On July 10 2006, he was officially sworn in as the second Prime Minister of East Timor. He is also the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
Normally I do not put persons on this website being part of the so called High Elite: Governments, persons in high ranking jobs in the Economy and Society. José Ramos Horta is there an exception. So, José Ramos Horta, Prime Ministre of East Timor, shall be presented on this sites, because of his Christmas message to Osama Bin Laden:
He said: « On this occasion, when we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, my words, words of peace, are sent to my brother somewhere in the mountains, in the caves of Afghanistan and Pakistan, Osama bin Laden. Yes, there are some differences between yourself, my brother Osama bin Laden, and myself. The differences are that while you seem to have a profound resentment towards those who had done centuries of harm to Muslims, and today to Palestinians — I do understand these grievances — and yet I fail to understand why you carry this resentment, this anger onto attacking innocent civilians — and that includes also Arabs and Muslims who do not share your vision of Islam. I come from a small country, East Timor, that was invaded by the largest Muslim country in the world (Indonesia). I lost brothers and sisters, yet I do not hate one single Muslim, I do not hate one single Indonesian. I beg you to re-think and extend your love, your solidarity, your friendship, the same ones you feel about Palestinians, extend to the rest of the world, extend to Europeans, to Christians. You will then win them over that way, more than through hatred and violence ».
José Ramos Horta – East Timor
He says also: « One thing I am proud of is that in 24 years of our struggle not one single Indonesian civilian was targeted by the resistance, » he has said. « No Indonesian civilians, no Indonesian settlers were killed in this country in 24 years. No terrorist tactics were ever used against Indonesians in this country, and there was no hatred towards Indonesians. » (Read more on more or less).
Read about ASEAN, Cebu, Philippines:
Highly successful Cebu summits end as PGMA thanks Asia Pacific leaders for attendance, today Jan. 15, 2007.
Timor Leste Thanks ASEAN, Jan 13, 2007.
Cebu, Philippines, Timor Leste, the youngest nation of Asian, took a significant step Sunday to gain access as member of the Association of South East Asian Nations ASEAN, by signing the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. (See Prensa Latina, Jan 14, 2007).
Read: Hospital of Hope present to the people of Timor-Leste for 2007.
He was actively involved in the development of political awareness in Portuguese Timor which caused him to be exiled for two years in 1970–71 to Portuguese East Africa. It was a family tradition as his grandfather had also suffered exile, from Portugal to the Azores Islands, then Cape Verde, Portuguese Guinea and finally to Portuguese Timor. A moderate in the emerging Timorese nationalist leadership, he was appointed Foreign Minister in the « Democratic Republic of East Timor » government proclaimed by the pro-independence parties in November 1975. When appointed minister, Ramos Horta was only 25 years old. Ramos Horta left East Timor three days before the Indonesian troops invaded to plead the Timorese case before the United Nations. Ramos Horta arrived in New York to address the UN Security Council and urge them to take action in the face of the Indonesian military onslaught which would result in over 200,000 East Timorese deaths between 1976 and 1981. Ramos Horta was the Permanent Representative of Fretilin to the UN for the ensuing ten years. In 1993, the Rafto Prize was awarded to the people of East Timor. Foreign-minister-in-exile José Ramos-Horta represented his nation at the prize ceremony. In December 1996, Ramos Horta shared the Nobel Peace Prize with his fellow countryman, Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo. The Nobel Committee chose to honour the two laureates for their « 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 ». The Committee considered Ramos Horta « the leading international spokesman for East Timor’s cause since 1975 ».[2] On June 3, 2006, Horta added the post of Interim Minister of Defense to his portfolio as Foreign Minister, in the wake of the resignations of the previous minister.[3] He resigned as both Foreign and Defence Minister on June 25, 2006, announcing, « I do not wish to be associated with the present government or with any government involving Alkatiri. »[4] Prime Minister Alkatiri had been under pressure to resign his position in place of President Xanana Gusmão, but in a June 25 meeting, leaders of the Fretilin party agreed to keep Alkatiri as Prime Minister; Ramos Horta resigned immediately following this decision.[5] Foreign Minister of Australia Alexander Downer expressed his personal disappointment at Horta’s resignation.[6] Following Alkatiri’s resignation on June 26, Horta withdrew his resignation to contest the prime ministership and served in the position on a temporary basis until a successor to Alkatiri was named.[7] On 8 July 2006, Horta himself was appointed Prime Minister by President Gusmão. [8] He was sworn in on July 10, 2006. Before his appointment as Prime Minister, Ramos Horta was considered a possible candidate to succeed Kofi Annan as United Nations Secretary-General.[9] He dropped out of the race in order to serve as East Timor’s Prime Minister, but he has indicated that he might run for the UN position at some time in the future: “I can wait five years if I am really interested in the job in 2012. I would be interested in that.” [10] References: (See the references, his bio and all the rest on wikipedia).
Read: Jose Ramos-Horta, exiled East Timorese resistance leader and 1996 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, responds to viewer questions and comments.
Read: The presence of all 17 leaders is a testament to summit prestige, says Arroyo.
Prime Minister Jose Ramos Horta of East Timor, the most recent country to sign Asean’s Treaty of Amity, insisted that Suu Kyi should be released immediately after spending more than 15 years in detention. “It’s a question of humanity and a question of fairness. Aung San Suu Kyi committed no crime whatsoever against her country or her people. Quite the contrary. So, it’s quite unfair and unwise that she remains in prison,” Horta said in a television interview. (See on Manila Standard Today, Jan. 14, 2007).
Read: Horta’s Christmas Message to Bin Laden, on:
International The News;
The age.com;