DILI, 12 november 2022 (TATOLI) – The President of the Republic, Jose Ramos Horta urged the younger generation to study hard in order to contribute to building the country.
The Head of State made the comments in his speech during the commemoration of the 31st anniversary of the Santa Cruz Massacre and the celebration of the 17th National Youth Day at the Santa Cruz Cemetery in Dili today.
President Horta said that the future of the nation lies in the hands of the younger generation, saying it is therefore crucial that they spend their time studying, not attacking each other.
“I would like to call on the younger generation to study hard to build this country. In fact, many young Timorese have completed their master’s and PhDs in many of the best international universities around the world. In addition, we also have a genius student who was ranked third out of 52,300 students in the 2022 SuperTmatik International Mental Mathematics Competition,” said Horta.
Simplício de Deus, a year 7 student from Ruy Cinatti Portuguese School, ranked third out of 52,300 students in the 2022 SuperTmatik International Mental Mathematics Competition.
The Head of State also urged the younger generation to contribute to peace and stability as a way of showing respect for the sacrifices of those who died during the war.
“What we owe to our heroes and veterans and those who died during the war is to ensure peace and stability in the country,” Horta said.
President Horta stressed that it is important to promote multipartyism, freedom of the press, freedom of expression, and ethnic and religious tolerance in Timor-Leste: “We need to fight for social and economic justice in the country.”
“Again, I would like to call on the younger generation to stop attacking each other. Let’s promote peace to ensure the continued well-being and the security of the nation,” Horta appealed.
At the same place, the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, Abrão Saldanha, also urged the new generation to honor the sacrifices of the national heroes, veterans, and those who sacrificed their lives during the war by contributing to peace and stability.
“It is time to study, learn new experiences, and seek employment opportunities in order to contribute to the national development,” he said.
Saldanha said that the celebration of National Youth Day is an important occasion for each younger generation to reflect on how they can contribute to national development.
The Santa Cruz massacre was the murder of at least 250 East Timorese pro-independence demonstrators in the Santa Cruz cemetery in the capital, Dili, on November 12, 1991.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafy Belo
