Timor Leste is the Portuguese name for East Timor and is the name being adopted everywhere. Portuguese is spoken mostly throughout as Timor Leste was a Portuguese colony. They colonised the region for hundreds of years while the Dutch controlled the western end of Timor. I’m not sure what the Portuguese did here apart from impose their language. There isn’t any great evidence of Portugues architecture around Dili. Non-the-less the language is still strong but a local language, Tetun, is also spoken widely. Indonesian may be understood.
I spent the day walking around Dili, getting my bearings and seeing how things work here. One of the main reasons for coming to Timor Leste was to visit the township of Balibo on the border with west Timor. If you can remember, and as I understand it, the Portuguese power in East Timor quickly withdrew in 1974 after economic problems back home softened the peoples interest in supporting their colonies. A power vacuum instantly sparked new political players and two Timorese-born socialist political parties emerged. The Timor Social Democrats (later known as Fretilin) won full power and declared East Timor independent. Indonesia, uncomfortable with having a communist power (as they considered Fretilin to be) in their region, invaded (it is now understood the USA and Australian governments knew of Indonesia’s intentions and chose to allow the invasion to go ahead unchallenged).
To broadcast the invasion to the world, five journalist working for Australian television were stationed at Balibo, which was determined as a point of entry into East Timor by the Indonesian Army. Those five journalists were killed, supposedly by crossfire but it is now known they were murdered in cold blood by the Indonesian Army. The house where they sheltered is still there. Sadly the Australian Government did nothing at the time and this is a black spot on any proud Australian. Today when I walk around Dili people come up for a chat and ask where I am from. I say Australia and they say in broken English ‘Oh, Australia good’ in reference to recent Australian help with their new independence I suspect. Well I say ‘Thanks but we could have been much more helpful’. I hope Australia continues to have a strong relationship with Timor Leste. This is a special place. I have hired a car for Tuesday to drive to Balibo.
People will come up to you for a chat. Walking into town this morning a boy ran up beside me with his school notes. Zinito is 16 years old and studying for an exam on Friday. The notes are in Portuguese but it looks like a business subject of some kind. He speaks good English and is keen to practise on me. High-school graduates can apply for Australian scholarships to short courses in Australia. These scholarships are promoted in the schools and are popular as several young people I have spoken to know about and want to access these scholarships. Zinito and I have a good chat and a laugh. He has a great sense of humour. While sitting on Dili harbour, Tony comes up for a chat. She is a missionary from Papua New Guinea. She is here for 12 months but she wants to stay another year. There are challenges here she says but that is what makes her job interesting. Londrau (excuse the spelling of these names, I’m only guessing) is 21 and lives in the township of Baucau. He is in Dili for a few days before going home. He’s English is not so good! Niko is also 21. He is studying English at the University here. He’s family is from East Timor Oecussi, which was a Portugues enclave within Dutch West Timor. It is now a Timor Leste enclave. You can get there by boat from Dili. His father died of throat cancer and alcohol. He is the oldest of one sister and five brothers. Niko’s English is great. He is a beautiful looking young man full of ideas and plans for the future. He wants to come to Australia to set up a business.
The people are strikingly beautiful here. Their appearance is markedly different to the Indonesians I have been with for the past weeks. They are slightly smaller in stature (if that’s possible) and have a much darker skin. I have not seen a fat one yet! A large proportion of the people I see around the streets of Dili are young and most of them are men.
They women are very shy. The ‘Tour de East Timor’ is a bike race that is now on the international calendar and there is plenty of evidence here that they would prefer a local person won the race. This race is coming to Timor soon, August, and it is common to see locals training around the streets here. The annual Dili marathon has just been run and in it’s second year of running. It also attracts participation from around the world. And they have just recently had the Darwin to Dilli yacht race that happens each year as well and is a popular feature on the Dili calendar.
Jogging is popular and you frequently see young Dili men and the fitter UN workers running the streets and beaches.
angusmccoll 
Mate, nice blog but a few comments.
Portuguese is only spoken here by about 8 percent of the population, maybe even less. In most parts of Timor-Leste it is not spoken at all. Tetun and Portuguese are the 2 official languages of the country. Indonesian is understood by the majority of the people. In fact it is probably the most used language here.
The Portuguese were not overthrown in 1974 – the Portuguese left the country following a peaceful revolution in Portugal. The Indonesians did invade with the connivance of the Australian government at the time but even more so with the go ahead from the USA.
Thanks Wayne for your comment. I will follow up your points and make changes. Can I ask what is your relationship with Timor Leste?
No worries mate. I live here. Have been here for 11 years now. I own a diving company.
You certainly would have seen some changes over that time and been in the thick of things. I’m sorry I didn’t bump into you while in Dili.
Angus McColl Mob: 0412907350