by Johannes Koch
Al Jazeera prides itself on being the alternative, other (more or less important) voice of global media - presenting and challenging the norms of ‘western-led’ media from the ‘the other side’ (of the fence?). It is also committed to unbiased reporting. So it should come as no surprise that Al Jazeera’s recent article on East Timor lends it ear exclusively to Alfredo Reinado - rebel leader, freedom fighter, mutineer.
But it is important to note that Reinado was willing to talk to Al Jazeera and no one else, hence, they got the scoop. A man who is seen by the Economist as a ‘mutineer’ who seen by the Australian press as a ‘rebel’ - a disturbance factor - seems to have voiced quite clearly that he would be willing to enter dialogue if the Australian Defense Force (ADF) were they to leave him alone and the current government scrapped. The willingness to dialogue might be there but the demands are distant.
Indeed, it seems crudely ironic that, in actual fact, Reinado has the Australian’s to thank not only for giving him the political platform (without the Australian intervention in 1999, Reinado would probably not be around to cause a stir) but also having allowed him to build an arsenal of weapons (the number of weapons to East Timor increased since the ADF showed up to bolster the East Timorese defence force since 2002).
Reinado could also be painted as the product of the failure of the international institutions with the money and power to do something. Or, as the IMF put it today , it will be hard for East Timor to grow economically outside of oil exports. Without going into the macro-dynamics of IMF loans, what else does East Timor have to offer? What interest would the Australian’s have with this small island were it not for their painful wish for long-term, stable flow of energy from the tiny island?
On the other hand, the UN Independent Special Commission of Inquiries 79-page report did find that the “frailty of state institutions and the weakness of the rule of law” were to blame for the conflict that erupted following the sacking of 600 soldiers from the Timorese Defence Force in May 2006 – Reinado leading the pack.
Where the intentions of the ADF were once a positive force for East Timorese self-determination in the face of Indonesian oppression, it seems that a significant minority is now questioning the moral veracity of the ADF’s presence. Not only are they seen as propping up institutions like the IMF that appear to have no impact but also, the ADF is support people in the East Timorese government for all the wrong purposes.
If I remember correctly, former president Mari Alkatiri was forced out after firing those 600 soldiers and so he was deemed unfit to run the government. With him gone it became fairly easy for the Australian government to pass the Timor Sea oil and gas treaties through the East Timorese parliament. In other words, the Greater Sunrise oil and gas project was finally implemented, of which coincidentally Alkatiri was not a great fan – convenient?
Add to this that Reinado might feel he’s been stabbed in the back. For one, the ADF used him to get rid of Alkatiri, on the other hand they are hunting him down now because they don’t want any incriminations against them to go noticed. Reinado appears to have made the link, in his own way, that the powerful individuals in East Timor are ruthlessly drunk on power.
From my perspective Reinado’s demands are too extreme (i.e. to scrap the government and let me lead the people) but from a moral standpoint I can also see that one occupier has been replaced by another in his eyes. This is the irreconcilable quandary I face when I try to see a way to mediate resolution. Brigadier General Mal Rerden, the Australian in charge of the East Timor's international security force, will probably get his way and remove the rebel and even so another ‘Reinado’ might just appear in due course. Al Jazeera will probably be there again to give him a voice.
