By Barbara Buckingham

1 October, 2002

Nation’s Fight for Freedom Comes at a Heavy Cost

‑ The man behind Maryborough's "Friends of East Timor" left on Thursday for the brutalised nation to spend time with his niece ‑ the First Lady.

Sipping coffee in a quiet café, Rod Simpson unveils a story of horror, anguish, trepidation, war and the binding passions which resulted in the nation's independence from Indonesia. Palliating from the core of these events is the tale of unbridled will and love which saw his niece, Kirsty Sword, marry a man whom she once acted as mediator for while he was in jail.

He is Xanana Gusmao, now the President of East Timor.

Gusmao spent his years before jail as a village doctor. Desperate for pride to be reinstated into his homeland, he became leader of the guerrilla organisation. While fighting the Indonesians he was captured and taken to Jakarta where he faced trial and was jailed for life.

Kirsty Sword, the daughter of Mr Simpson's sister, Rosalie, grew up in Melbourne. A talented linguist in many languages including Indonesian, Portuguese and Italian, she sought employment as a teacher and aid‑worker in East Timor. Mr Simpson said it was while she was teaching English in Jakarta, she met East Timorese students and subsequently developed an interest for their political and social sufferings.

It was this blossoming desire to help any way she could which led to her career as an underground agent, adopting the alias, "Ruby Blade." "Ruby Blade" was a master of discretion, having the ability to pose as a corporate UN worker or an aid-worker, she gained access into embassies and smuggled information to prisoner and future husband, Gusmao." Kirsty gave him video cameras, documents and risked her own life bribing guards.

She was a covert activist," said Mr Simpson. Her linguistic abilities allowed her to decipher codes and send encrypted messages within the resistance.

Indonesia ruled East Timor under the dictatorship of Soeharto, a man notorious for hiding dirty secrets of torture, misgivings and massacres. Resistance workers such as "Ruby Blade", captured the eyes of the international media and helped lure external military support, resulting in Indonesia's withdrawal. Gusmao was later freed, his release and the revolution a great cause for celebration. Mr Simpson described the East Timorese during this time as “estatic”.

Having visited East Timor only six months after Indonesian withdrawal, Mr Simpson said the joy of freedom was evident on the children's faces. "They were happy. Their expectations were so high, despite their losses," he said. Eighty percent of buildings were damaged, including churches and schools. Blood‑curdling tales of massacres tell of villagers being burned alive, cooped inside their churches. A significant step toward the rebuilding of East Timor was the appointment of Gusmao to the Presidency. His trust and faith in Kirsty Sword that had developed during the resistance years, led to marriage and two sons Alexandre and Kay‑Olo."

With Kirsty's unwavering commitment to rebuilding the torn nation, East Timor can be reassured they have a leader and First Lady who want the best for them," Mr Simpson said.

He said sitting at home, in Maryborough, watching the television, he was stirred by images of the 1999 Indonesian military attacks. He recounts people fleeing, fires, death and destruction. As an outsider he felt helpless.

Five years ago in Melbourne, Mr Simpson met an East Timorese man by the name of Abele Guettere. Mr Guettere had fled his slain nation and was working as a train driver. A pro‑active member of the resistance, Mr Guettere returned home to East Timor on news of the Indonesian withdrawal. He took up the position of “sister town co‑ordinator", seeking outside assistance. Mr Simpson, on hearing of Mr Guettere's position, contacted him and subsequently organised a sister‑city relationship with Loi Huno, a village approximately 260 kilometres south of the capital, Dili.

A committee has since been established in Maryborough, its aim to raise' $3800, representing the distance in kilometres between the village and Maryborough. In addition to monetary funds, "Friends of East Timor" has requested a host of items, which are desperately needed in Loi Huno." People have been so generous," Mr Simpson said. We have received clothes, educational supplies, domestic goods, seeds and many extras that the families in Loi Huno really need."

Mr Simpson said it is important to keep in mind that many of the families are headed by widows - their husbands having been killed in the massacre. He said he had been touched by the willingness of the Maryborough community to donate goods. And he was particularly impressed by the enthusiasm of Highview College students to donate their old school bags and unused exercise books on completion of their final year.

Mr Simpson will visit Loi Huno next week, after spending time with the President and his niece, and hopes to gain a clearer vision of exact requirements. He said he was also determined to work with the village to establish a tourism industry.

Describing rolling green hills, jewelled with natural spas and limestone caves, Mr Simpson paints a bright picture of a village surrounded by perfect eco‑tourist adventures. He envisages a youth hostel, low-cost and attractive to backpackers who may stay for weeks in the vicinity, fuelling money into the local economy.

Mr Simpson aims to broaden his horizons on return from East Timor by promoting involvement in the "Friends of East Timor" committee to Ballarat, Bendigo and Castlemaine. I would love to see a heightened level of involvement, and eventually an exchange program established."

When asked if his involvement with East Timor is purely due to family interest, Mr Simpson did not hesitate; “Kirsty’s work is inspiring, but I do this because I have a desire to help – spurred by the terrible images on television. I would do this whether Kirsty was involved or not.