DILI, 03 september 2021 (TATOLI) – The National Parliament and Government must create a resolution or a decree to pronounce september 4 as a national victory day of Timor-Leste, the Executive Director of Timor-Leste’s Centro Nasional Chega (CNC), Hugo Fernandes has said.
“CNC consider september 4 as an important day for Timor-Leste to commemorate. So, it depends on the decision of the National Parliament and the Council of ministers to consider the day as a national day,” Fernandes told reporters at the CNC office, in Dili, today.
He said september 4 was deserved to be celebrated nationally, saying on that day the former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Security Council and the world that Monday’s (30 august) referendum was rejected with a vote of 78.5 percent, in favor of independence.
Fernandes recalled that several massacres occurred following september 4, resulting in many Timorese lost their lives: “these massacres included Setembro Negro Massacre in Covalima, Lautem Massacre, Maliana Massacre, etc.”
He said indeed everyone back then knew that Timor-Leste would get the independence, but saying no one would know that september 4 was the chosen day for the official announcement of the Timor-Leste’s victory over autonomy option.
“Thus, it is important to celebrate the day as a national day to show the world that on this particular day, Timor-Leste was officially announced as an independent country,” said Fernandes.
On september 4, 1999, with the official announcement made by the former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan following the referendum on Monday (August 30), Timorese people appeared and emerged from the bushes, caves, and forests with tears of joy to celebrate the victorious day by chanting “Viva Timor-Leste”.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
