DILI, 20 august 2022 (TATOLI) – The President of the Republic, José Ramos Horta said Timor-Leste was the only country in the world where the Noble Peace Prize medal was handed over to the defense force (F-FDTL).
President Horta handed over his Noble Peace Prize medal and the diploma to the Charismatic Leader Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão in 2000 at the time when Gusmão was the commander of FALINTIL.
“That was in 2000, in a ceremony held in Aileu Municipality that I handed over the medal to our Charismatic Leader Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão who was back then the Commander of FALINTIL. After that, Gusmão handed over immediately the medal to his successor Taur Matan Ruak. And then Ruak handed over the medal to the former Chief of the General Staff of the F-FDTL, Lere Anan Timur. After his resignation, Timur handed over the medal to the current Chief of the General Staff of the F-FDTL, Falur Rate Laek,” Horta said during the celebration of the 47th anniversary of the F-FDTL, at the Palace of the Government, in Dili.
Horta reiterated that it’s the first time in the world that a Noble Peace Prize winner offered his gold medal of the Noble Peace Prize to a defense force: “F-FDTL is the only defense force in the world to hold the Noble Peace Prize gold medal.”
“Noble Peace Price medal is the symbol of peace. Therefore, I handed over it to the F-FDTL to protect and cherish peace in the country,” he said.
Horta is not the only Noble Peace Prize winner to use his medal for the promotion of peace and democracy, but the Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov also auctioned off his Nobel Peace Prize medal to support Ukrainian children amid the Russian invasion.
In june 2022, Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov auctioned off his Nobel Peace Prize medal for US$103.5 million to support the Ukrainian child refugees.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
