Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Fri, 22 Jan 1993 14:51:29 EST
From:         JOSE ANTONIO BASTO <jb00@LEHIGH.EDU>
Subject:      ET: The Timorese, predator or ecologist?

III.1 - The Timorese, predator or ecologist?

 Synopsis of the presentation by Dr. Francisco Xavier de
Menezes

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PART-III

2nd SEMINAR ON EAST TIMOR, PORTO UNIVERSITY, PORTUGAL, 1990

"EAST-TIMOR, LAND OF HOPE"

III - CULTURAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL NOTES,
SOCIAL AND  POLITICAL STRUCTURES OF THE
TIMORESE NATION
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 "Following a critical and analytical process of the oral traditions I
have tried, during my participatory stay of more than 16 years
[1955 - 1971] in Timor, to learn and understand the ancestral
system of soil protection, environment as well as of people and
wealth.

 "Apart from the community based human resources as vigilantes,
militias, patrolmen, whose utilization seems to be more recent than
the Portuguese administration, it has been noticed that people often
relied upon magical-religious protective norms of noticeable
practical efficiency (...).

 "LULIK is a major nucleus, working simultaneously as a motivator
and inhibitor of those protective practices (...).

 "The Timorese believe in a force or vital principle, whose identity
is often mistaken by the soul of live people or spirits, be it the
predecessors or the nature. This vital force can take on superlative
aspects, becoming a mysterious and occult power, that needs to be
captivated or dominated since it presides over its bodily destiny.

 "An obvious and clear distinction surfaces from that power. For the
Timorese such distinction wavers between the beneficial, protective
or even disciplining power and the maleficent and destructive side
of
it. The first considers the occult as venerable, almost sacred when
the word 'lulik' is mentioned (...)"

 The latter essentially maleficent, destructive and disintegrating is
called 'buank' or 'suank'.

 "One of the typical propriety protection by magic-religious means
is through "H rok" or objects like cutlasses, tree branches, ropes,
etc., after they were hung on a fence or a tree, after some rituals to
capture 'lulik' so that it would become the chosen object, thus
protecting such land against robbers and intruders, afraid that the
cutlass would chop them off or their souls, or that the tree branches
would castigate them, or that the rope would tie them up.(...)

 "Certain rites would guarantee protection against soil and forest
erosion and the land control that was attained by considering some
bush zones as "lulik." (...)

 "This conceptualizing of "lulik" is a disciplinary force that in the
past helped regulate the distribution of foodstuffs, helped against
promiscuity during parties and rituals and the defence of property
(...).

 "There is no doubt, once we appreciate the traditional East Timorese
 agricultural methods, that there were in place self-controlling mechanisms
 able to keep the socioeconomic standards and the balance between man and
 soil resources. The Timorese, contrary to some rushed analysis and writings
 imply, was not a predator, and apart from some excesses was an authentic
 ecologist.

 "Time does not stop. The lack of agricultural treatment, the
vigilance methods using forest rangers and surveillance have
progressively replaced traditional methods, with the subsequent
reduction of importance of the 'lulik' concept as a socioeconomic
disciplinarian, has brought disastrous results in forest and soil
protection (...).

 "The socioeconomic balance and the soil degradation in East Timor
are aggravating through this war of usage and devastation, as
followed by the guerrillas, opposing an invader and occupier who
does not mind looting, and indiscriminately burning with napalm
bombs and fire throwers all areas.

 "The indiscriminate exploitation of soil riches by rubber, coffee and
clover plantations, together with the introduction of the so called
'cash-crops' as cinnamon, pepper and tea. The sandal exploitation and
export of sandalwood, forbidden by the Portuguese since the last
century and even more strictly after the 20's has reached 560
tonnes in 1982, which is in excess of any output during the last two
centuries". This of course came to an abrupt halt shortly after.
[end]
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU