Lahane (www.mediaonetimor.co) – Speech by President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, José Ramos-Horta On the Occasion of the Dinner in Honour of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres. Here is the complete publication of Media ONE Timor.
Speech by
H.E. Mr J. Ramos-Horta,
President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
On the Occasion of the Dinner in Honour of the Secretary-General of the United Nations,
H.E. António Guterres
Lahane Palace, Dili, 29 August 2024
Your Excellency the Secretary-General of the United Nations,
Most Esteemed and Highly Respected Friend António Guterres,
Your Excellency Brahim Ghali President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) Your Excellencies President of the National Parliament,
Prime Minister President of the Court of Appeal, Former Holders of Sovereign Bodies, Representatives of Heads of State, Government Members, and other High-Ranking Foreign Dignitaries;
Members of the Government,
Members of Parliament,
Chief of Staff of the F-FDTL,
Commander General of the PNTL,
Attorney General of the Republic (PGR),
Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ),
Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps,
International Co-operation Agencies,
Authorities and Representatives of Religious Confessions and Civil Society Organisations,
Distinguished Guests:
On your behalf, on behalf of all our people and on my own behalf, I extend a warm welcome to our Great Friend, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres.
The year 2024 is full of some great milestones. In Timor-Leste we are marking the 50th anniversary of the beautiful Carnation Revolution, the revolution that 10 binds us all together in our collective struggle for freedom, democracy and the self-determination of peoples.
The 25th anniversary of the New York Agreement of 5 May 1999, which cemented the path to our freedom.
Today we remember the celebrations for the 25th. Anniversary of the Popular Consultation.
In this context, I pay tribute to one of the great Secretaries-General of the United Nations. In his inaugural speech, Kofi Annan pledged to resolve the issue of Timor-Leste during his first term. Kofi Annan kept his promise
We are soon marking 25 years since the formation of the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET), unanimously authorised by the Security Council on 15 September.
I bow to the memory of a great friend, the late Francesc Vendrell, a senior Catalan official in the service of the United Nations, who left us in 2022 with a long legacy of activism and defence of the Timorese cause.
I remember Sérgio Vieira de Mello and his tragic death on 19 August 2003 in Iraq. He was a brilliant diplomat at the service of the UN, with an important legacy in humanitarian missions, and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Timor-Leste between 1999 and 21 May 2002.
We are joined by two key people in the history of the UN’s involvement with and in Timor-Leste, Tamarat Samuel and Ian Martin, both intimately and forever linked to this worthy, proud history of the UN with and in Timor-Leste.
I would like to express our deep appreciation to all the successive Presidents and Prime Ministers of Portugal, political parties with and without seats in the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic. I would like to highlight our dear friends Presidents Ramalho Eanes, Mário Soares and Jorge Sampaio, Prime Minister António Guterres, José Durão Barroso, the Heads of State of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe who have always been with us throughout the journey of our National Liberation struggle.
We do not forget, on this special occasion, Prime Minister John Howard, President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Kim Dae Jung (of South Korea), and their leaderships who made it possible for the Security Council to reach a consensus and give the green light to the International Force for East Timor – INTERFET.
Your Excellencies, In the wake of the great Southeast Asian economic crisis of 1997-1998 and the political turmoil, the late President B.J. Habibie rose to the challenges and opportunities of history
Catapulted to the presidency of Indonesia after the resignation of President Suharto, B.J. Habibie was able to lead the Indonesian nation towards democracy and the resolution of the Timorese conflict with great courage and serenity.
Supported with great lucidity and courage by his diplomatic advisor Prof. Dr. Dewi Fortuna Anwar, and by the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, 4-star General Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), President B.J. Habibie pushed forward the dialogue between Indonesia and Portugal, culminating in the ‘Popular Consultation’ of 30 August 1999.
At the request of Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, efforts were made to give ASEAN and other Asian member countries a central role in the composition and leadership of INTERFET’s ‘Asian face’.
The Foreign Minister of Thailand, Surin Pitsuwan, coordinated efforts for a visible participation of peacekeeping forces from ASEAN countries. Contingents of forces from the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand landed in TimorLeste in September 1999, along with joint forces from Australia and New Zealand, led by Major General Peter Cosgrove (from Australia) with his Deputy, Major General Sonkitti Jaggabattra (from Thailand).
Generals from the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand commanded the UN peacekeeping forces in Timor-Leste at different times.
We also acknowledge the significant contributions made at different times by other countries—Brazil, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Jordan, Pakistan, Portugal, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and others that I do not mention due to time constraints.
Your Excellencies, Indonesia left Timor-Leste because it decided to do so, honouring the commitments made to the United Nations, which provided for its withdrawal and replacement by the International Forces, which were entrusted with guaranteeing the security of the territory.
