Interviews with Jose Ramos-Horta

So, back then, I was– opposed to– military training with– Indonesia provided and with more military hardware. So, we lobbied the U.S. Congress. Again– with– U.S. Bishops´– Conference– support– and with the U.S.– media, I mean– in– ´91, ´92, I got a phone call from Peter Jennings, anchorman of– ABC, Channel 7, U.S. I was so surprise that he called me. And– I was in a meeting in– one human rights organization in New York. I got a phone call from Peter Jennings. He asked me to go to see him. And I went.

And he sent a reporter here. The reporter came and did a story on– ABC News. And in that particular story in ABC was instrumental in the change in the U.S. Congress– prohibiting– the so-called– IMET, International Military Education and Training– program. Maybe it didn´t have any impact whatsoever on the actual training of the Indonesian military. But it sent a powerful, political, psychological shock to the Indonesian military.

Later, we lobby hard against the sale of F-16s to Indonesia. Again, you know, the F-16s are never used in counterinsurgency. The Indonesians would never use– F-16 in Timor-Leste. And– but that´s not the point. It was a political message. And it became so controversial, the Indonesians themselves gave up trying to buy the F-16s. That did have– an emotional psychological impact on them. Made them realize that their politics in Timor-Leste had a price that they have to pay for it.

And a country like Indonesia, the Indonesian military, always proud to have relationship with United States– you know, which military in the world doesn´t feel proud to have that, to engage with the U.S. military? Even ours today, you know, when we have– the U.S. military coming and do exercise with F-FDTL, our defense force, w– we are very proud. “We had exercise with the U.S. military.” “We had a visit by U.S. warships.”

“Our– officers went to do training in the U.S.” Anyone is very proud. Anyone who say they´re not proud, they are lying. Even the enemies are very– even the Chinese would love to have– a exercise with the U.S. military. So, when that stop, it does have a political psychological– impact– and significant.

José Manuel Ramos-Horta was the president of East Timor (Timor-Leste) from 2007 to 2012. In 1996, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his advocacy of human rights and self-determination for the Timorese people.

Born in Dili in 1949 to a Portuguese father and a Timorese mother, Ramos-Horta was educated in Catholic schools and became a journalist. His articles advocating independence for the territory led to his deportation at the age of 18. He returned to Timor in 1971 and, after the 1974 revolution in Portugal, joined with other young Timorese pro-independence activists to found the Social Democratic Association of Timor, later known as the Revolutionary Front of Independent Timor-Leste (FRETILIN). When FRETILIN declared the independence of East Timor in 1975, Ramos-Horta was appointed the minister of external affairs and was instructed to go abroad to seek international recognition and support. He was just 25 years old.

Ramos-Horta left East Timor three days before the invasion by Indonesian troops that led to a 24-year occupation. A few days later, he became the youngest diplomat ever to address the United Nations Security Council, successfully urging the Council to adopt a resolution that recognized the right of the people of Timor-Leste to self-determination and independence.

After the 1999 referendum in which the people of East Timor voted overwhelmingly for independence from Indonesia, Ramos-Horta returned to his homeland for the first time in 24 years. He served as foreign minister under the provisional United Nations administration (2000–2002) and during the first four years of independence (2002-06), and was selected as prime minister after the political and social crisis that led to the resignation of the first government in 2006. In 2007 he was elected president of the Republic, receiving over 70 percent of the votes cast.

On February 11, 2008, Ramos-Horta was shot twice and severely wounded. Evacuated to Australia, he remained for 10 days in an induced coma and spent several months recovering from his injuries. Upon his return to Dili, he was received in triumph by an estimated 100,000 people of all ages, walks of life, and political perspectives.

After initially stating he would not seek reelection, Ramos-Horta decided to run as an independent candidate. He placed third in the balloting. In 2013, he was named the United Nations Special Representative to Guinea-Bissau.