Histories of violence, states of denial-militias, martial arts and masculinities in Timor-Leste.
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Date
2010
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Abstract
This thesis examines the complex interplay between violence and concepts of masculinity
using the case study examples of former members of pro-Indonesian militia groups and
current members of gangs, martial arts and ritual arts groups in Timor-Leste. Thirty-eight
former and current members of these groups were interviewed in both Timor-Leste and
Indonesian West Timor. While the members of these groups and their violent acts are often
cast in relatively simplistic terms as being the work of misguided, socio-economically
marginalised, violent young men, the thesis argues that the phenomena of these groups are far
more complex and are intricately intertwined with local East Timorese and imported concepts
of what it means to be a man. In addition to being political and economic projects,
membership in these groups gives the men new, albeit often violent, ways of defining their
masculine identity and defining their place in post-colonial, post-conflict East Timorese
society.
The violent enactments of masculinity displayed by the young men involved in the various
groups examined in this thesis have been formed by the violent history of Timor-Leste but
simultaneously the young men have also been personally involved in forming this history of
violence. Both on the personal and on the level of the East Timorese state, these histories of
violence are dealt with strategies of denial when it comes to taking personal responsibility for
violence, leading to impunity and denial of justice to the victims. For the perpetrators, though,
denial of responsibility and justifications of violence are used in an attempt to regain
masculine honour and respectability in the eyes of broader society. Violence continues to be
one of the tools they are willing to resort to for addressing real and perceived grievances, both
on the personal and public level.
Given the disruptive and deadly ways in which the activities of these young men have
affected Timor-Leste, a central challenge for building a peaceful, just and equitable society
will be to overcome the ways in which masculinities are defined through violence – a task
which requires the involvement of East Timorese boys and men, but also their mothers, aunts,
sisters, daughters, wives and lovers.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2010.
Keywords
Peace., Negotiation., Conflict management., Theses--Conflict resolution and peace studies.