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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-02-12 Daily Xml
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RAMOS-HORTA, DR J.

Ms CICCARELLO (Norwood) (17:37): I had intended to speak today about the imminent visit to Adelaide by the President of the Republic of East Timor, Dr Jose Ramos-Horta. Unfortunately, the assassination attempt and subsequent wounding of Dr Ramos-Horta yesterday has no doubt put these plans to one side. I am sure that the prayers of us all are with Dr  Ramos-Horta and his family at this time in the fervent hope that he makes a speedy recovery so that he can continue his outstanding work for East Timor and its people.

However, despite this tragic turn of circumstances, I would very much still like to talk about Dr Ramos-Horta and his achievements and what he had hoped to gain form his visit to South Australia. Dr Ramos-Horta is the second president of East Timor since independence from Indonesia in 2002. Previously, he served as East Timor's first foreign minister and then as prime minister.

Dr Ramos-Horta won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his tireless efforts fighting for an independent East Timor since the occupation by Indonesia in 1975. The Nobel committee honoured him for his 'sustained efforts to hinder the oppression of a small people', hoping that 'this award will spur efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict of East Timor based on the people's right to self-determination'—words that still ring with an alarming resonance for many world regions today.

Australia has a long historical relationship with East Timor. East Timorese civilians were integral to the defence of Australia during the Second World War. In 1941, an independent commando company from Australia was deployed to Timor ahead of the Japanese invasion in February 1942. This small force of 800 men fought a guerrilla warfare campaign against a Japanese force which, at its strongest, totalled 20,000. The campaign, waged in impossible circumstances, was successful only because of the aid and assistance given to the men by Timorese civilians. Each group of guerrillas was assigned a 'creado', which was a boy or young man who would act as a guide, navigating them around the island, performing reconnaissance on Japanese positions, finding food and water, and sneaking the commandos into villages where they could eat, rest and receive medical attention.

In 1942, before the force was evacuated to Papua New Guinea, 40 Australians died in Timor. In the ensuing years, 40,000 Timorese died at the hands of Japanese soldiers because they had helped Australians. Despite our at times tragic history, our countries remain committed to an ethos of aid and cooperation. In February last year, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution extending the UN mission in Timor-Leste, and agreed that the military component of the mission be Australian-led.

Today, there are 780 Australian troops in East Timor engaged in security building, training the East Timorese Defence Force, advising ministries and working on infrastructure. My next-door neighbour, Guy, is there as a member of the armed forces at the moment. I know that his wife, Sharon, and his two children, William and Alexander, send him their love.

The Australian government, through AusAID, and Australian NGOs are also involved in many programs aimed at targeting poverty in East Timor. Given the ties between our countries, the state government is of the strong belief that it can and should play a role in assisting the development of East Timor, our closest neighbour.

A year ago, the Premier asked the former CEO of the Department of Primary Industries, Dennis Mutton, to travel to East Timor and begin the process of establishing stronger links between their country and South Australia. To further these exciting and mutually beneficial opportunities, President Ramos-Horta was scheduled to visit Adelaide. Items that were to be discussed were: university scholarships for Timorese students; TAFE scholarships in trade and tourism; a public service mentoring program aimed at building the capacity of government departments in East Timor, whereby their public servants can travel to Adelaide to work alongside our senior public servants; assistance for the National East Timor bike race; and internship positions for Australian students to work in East Timor.

I understand that Mr Mutton has also been involved in discussions with the federal government to seek financial assistance from AusAID to support these programs. This commitment to furthering the close ties between us is unchanged.

We wish President Jose Ramos-Horta a speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming him to Adelaide. We are sure that the thoughts of the people in his country are with him and that they also wish him a speedy recovery.

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