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Download and share Nobel Laureate Ramos-Horta's letter about ETAN (PDF)
José Ramos-Horta
December 2016
Dear friend of my beloved country,
Timor-Leste recently celebrated the 41st anniversary of our
Declaration of Independence, a right and a dream that was finally
realized in 2002. For the last quarter-century of our journey, the
East Timor and Indonesia
Action Network (ETAN) has been among our most effective and
consistent supporters. Their solidarity has been exemplary,
beginning during the brutal, difficult depths of the illegal
Indonesian military occupation and continuing through the economic
and political challenges we face today as a 14-year-old,
post-conflict, post-colonial, sovereign nation.
Twenty-five years ago, a month after Indonesian troops brutally
massacred young, nonviolent Timorese protesters at Santa Cruz
cemetery in Dili, peace and justice activists organized a peaceful
vigil in front of the Indonesian Mission to the United Nations. With
participation from people around the United States, that quickly
grew into a national organization which, by 1999, had 12,000 members
in 28 local chapters. Their protests and lobbying of the U.S. government and the United
Nations were a vital element in enabling my people to vote in a
UN-supervised referendum. As you know, Indonesian efforts to
intimidate us failed, and the overwhelming mandate for independence
led to Timor-Leste becoming the first new sovereign nation of the
21st century.
"ETAN is an exceptional organization, and their continuing
support for the people of my country needs your help. I
recently made a sizeable donation to ETAN, and I hope you
will also do so."
Before the referendum, I served as Timor-Leste’s Foreign Minister in
exile, lobbying decision makers all over the world for my people’s
right to self-determination. Although ETAN always acted
independently, we collaborated closely to encourage the U.S.
government to abandon its diplomatic and military support for the
Suharto dictatorship’s illegal occupation. Since 2002, I have been the Foreign Minister, Prime Minister and President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. As I evolved from diplomat-in-exile to Head of State, ETAN maintained their solidarity with my people. In government, I had to make difficult decisions concerning past crimes in the interest of better relations with post-Suharto Indonesia, our largest neighbor and biggest trading partner. Although ETAN and I sometimes have different views on issues like accountability for past crimes and self-determination for West Papua, I know that their positions are based on principle, and I admire and respect their tenacity.
For
the last five years, I have worked to improve the effectiveness of
UN peacekeeping worldwide. I have helped Guinea-Bissau and other
conflict-affected countries strive for the peace and human rights
that the people of Timor-Leste are finally able to enjoy. I know how
unusual – and how important – it is for people living under
repression and conflict to have reliable, committed supporters in
places like the United States.
Timor-Leste never attracted widespread popular attention in the
United States, even during the peak of our struggle against violent
occupation. Since the killing ended, we have become a “normal”
country, and U.S. government policy now respects the rights of my
people. It is even more difficult to get Americans to care about a
small nation on the other side of the world, which is why ETAN’s
work continue to be essential.
In
2012, on the 10th anniversary of the restoration of our
independence, I was pleased to join in awarding both ETAN and its
co-founder Charles Scheiner with the
Ordem de Timor-Leste for their support for our liberation.
ETAN's actions and campaigns have always been based on the interests
of the people, developed after consulting our civil society.
Although ETAN’s annual budget is smaller than virtually every other
international organization involved with our country, the work that
they do is invaluable.
ETAN is an exceptional organization, and their continuing support
for the people of my country needs your help. I recently made a
sizeable donation to ETAN, and I hope you will also do so.
Sincerely, José Ramos-Horta
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and former President, Democratic Republic
of Timor-Leste
P.S. Please consider becoming an ETAN Sustainer
by making a monthly donation by credit card. Help put ETAN on a firmer
financial footing, see information here.
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