Colin Oehring

Writer

[Colin Oehring @ColinOehring]

Amen #JohnMartinkus RIP

[Peter Cronau @PeterCronau]

On the death of John Martinkus.
None of the ‘official’ journalists believed John’s early reports of Indonesia’s TNI and their militias planning the destruction of East Timor after Suharto fell from power. But some people like Jim Dunn, Andrew McNaughtan, Mark Davis, David O’Shay, Matt Carney, and a couple more did. The warning was in the history. And John set out to seek evidence that the violence in East Timor was not some ‘civil war’ restarting, but an orchestrated Indonesian military operation to eliminate all the resistance and keep hold of Timor and its riches. The SMH published some of his freelance reports including the clincher - the photograph of the ragtag armed so-called ‘militias’ all wearing shiny black army boots, revealed as special forces troops. Suddenly the mainstream reporters had to take him seriously. His evidence - together with leaked army intelligence reports - proved the Howard and Downer government was lying to keep Timor in the hands of the Indonesia generals. When Timor moved towards their independence vote and Timor became ‘a story’, John was pushed aside by many of the ‘official’ journalists. They all went on to win awards for their heroic reporting after the fact. John famously lashed out at the following Walkley Award presentation when they received gongs largely derivative from his work. But John’s reporting was more important that an award could recognise, for it had informed and incited the UN and the public mass demonstrations and outpourings that forced the West to intervene. He commanded the factual high ground in a Four Corners story I produced on the events at the time. John’s reporting changed the fate of the nation - not many journalists can say that. His book ‘A Dirty Little War’ tells much of that tale. He went on to report other wars as diligently and insightfully, continuing to ruffle ‘official’ feathers. Sometimes not easy to get on with, the targets of his journalism remained the killers and governments and barrackers behind them, and his writing fuelled the public to resist and to win. John forever remained an embarrassing reminder of ethics and skill to many of those ‘official’ journalists who profess to be his admirers following his passing. John wrote more books and taught journalism for a while, but he struggled with ill health. He remained a tenacious advocate for the truth and a powerful interlocutor. John was splendidly recognised by the nation of #TimorLeste with the awarding of an Order of Timor-Leste medal last year.
Vale John Martinkus.

(Photo: Vaughan Williams, via Lucinda Watson)

[Colin Oehring @ColinOehring]

@AlvaroVargasLl ❤️

[Colin Oehring @ColinOehring]

My review of ⁦To Battersea Park by @PhilipHensher⁩ in @theage⁩ today https://t.co/jJtStSQd5y

[Colin Oehring @ColinOehring]

“Don’t come at me with your Veras and your Miss Marples” ⁦@RichAFerguson⁩ on his first love https://t.co/wdQLF6eKZW

[Colin Oehring @ColinOehring]

@PhilipHensher X

[Colin Oehring @ColinOehring]

@HarvsK Sorry to hear this, Kit. Sending ❤️

[Colin Oehring @ColinOehring]

@jackcallil So sorry, Jack. Adored her

[Philip Hensher @PhilipHensher]

Not many people change the world. Carmen Callil did. I loved her in person and admired her without limit. She lit a candle where she might have blamed the dark.

[Philip Hensher @PhilipHensher]

I reviewed @KeironPim’s excellent life of Joseph Roth for @spectator; he’s a novelist (but not a man) I greatly admire. https://t.co/z5EBvkCDO8

[Colin Oehring @ColinOehring]

@lucycochran Lame

[Richard Ferguson @RichAFerguson]

Over the moon to be appointed the @australian’s national chief of staff, driving the news agenda with our world-class team of brilliant journalists. https://t.co/ssi2OGFXFt

[Colin Oehring @ColinOehring]

@PTNoo @channy_process Certainly am (max too)

[Colin Oehring @ColinOehring]

@PTNoo @channy_process Going to wedding, paul?

[Colin Oehring @ColinOehring]

Vale John Bryson https://t.co/UjNvVInStA

[David Taylor @djtaylorwriter]

Christmas with George Gissing, 1894
25 Dec. 'Gloom and drizzle...I sat alone through the evening, mind untuned for thought.
26 Dec. 'Gloom...All our colds bad. Of course doing nothing at all.
28 Dec. 'Gloom again. All have colds; no one leaves the house.'
@GissingGeorge

[Richard Ferguson @RichAFerguson]

Why millennials should embrace the majesty of Sondheim - Peter Craven in today’s @australian https://t.co/2wMuDN5dAX

[New Yorker Fiction @NYerFiction]

This week's story is “Coda” by Tessa Hadley. https://t.co/pGrIbVHFKv

[Richard Ferguson @RichAFerguson]

Peter Craven on staying sane through lockdown by listening to old actors reading out the Bible on his iPad in @australian is both so wholesome and so on-brand https://t.co/rRVwCyk6oM

[Colin Oehring @ColinOehring]

Opera and theatre director feted by legends he worked with | The Australian https://t.co/zaY1Il1bul

[Colin Oehring @ColinOehring]

https://t.co/MGSgXtD1ko