terça-feira, junho 06, 2006

Media reports 'could be contributing to Timor unrest'

June 02, 2006
Rebecca.thumb.

JPGA group of academics at The University of New England believes reports in the Australian media implying that the FRETILIN government is largely to blame for the violent unrest in East Timor could be contributing to that unrest.

"Because of the very high rate of illiteracy, and the lack of a developed media and communications system, rumour is rife in Dili," said one of the group, Dr Bob Boughton.

"The Australian media stories have become a source of misinformed speculation, encouraging people to blame the elected government for the problems of recent weeks.

"Dr Boughton, a Senior Lecturer in UNE's School of Professional Development and Leadership, has been working with the Ministry for Education in East Timor on the development of adult education programs.

He pointed out that the media stories could give people the impression that the Government is unpopular with a large proportion of the population.

"In fact," he said, "the vast majority of Timorese voted for FRETILIN last year in the local elections."

"If the majority who voted for FRETILIN think Australia and other Western powers are supporting the demand for the Government's overthrow," Dr Boughton continued, "they will wonder about our commitment to democracy.

It could also look to them as though powerful forces are intervening to help the armed rebels achieve their goals - goals which the rebels and their political supporters in East Timor could never have achieved electorally.

This is highly dangerous, given that democracy in East Timor is very undeveloped, and the democratic culture is still fragile."

"The Constitution of East Timor was developed after extremely wide communityconsultation," Dr Boughton explained. "It is a robust document, and providesthe only framework in which this dispute can be settled without further violence.

Our media are not adequately reporting the way in which the three key State institutions - the Presidency, the Parliament, and the Council of Ministers - have chosen to resolve the conflict in accordance with the Constitution.

"Another member of the group, Dr Rebecca Spence (pictured here), is the Director of UNE's Centre for Peace Studies.

Dr Spence supported Dr Boughton's argument, saying that reports in the Australian media had the potential to "foment rumour and counter-rumour, leading to increased levels of fear, suspicion and violence".

The third member of the group, Dr Greg Carroll, said:

"The vast majority of people in East Timor have been subjected to violence for most of their lives. We need to remember this when reporting on what is perceived to be happening.
If we ignore a country's post-traumatic stress we can not only inflame old tensions but create new ones."

Dr Carroll, from UNE's Centre for Research in Aboriginal and Multicultural Studies, has been working with academics at the National University of TimorLeste on curriculum development, and is involved in a UNE project that is investigating the role of English in the nation-building process in East Timor.

2 comentários:

Anónimo disse...

sem duvida que concordo, alias, creio que qualquer pessoa de bom senso pode constatar a desavergonhada campanha de desinformaçao dos media australianos (e por pt tambem temos a nossa cota parte)... a questao é saber que peso consegue ter este tipo de opiniao no 'opinion making' face a valores 'mais altos'....

Anónimo disse...

Em comunicado oficial do gabinete do primeiro ministro,o governo anunciou que as forcas do Maj Alfredo emboscaram e mataram tropas desarmadas das F-FDTL a caminho de receberem os seus salarios.

Quem esta interessado em ver a cobertura video do confronto armado entre as forcas do Alfredo e F-FDTL? ja esta em circulacao.

O MALAI AZUL, ha alguma possibilidade de colocar o video online?

O Alfredo sentiu-se incurralado pelas F-FDTL e aos gritos apelou bastantes vezes para que se retirassem de modo a evitar o derramamento de sangue. Contou ate dez pausadamente e em voz alta como ultimo avizo as F-FDTL que avancavam. Ignoraram-no porque claramente estavam numa missao para o capturar.

Porque razao mentiu o governo em comunicado oficial?

Sera porque havia nessa altura uma iniciativa do Ramos Horta para organizar o tal retiro entre todas as partes para dialogar ao qual Alfredo ja tinha concordado? Sera que alguem nao estivesse interessado em ouvir aquilo que o Alfredo tinha a dizer acerca da ilegalidade da intervencao das F-FDTL em Taci-tolu que causou mortes de civis. Lembrem-se que o Alfredo so desertou depois do taci-tolu
Aqui cheira-me a gato!
State sponsored murder? tudo o indica.

Traduções

Todas as traduções de inglês para português (e também de francês para português) são feitas pela Margarida, que conhecemos recentemente, mas que desde sempre nos ajuda.

Obrigado pela solidariedade, Margarida!

Mensagem inicial - 16 de Maio de 2006

"Apesar de frágil, Timor-Leste é uma jovem democracia em que acreditamos. É o país que escolhemos para viver e trabalhar. Desde dia 28 de Abril muito se tem dito sobre a situação em Timor-Leste. Boatos, rumores, alertas, declarações de países estrangeiros, inocentes ou não, têm servido para transmitir um clima de conflito e insegurança que não corresponde ao que vivemos. Vamos tentar transmitir o que se passa aqui. Não o que ouvimos dizer... "
 

Malai Azul. Lives in East Timor/Dili, speaks Portuguese and English.
This is my blogchalk: Timor, Timor-Leste, East Timor, Dili, Portuguese, English, Malai Azul, politica, situação, Xanana, Ramos-Horta, Alkatiri, Conflito, Crise, ISF, GNR, UNPOL, UNMIT, ONU, UN.