Ambou: Head of Student Senate UNPAZ Technical Faculty

The island of Atauro was a silent witness when a woman gave birth to a baby son. That baby was named Jose Reis alias Ambou. He was the fourth of six children of Joselino dos Reis (Maubara) and Paulina da Silva Reis (Same).

This husband and wife were on Atauro Island as detainees of the Indonesian military because of their involvement in the clandestine organization (the underground movement)

Can you imagine the conditions of detainees of the Indonesian military on Atauro Island? Ambou was an eyewitness to his father’s detention by the Indonesian military on Atauro Island. In a conversation with this newspaper’s reporter on the UNPAZ (Peace University) recently, Ambou said that he was born on Atauro Island on 15 March 1982 when Timor Timur (Timtim – the Indonesian abbreviation for the then 27th province of Indonesia) was still closed to the outside world.

After his father was released from military detention, they returned to Loes because his father had to work the land to meet the living needs of the family. Ambou entered Loes Primary School VIII. He then went to the Liquica Middle School and then the St Paul High School in Dili.
Since primary school, Ambou was a child singer. He always performed when the (Indonesian) Golkar Party (Golongan Karya) undertook campaigns in Liquica.

“When I was in primary school class IV, because I often sang, they called me to sing in Liquica. In the St Paul High School, I was also a finalist in the Radio and Television singing contest” he added.

Oddly, although called on as a child singer, Ambou aspired to become a soldier in a special unit of the Indonesian emergency forces known as Kopassus (Special Forces Command). But in the end, this hope was not realized.

Now, he is a student in semester 8 in the Technical Faculty (industry). “Now, I am an intern at East Timor Television,” he said. He added that he is the Head of the Technical Faculty Student Senate.

When a band from Jakarta (Indonesia), SLANK, comprised of Kaka, Bim-Bim, Ridho, Irvan, and Abde came to East Timor and played at the UNPAZ University, one of the band members, Bim-Bim, shook his hand. “I was proud to shake hands with someone from this group whose music is strong and which has millions of fans, including in East Timor,” he said It was not just Ambou who felt proud but the whole UNPAZ academic community was also proud because SLANK came to the UNPAZ campus. When on the UNPAZ campus, SLANK did cover versions of two traditional songs that are usually used by the UNPAZ Academic Board.

For the 2008 UNPAZ Idol, Ambou is the committee head. To ensure the success of this activity, Ambou and the General Coordinator, Joao Tilman and committee members are busy organizing everything for the 2008 UNPAZ Idol competition.

m.mau/oscar http://suaratimorlorosae.com/details.php?id=12982&now=2008-06-03 translation ww2008