Oekusi Things to Do

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Unlike in Dili, the destruction wrought by the militias in 1999 is still visible everywhere in Oecusse.
All buildings constructed during the Indonesian occupation from 1975 to 1999 have been throughly burnt, only the brick walls left standing. Some historic buildings were destroyed too for good measure.
Schools and a medical clinic (puskesmas in Indonesian) have been rebuilt, but the ruins of the original buildings have been left standing.

1. The sisters running a Boarding School for Girls were forced to leave in 1975. The picture shows the ruins of their school at the beachfront. But the sisters are back since 2005 and their school has been rebuilt behind the ruins. They now host 48 girls.
2. The signboard says: Future branch office of the Banking and Payments Authority. Ruins of a bank office on the waterfront.
3. Ruins of a highschool, on the road to Lifau. A new building has been erected behind it, farther from the road.
4. Ruins of a clinic, on the road to Lifau. The dwellings for doctors and nurses were destroyed too, but new buildings are close by.
5. Ruins of the palace of the traditional king (raja) Antonio da Costa, on the beach front. He now lives in the thatched house visible in the background. "The people built this for me" he said.