DOWN ///
"I don't want to change this house," she says. "I want
to keep it like a museum forever. Forever -- for
everyone to see what the Indonesians did here."
Like a museum, the Burnt House offers a glimpse into
East Timor's recent past. But perhaps more
importantly, it shows what ingenuity and perseverance
could mean for East Timor's future.
NEB/HK/PN/GC/PLM
23-Jun-2000 07:08 AM EDT (23-Jun-2000 1108 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
