Office of the Independent Blogger

I’m feeling emotional tonight. Watching the film Andre after watching Philadelphia, found old pictures and illustrations drawn for me by others that have pulled at my heartstrings, taking care of my cats (one of whom is, temporarily, ill) and helping a few friends with some problems. So finally I find some time for myself this evening, settle down to blog politics and find this.

East Timor athletes training for the Olympics face obstacles that range from a lack of cash to buy even basic equipment to sporadic gang violence and fears of chaos following an assassination attempt against President Jose Ramos-Horta. East Timor was plunged into a fresh crisis on Monday when rebel gunmen shot Ramos-Horta, a 1996 Nobel Peace Prize winner, and riddled Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao’s car with bullets. Ramos-Horta is in serious condition in an Australian hospital, while Gusmao narrowly escaped the gunmen’s bullets.

The violence may further hamper preparations by marathon runners who hope to represent Asia’s youngest nation at the Olympics in August.

East Timor runners training for the Games have already discovered that the road to Beijing is paved with obstacles. “Based on our programme, training should be done every day but sporadic incidents like gangs throwing rocks on the street makes us afraid,” said Antonio Soares Xavier, who was conducting a training session with athletes in the capital Dili.

Factional bloodshed two years ago killed 37 people and drove 150,000 from their homes, with foreign troops needed to restore order and setting back development in what was already one of the world’s poorest nations. A new state of emergency declared after the shooting of Ramos-Horta, gang violence, vandalism and arson still persist. An unemployment rate estimated at about 50 percent has helped fan a gang culture among bored youths.

I hope their athletes make it to the Olympics and their economy makes it to the world forum and their people make it to Peace.

It’s one of those nights where I just wish we could all get along, and so I don’t feel like discussing the Primary results. What was expected to happen has happened but the race is nowhere near over, as John Dickerson and common sense are quick to point out.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 at 9:59 pm and is filed under Outside Retort (Current Affairs).