Refugees' 1995 Boat Escape Inspires New Book of Resistance

Jose da Costa was born in the bush while his family hid from Indonesian forces in 1976, and nearly two decades later, he made a choice that would define his life.

In 1995, da Costa became one of 18 asylum seekers who boarded a small fishing boat called the Tasi Diak (meaning "good sea") and sailed from East Timor to Darwin. None of them could swim, they had no life jackets, and their vessel ran on a single-piston engine that could fail at any moment.

After six nights at sea, they arrived safely in Darwin. It remains the only successful crossing during Indonesia's 24-year occupation of East Timor, which claimed more than 100,000 lives.

Da Costa left without saying goodbye to his mother. He had written a note but couldn't find anyone he trusted to deliver it, so he simply disappeared onto the boat with 17 others, including an infant.

Their journey was more than an escape. It was a political mission by young activists determined to fight for independence from a safer location after watching friends killed or imprisoned.

Why This Inspires

Author Vannessa Hearman spent 10 years researching their story after joining the Timor solidarity movement following the 1991 Dili Massacre, where more than 250 protesters were killed. Born in Indonesia herself, she felt compelled to act when she learned what was happening in Indonesia's name.

Hearman met some of the Tasi Diak passengers in Melbourne in the 1990s, where they lived on bridging visas and continued organizing for independence. Years later, she reconnected with da Costa, now a filmmaker, and watched his animated documentary about the crossing.

The result is "The Good Sea," launched at the Northern Territory Writers Festival. The book preserves a crucial chapter of resistance history that connects Australia, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste.

Da Costa returned to Darwin for the festival launch, completing a circle that began with his terrifying arrival 31 years ago. His homeland has been the independent nation of Timor-Leste since 2002, a freedom he risked everything to help achieve.

Their story reminds us that courage often looks like ordinary people making impossible choices for something bigger than themselves.