Martial arts are highly recommended for the self-defence skills, discipline, and sportsmanship they instil in the young. Members of well-known groups in Indonesia introduced the traditional silat arts to Timor Leste, mainly through the Indonesian Military. But as the groups became affiliated with gangs and support bases of political parties, particularly ahead of elections, they have faced sporadic government bans, as they were blamed for several public disturbances.
Skirmishes among them — such as the clashes in 2006 which killed dozens of people including young silat athletes, and the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians —raised the stigma that the sport itself is a cause of public disturbance. In 2008 UNICEF peace ambassador and leading action actor Jackie Chan was invited to Dili to campaign for peace, including for martial arts groups.
Despite the fighting among them, on 6-7 February 2023, with the support of the European Union, AJAR held a two-day workshop involving youth of the martial arts and ritual arts groups in Centro Nacional Chega, Dili, to help them understand the causes and effects of violence. They came from different areas including from Marcarenhas, Beto and Becora in Dili, and were members of well-known groups such as those known as PSHT, IKS, KORKA and 77.
The 22 participants used the new tool called “House of Peace” to encourage their assessments of six aspects: 1) safety and security, 2) past/new conflicts, 3) militarisation, 4) accountability, 5) participation and inclusion, and 6) gender equality.
The participants said they were happy with the process. One of them, Nelio, said, “We have just learned there are many aspects of family and politics, and the state is one that provokes violence among youth. We were victims of a hard socio-economic life in the family and unfair and inadequate policies for young people.”
Another participant, Julio from Becora, said more such workshops are needed to enable young people from martial arts and ritual arts groups to talk to each other, and to promote peace.