In 1999, following the economic and financial crisis that deeply shook President Suharto’s Orde Baru, the TNI could have taken power, going against the winds of change and following the examples of military usurpation of power that have occurred in other countries.
The Indonesian military leadership showed a high sense of statecraft, knew how to read the winds of change, and allowed the ‘reformasi’ movement that resulted in the new modern, democratic, prosperous and peaceful Indonesia.
The TNI can be proud of the way it closed the Timorese question. It did not resist the process of transferring security in Timor-Leste to an international force. If it had, there would have been no force in the world capable of opposing it.
One of the beautiful moments of 1999 was when our brother, the Commanderin-Chief of the Timorese Resistance, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, embraced and greeted the last senior TNI officers at Dili Airport.
Mr Secretary General, Your presence here is of special significance, given your exemplary leadership of the United Nations and the role you played in supporting our cause as Prime Minister of Portugal.
Today, as we celebrate 25 years of freedom, sovereignty and reconciliation, we remember the sacrifices of our people. The road was long and arduous, but with the support of the international community, the United Nations and its specialised agencies, we managed to achieve the peace, stability and development that are now a reality in Timor-Leste.
We live in an increasingly globalized and interdependent world, marked by uncertainties, armed conflicts, pandemics, food insecurity, and extreme natural phenomena resulting from climate change.
We reaffirm the need to find a negotiated solution to the Western Sahara issue, in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Security Council, and the African Union.
Fortunately, Timor-Leste remains an oasis of peace, tolerance, and security.
The Economist and Freedom House’s ‘Democracy Index’ classify Timor-Leste as ‘free’ and the most democratic country in Southeast Asia.
In 2023, the ‘World Press Freedom Index’ (from Media Watch) issued by Reporters Without Borders ranked our country in the tenth position worldwide (Top 10), ahead of several developed countries and Western democracies.
Our defense and security forces—the F-FDTL and the PNTL—are a source of pride for their professionalism, respect for civilian institutions, and the human rights of our citizens.
We are a multicultural, multireligious, multilingual and multiethnic society. We are committed to our diversity and political plurality, open to the world, tolerant and free of hatred.
We are a vibrant democracy, where the rule of law and fundamental freedoms prevail, enabling the harmonious, albeit slow, growth and development of our citizens, private initiative and civil society organisations.
Mr Secretary General,
Distinguished guests, We are also about to receive a special blessing with the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis, who, like St John Paul II 35 years ago, will profoundly mark our national and spiritual history.
In this context, I would like to highlight the fact that our National Parliament voted unanimously to adopt the Declaration on Human Fraternity, a Guiding Document for All Humanity, co-authored by His Holiness Pope Francis and Prof. Dr Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Cairo, which was solemnly signed on 04th February 2019 in Abu Dhabi during His Holiness’ historic visit to the Arab Peninsula.
Finally, I would like to talk about someone who I consider to be the true Architect of our victory. I’m talking about the person sitting next to you, the Commanderin-Chief of the Timorese Resistance, His Excellency the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, to whom we owe the reorganisation of the resistance in its various armed, political, diplomatic and clandestine forms, as well as the reconciliation and unification of the Timorese family, including the Catholic Church.
The milestones we are now celebrating, including the May agreement, the August referendum and the subsequent missions, were only possible thanks to the sacrifices, serenity and wisdom of this great, courageous and visionary statesman.
Sacrifices over the course of twenty-four years, including eight years of captivity in Cipinang Prison, where he was serving a life sentence.
Serenity during the bloody period that followed the results of the popular consultation, when he was able to resist the urge to react to the outbreaks of violence that were proliferating in our country, avoiding the intervention of FALINTIL troops, who remained at his command in their cantonment sites.
Wisdom in advocating internal and external reconciliation among Timorese and with our neighbouring brothers, paving the way for fraternal ties with our 14 neighbours, including a strong relationship with our sister, the Republic of Indonesia.
I know that the Founder of our Nation may not appreciate these references to himself, but his humility cannot overshadow or make us ignore his great achievements.
We also acknowledge other significant figures in our history, such as Xavier do Amaral, Nicolau Lobato, and some living heroes among us today—Taur Matan Ruak, Lere Anan Timur, Falur Rate Laek, and many others who are enshrined in our collective memory.
As we reflect on the twenty-five years of our recent history, these are the truths that should be celebrated for our future memory.
In closing, I propose a toast. A toast to the future of Timor-Leste and to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, to the entire UN family.
Long live Timor-Leste!(Access Youtube/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Media1Timor Media ONE Timor)
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