East Timor's "popular consultation" became a bit popular yesterday as campaigners dared to shout the word independence in public. Ten trucks carrying about 500 joyful, roaring independence campaigners toured the streets of the capital, and hundreds in the streets dared to encourage them.
The bravery of the act by the National Council for Timorese Resistance (CNRT) group was suggested by the seriousness on the faces of 50 heavily armed police following in four other trucks. It was the biggest pro-independence demonstration since the start of a joyless campaign which has so far been marked by intimidation. It went off peacefully.
The police showed unusual bottle by closing off streets for the campaigners, fulfilling their side of a May 5th UN agreement to provide security. Earlier I had been surprised at the sight of a CNRT poster on a tree on the beachfront near Bishop Ximines Belo's residence.
"Independence dead or alive" was the raucous chant of the mostly young people in the trucks and others on about 20 motorbikes. Pro-autonomy militias, who flaunt themselves and the red and white flag of Indonesia at public offices in Dili, did not interfere.
In many areas of the former Portuguese colony, pro-independence supporters cannot campaign for fear of the militias, who are said to be paid 150,000 rupiah (about pounds £15) a month and given a gun and free rice.
"We should be disciplined," Mr Jose da Silva, the local CNRT secretary, said. "Over the last 24 years [since the Indonesian invasion], we have learnt how dangerous politics can be."
Commentators speculated that perhaps an order had gone out to ensure a polling day next Monday that would not shame Indonesia.
Jakarta has in recent days presented a face of openness. Journalists seeking accreditation report a welcoming attitude. Yesterday Gen Wiranto, the Defence Minister, said his government had no problem if the UN increased its civilian police presence to 460 from 280 personnel after the polling.
Earlier yesterday the spokesman for UNAMET (the United Nations Assistance Mission in East Timor), Mr David Wimhurst, again had a message that the violence marking the campaign was intimidation.
Giving details of the weekend's incidents, Mr Wimhurst said more than 2,000 "internally displaced" people - driven from their razed homes by militias - had their water supply cut off several days ago by the militia in Maliana.
This information came from US congressmen who visited the area by helicopter on Saturday.
In Lospalos, in the east, a UNA MET vehicle had been burned. No one was hurt. South of Dili, two houses used by UN electoral officers were attacked. The officers were moved by police. The litany went on, suggesting, as Mr Wim hurst said, "no level playing field yet".
Mr Dino Djalal, spokesman for the Indonesian task force providing security for the referendum, told The Irish Times the task force chief, Mr Zacky Anwar, was having negotiations "on a daily basis" about the situation in Maliana, in Timor's wild west.
Mr Djalal said "we are fully in control". In fact, he said, the situation was "not as bad as we thought it was going to be" at the outset of the referendum process.
Which led to the question of what he considered to be an acceptable level of violence? He could not really say or put a figure on it. The only way he could express it was no "big killings" which, in East Timor's context, leaves plenty of scope.
But UNAMET's voter education efforts go on regardless. On Sunday, The Devil Goes to Vote was received enthusiastically by 2,000 people, who had walked to the top of the world (1,700 metres) to enjoy an open-air theatre performance. Voter education theatre is one of UNAMET's creative tricks - and the result was a moving encounter between slapstick and the openness of the Timorese mountain folk, some in tribal robes and sporting ancient swords for the camera, and definitely not for money.
The devil, in shiny black animal head mask, arrived at a polling station with dodgy papers. An UNAMET official's questions leave our anti-hero with no alternative but flight. Chase was given and fun was had by all. The same happened to a flirtatious cross-dresser.
More serious instruction was given that a vote could be registered even by piercing the ballot paper with a nail on a string provided.
When an official, in real life, held up a ballot paper showing the symbols of the choice - one with the Indonesian flag - a lone voice seemed daring: "No". The official then indicated the CNRT symbol and they went wild with a near unanimous "yes, yes".
We were in the village of Liquica, in the Ainaro region, where the locals had acted the parts of militiamen (in real life) so that neighbouring militias would be fooled into leaving them alone.
It has been reported that 500 observer applicants have been refused credentials by UNAMET on the basis that they are funded by Indonesian government agencies and fundamentalist Muslim groups. The report could not be confirmed yesterday.
Conor O'Clery adds:
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, is to travel to East Timor this weekend to observe the final stages of the referendum. As personal representative of the European presidency, he will go first to Jakarta on Thursday where he will visit the Timorese independence leader, Mr Xanana Gusmao, who is under house arrest. The following day he plans to meet Indonesian President Mr B.J. Habibie, the Foreign Minister, Mr Ali Alatas, and the Armed Forces chief, Gen Wiranto, before making the two-hour flight to Dili on Saturday.