Yes, guilty as charged, Your Honour. I did hobble about on crutches in Bentong for a year!

How lovely to hear from you. I remember those days with great fondness (although I have preferred to not have broken my leg – bloody motorbikes!)
I learned so much about Asia from my experiences there and I still eat a lot of Malay, Chines and Indian food (also Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Mexican, African etc)

My hope is that some learned something from my teaching. Did they understand my Strine accent

I am wondering if Joe Koshy, Jaganathan and Ronald Stork (a former GB) are involved in the Alumni. I have not heard from them for some time

I kept in contact with Dr Doraimanickam for many years, but I no longer hear from him. He helped look after me when I was in plaster.I hope he is well. Actually, I did visit Bentong in 1976 and 1984 and met with a number of friends. I was in Malaysia in 1996 for the Asia Pacific Conference on East Timor and I was hopeful of visiting Bentong, but fate intervened.

A number of people from the youth sections of UMNO, the MCA and MIC attacked the conference. When the police arrived, we were all arrested, detained for 36 hours under guard and then expelled. Several years later, the Malaysians who organised the conference went to the Malaysian High Court for compensation and won. They had evidently been treated very badly in the old Pudu Prison. The Court told the police that they had made the wrong decision and should have arrested those who caused injury to people and damage to the property of the hotel where the conference occurred.

I have been to East Malaysia and Jahore since then, but not to KL or Bentong.

Now East Timor is free and is re-building its shattered country and trying to shake off the trauma of the 24 years of illegal occupation and brutality.
I am hopeful that the TNI will be caused to leave West Papua to let the people there determine their own political future.

Please wish all the former students & staff Selamat Tahun Baharu from me.

Please email again

Warm regards

Andy Alcock

Regards

John, your old neighbour 50 years ago

Thank you for your message and kind comments.

Originally, I was helped to set up the blog with the assistance of my stepson who is involved in IT. He thought it would be useful to put on line letters that I have written to newspapers about a number of social issues and a way to save those that don’t get published! This happens in Adelaide where Murdoch is firmly in control of most of the print media.

I just think that it is important to promote the issues of social justice, human rights (including workers’ rights), environmental responsibility etc

I am afraid that I am not very experienced in blog design, but it is great to have contact from fellow travellers like yourself

Regards

Andy

Often think of you especially around January as we get another year older! Interested in your doings around human rights etc.

Max & I still live in Ringwood (Vic) and recently ‘downsized’ to a new, smaller house just 3Kms from our large family home. So much easier to manage & continue to be in the area where friends & even some family are.

Both of us are still in the workforce (crazy at 71 & 67!). I have 2 jobs – both in nursing -Gynae Oncology at the Royal Women’s & in a secondary school in health promotion, education & counseling in a very multicultural & low socioeconomic area.

Max has his own consulting business – working with small businesses to manage things better.

Our 4 kids are well grown with 3 children each ranging from Isabelle at 13 to Indi a nearly 2!

Apart from Adrian & his tribe, all live in Melbourne. Adi is the General Manager at the Cairns Accor Pullman Reef Hotel & is about to be moved to Perth as Regional Manager. Tracy, his Canadian wife, has had to move the family approximately every 2 -4 years! Adrian is truly blessed to have such a wife!!

Cathie, our eldest, is a Social Worker working with families, David,is a Neurologist in the field of movement disorders, & Nickie trained as a Speech Pathologist but is mothering & helping Dennis to get his Urology practice up & running.

I’ve probably bored you with all this family stuff but I’d love to hear about your family situation including your siblings especially Suzanne.

Keep up your good work, keep safe & well! I remember with great warmth the care & love I received from all your family during those teenage years.

Love
Libby-Mac
(Haven’t been called that for eons!)

Thank you for your very kind comment and forgive my slow response.

I did not approve of Osama bin Laden, but neither do I approve of US administrations belligerent actions against those who disagree with them.

We must build a fairer and more caring world – both for human beings and the environment.

Warm regards

Andy

Thank you for your comment about Ron’s article.

Many years ago, he was at Flinders Uni doing a PhD in American Studies.

When I asked him why, he replied that most of the problems in the world were due to corporate greed (including East Timor) and that it is important to understand the nature of the enemy.

Ron is a very nice bloke and I don’t think he ever told me that he had a Jewish background. His statement is a very important one.

Andy