East Timor Appeal

I have just come back from East Timor where I met an amazing lady called Jelia. Her strength has made me more determined than ever before to work for justice for her and the people of East Timor.

I went to East Timor to find out why the lack of justice for victims of human rights abuses, suffered under Indonesia’s illegal and repressive 25-year occupation, is still causing violence in East Timor today – nearly ten years after the people voted for independence in 1999.

This cycle of violence means East Timor continues to be one of the poorest countries in Asia. That’s why it is so important we support the Timorese people as they work to rebuild their lives and communities. Please read on and please consider supporting our work, so together we can make a difference for Jelia and many others like her.

portrait of east timorese family

When I met Jelia, she greeted me with wonderful hospitality, but behind her smiles she seemed troubled and anxious. As she started to talk I felt she was looking into my soul when she said: “I am telling you my story because I want you to help me. My husband was a human being and his children deserve to know what happened to him.”

Jelia was widowed at the age of 21 when her husband disappeared after attending a political demonstration in 1991. She had five young children to support. In addition, Jelia was made a virtual prisoner in her own home for a whole eight years after her husband’s death, due to harassment and monitoring by Indonesian secret police. It was a desperate life and even now the pain of the memories reduces Jelia to tears.

Unfortunately, her story is typical of so many people in East Timor. During the 25 years of Indonesian occupation over 100,000 Timorese died. Many – like Jelia’s husband – just disappeared, leaving their families with the pain and anguish of uncertainty as to what happened.

Jelia is a survivor, and after East Timor’s independence she began working as a teacher. She managed to send all her children to school – a great achievement, as all the schools in East Timor are fee-paying.

But 17 years on, Jelia still doesn’t know where her husband Tomas’ body is. She believes that Indonesian forces murdered him along with many others and buried his body in a mass grave. She wants to know where he is, and she wants justice for him and his children. She wants to be able to lay him to rest.

In 1999 Jelia wrote to the then Prime Minister Tony Blair with the help of a local priest. Her appeal was simple: she wanted help in finding her husband’s body. “I never received a reply.”

Jelia’s strength, determination and humanity touched me deeply. Our government – a government that ignored the simple appeal of this strong single mother – shamed me. But if we all support her call maybe this time the UK government will listen.

I write this now from the comfort of the UK, where I can sleep at night without memories of dead friends and family, content that I know where everyone I love is. Jelia can’t do that. And I have left Timor inspired by the mission she gave me: make the UK government hear me.

Make them act.

That’s why Progressio is campaigning for justice and an end to the cycle of violence in East Timor. In addition, through our development workers in East Timor, we are supporting local partner organisations who are working to set up a justice institute.

Based in East Timor, the institute will help people like Jelia find peace for the injustice they have suffered, and will help prevent violence from ever returning to East Timor. It will also provide practical support for victims of injustice – something that our development workers are also doing, working with the East Timorese people to help them rebuild their lives and communities.

Your gift of £25 today can make a real difference to our ability to make the UK government act on behalf of Jelia, Tomas and thousands like them – and our ability to continue to work with and support the East Timorese people on the ground.

Please give now and help show Jelia that yes, you care about her and East Timor.

Brie O’Keefe
Progressio campaigns officer

Progressio E-news

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