friends,
I first visited
Timor-Leste in January 1975, as a masters student from
Monash University. I spent two months travelling the country
with Jose Ramos-Horta, Nicolau Lobato, and Mari Alkatiri. I
rode Timor ponies with Mau Lear and Vicente Sahe dos Reis
to visit the FRETILIN literacy programs.
Following
Indonesias illegal and brutal invasion of December 1975, I
was unable to visit the country again for another 24 years.
But my concern for the Timorese people had not waned. In
early 1976, I was in New York, assisting Ramos-Horta set up
his office at the United Nations to advocate internationally
for Timor-Lestes self-determination. This was long before