I am *begging* you to write an explainer, or maybe cover on a bonus episode: A. Why there are opposing martial arts street fighters in East Timor; B. How common are the fights; C. How many of these groups there are; D. How large are these fights that *the government is worried about them*?
I am *begging* you to write an explainer, or maybe cover on a bonus episode: A. Why there are opposing martial arts street fighters in East Timor; B. How common are the fights; C. How many of these groups there are; D. How large are these fights that *the government is worried about them*?
There seems to be a very fine line between ‘martial arts groups’ and ‘gangs’ in the conventional usage. There were some serious street fights all over Dilli that the Police took much too long to get under control. Timor Leste is a small and poor country that has poor youth unemployment and education rates, even if it’s slowly improving. It’s a pretty universal story about what happens to young men who can’t find decent work, form families and grow up… they join gangs/marital arts groups and take it out on each other in a dysfunctional proxy for work and family formation.
I... Y'know, that makes a lot more sense. When I read "martial arts gangs" I was genuinely thinking something in the way of warring dojos from Karate Kid, rather than "street gangs who do martial arts". I appreciate it, KP!
Martial arts were popularized in Timor Leste under Indonesia, which also co-opted some clubs as anti-independence militias. Other clubs were pro-independence.
When TL gained independence many of these groups became affiliated with political elites or other interests, or involved in criminal activity.
They have periodically been involved in violence, including in response to violent incidences in remote Indonesia. The government has previously blamed the clubs for instigating and exacerbating violence and banned them in 2011 and 2013. The latest ban on all training was imposed in May.
I am *begging* you to write an explainer, or maybe cover on a bonus episode: A. Why there are opposing martial arts street fighters in East Timor; B. How common are the fights; C. How many of these groups there are; D. How large are these fights that *the government is worried about them*?
Noted! According to this report, even Vatican diplomats have weighed in:
https://www.asia-pacific-solidarity.net/news/2023-11-20/vatican-official-bats-martial-arts-groups-timor-leste.html
There seems to be a very fine line between ‘martial arts groups’ and ‘gangs’ in the conventional usage. There were some serious street fights all over Dilli that the Police took much too long to get under control. Timor Leste is a small and poor country that has poor youth unemployment and education rates, even if it’s slowly improving. It’s a pretty universal story about what happens to young men who can’t find decent work, form families and grow up… they join gangs/marital arts groups and take it out on each other in a dysfunctional proxy for work and family formation.
I... Y'know, that makes a lot more sense. When I read "martial arts gangs" I was genuinely thinking something in the way of warring dojos from Karate Kid, rather than "street gangs who do martial arts". I appreciate it, KP!
Martial arts were popularized in Timor Leste under Indonesia, which also co-opted some clubs as anti-independence militias. Other clubs were pro-independence.
When TL gained independence many of these groups became affiliated with political elites or other interests, or involved in criminal activity.
They have periodically been involved in violence, including in response to violent incidences in remote Indonesia. The government has previously blamed the clubs for instigating and exacerbating violence and banned them in 2011 and 2013. The latest ban on all training was imposed in May.