Balibo (fortress)

Main entrance to the fortress of Balibo

The Fortress of Balibo ( Portuguese Tranqueira de Balibó ) is a Portuguese fort from the 17th century in Balibo, East Timor . The plastered stone walls form roughly a pentagon . The fortress was equipped with cannons, some of which can still be seen today.

history

The fortress in the 1930s

The fortress 2015

The fortress in Balibo was built between 1645 and 1665, making it one of the oldest colonial fortresses in East Timor. In addition to the smaller Fort Reduto do Conselheiro Jacinto Cândido in nearby Batugade from 1655, the fortress secured the western border between the Portuguese Timor colony and the Dutch- dominated West Timor . The fortress served as a military post for the Portuguese army until the 20th century. A dwelling house was built in the fortress in the 1920s, which became the residence of the local colonial administrator.

At the beginning of October 1975, Indonesia began occupying the Portuguese Timor border areas. These incursions by Indonesia served in preparation for the actual invasion on December 7, 1975. The defense of Balibo was taken over by Francisco Ruas Hornay , a former soldier in the Portuguese colonial army . The colonial fortress became the site of several skirmishes, but on October 16, Balibo fell. On that day, five foreign television journalists, the so-called Balibo Five , were murdered by Indonesian soldiers in the village . They had filmed the entry of Indonesian armed forces from the old fortress and were executed by the soldiers. The so-called “Australian Flag house”, where the reporters lived, is outside the fortress, on Balibo's main square.

In 1999 the Indonesian occupation of the country was ended and the INTERFET ( International Force for East Timor ), an international protection force under Australian leadership, took over the function of law enforcement. The fortress became a base for 1,000 UN troops . On December 20, Kylie Minogue gave a concert here for UN members as part of her Tour of Duty series of concerts .

From 2013 to 2015 the fortress was renovated, including the prison cells and the ammunition store. On March 20, 2015, a cultural center and museum, a hotel and a restaurant were opened in the fortress. There is also a transmission mast in the area.