East Timorese bright-eyed and full of hope

AUDREY YOUNG in Dili talks to a girl who represents the future of the world's newest nation.

Bright-eyed Eulalia Teresa da Cruz had the day off school yesterday to mark East Timor's first independence day.

She is 11 but looks only about 9. Like most East Timorese, she is small.

When she grows up, she wants to be a singer. Nothing unusual in that except, perhaps, that her favourite singer is Celine Dion.

But she is unusual for an East Timorese in that her family had the luxury of seeing the independence celebrations on television in their own home.

East Timor is desperately poor, the poorest country in Asia, with GDP per capita of just $652.

Eulalia takes politics seriously. The highlight of the celebrations were not the wild horses, costumed dancers or massed choirs. For her it was the raising of a giant East Timorese flag.

Her father, Filomeno Cruz, worked secretly for the Falintil guerrilla army while a civil servant under Indonesian rule. He became an interpreter for the United Nations.

He used to run a tourist lodge until it was torched in the militia rampages after the 1999 UN referendum on independence.

More than 20 family and friends gathered around his television on Sunday night. Their response was the same as the 100,000-plus crowd at the celebrations.

In their living room they echoed the rallying call after midnight from President Xanana Gusmao, "Viva Timor Leste".

Celebrations continued yesterday with street parades - schoolchildren, the new East Timor Defence Force and a last outing for the weather-beaten soldiers of the decommissioned Falintil.

The finale of the celebrations the night before was a fireworks display donated by Thailand and China. Australia donated the organisers of the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony. The professionalism showed right down to the climactic entrance of the adored Gusmao escorted by Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

There was an audible gasp, a momentary pause and then the crowd erupted in roars of approval.

Perhaps it was because they knew how much the Indonesian military did not want Megawati there that they wanted to welcome her so enthusiastically.

Eulalia's father tried to explain the warmth of welcome to the former occupying force. "It was a spontaneous reaction of people. They didn't want to shame them.

"We know how to respect our adversaries. We shall be neighbours forever."

In a Catholic country, Mr Cruz is the father of six children aged 1 to 15. Eulalia is third eldest.

She speaks the local language Tetun at home. She also speaks Portuguese, the other official language, Indonesian and a little English. Before becoming a singer, she wants to go to university in Portugal, the former colonial rulers.

There are 52 children in Eulalia's class, a co-ed state school in Dare in the hills above Dili. She is one of the lucky ones. She goes to a good school.

Part of NZ's aid funds education development work in remote parts of the country.

Linda and Charlie Manning, parents of slain soldier Private Leonard Manning, have set up an educational trust fund in his memory. Yesterday they met East Timor's Education Minister, Amindo Maia, who will look at how best to use the money raised so far.

It is destined for Tilomar school, in the area in which Private Manning was shot by militiamen.

It is only $7000 but, as Mrs Manning said yesterday, $7000 goes a long way in East Timor.

The Mannings have been struck by the spirit of the East Timorese.

"What is so impressive about them is their ability to forgive the people who brutalised them," Mrs Manning said.

"What strength of character and strength of spirit they have."

Feature: Indonesia and East Timor

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