Tuesday, 25 May 2010

Medal for East Timorese Hero



On the East Timor's 8th anniversary of restoration 20 May 2010 the state and the people of Timor Leste through Parliament give recognition to those people who have being sacrificed their own interest to fight for Timorese independence. There were 10 personalities who have long standing campaigner such as Kevin Philip Sherlock and Robert Wesley Smith from Darwin Australia, Charles Scheiner America, George J. Adijondro Indonesia, Finland, Collin from New Zealand and other Timorese including Veteran F-FDTL Col. Maunana. The state recognised Kevin Sherlock because after his 1974 visit to East Timor he started involved doing research and collecting documents in relation to Timor Leste. His house in Darwin become Timor Leste national achieves. He collected a lot of document even those from 1500. These documents not only about politics but also on economy, tax, geographic, landscape, agriculture and including mining. As since 1901 there has been many companies from Europe, America and Australia are interested in the researching oil and gas in Timor.


Robert Wesley Smith since 1975 involve very hard to defend Timorese right by establish Radio Maubere in Darwin to communicate with resistance in the mountains. He has set up Australian Free East Timor in Darwin and sometimes make Darwin famous with the name "city of rubbish" because Rob and his other colleagues put up banners or leaflet every were in the city even the AFP are angry. President Ramos Horta admired their contribution and he said he has known these individual since the old days. "George is the first activist for East Timor Independence because in 1974 he was the first Tempo Jakarta journalist wrote an article to defend the right of Timorese to Independence," said Horta.

Horta praised Collin from New Zealand who has been dedicated most of his life for East Timor course. Sometimes he called Collin as an Indian because his long hair.
After 1991 santa Cruz cemetery massacre gave a birth to an NGO name ETAN in USA. Charlie scheiner is one of the campaigner together with his other colleagues tirelessly advocated the freedom of the half island Timor Leste. After TL voted to separate itself from Indonesia in 1999 Charlie and his other friend establish La'o Hamutuk NGO to monitor the process of development Timor Leste.

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