DILI, 28 february 2023 (TATOLI) – The President of the Republic, José Ramos Horta said that negotiations are underway between the authorities of Timor-Leste and Indonesia to find the remains of martyrs and heroes who were killed and disappeared during the Indonesian occupation.
“The negotiation to find our martyrs and national heroes is still ongoing. The negotiation has been carried out since I took office as the Head of State, especially in approaching and talking to the Indonesian authorities about the search for the remains of our great hero Nicolau Lobato and others,” President Horta told reporters, in Dili.
Horta acknowledged that the search for the remains of martyrs and heroes is not an easy task, saying, therefore, dialogue with Indonesian authorities is one of the best solutions.
Echoing President Horta’s statement, Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak said that almost every Head of State has always raised the issue of searching for the remains of the martyrs with the Indonesian government decades ago.
“Since independence, every head of state has always raised the question of the whereabouts of Nicolau Lobato and others. I hope that we can find a solution to the matter in the very near future,” he said.
On monday, members of the National Parliament called on the relevant authorities, both the Government and the President, to create good communication with the Indonesian authorities in order to initiate a joint effort to search for the remains of the veterans who were killed and disappeared during the Indonesian occupation.
“In relation to the commemoration of the National Veterans Day, I would like to remind the relevant authorities to communicate with the Indonesian authorities to carry out a joint effort to find the remains of the veterans, including the East Timor Guerrilla commander, Nicolau dos Reis Lobato,” Vice Chairman of Fretilin party, MP Antonino Bianco said.
The Chairman of the Fretilin, MP David Dias Ximenes ‘Mandati’ also stressed that it’s time to find the remains of the martyrs: “We need to find the remains of Nicolau dos Reis Lobato, António Carvalhinho, Inacio Juvinal, Inacio Fonseca, Hermenegildo Alves, Amadeu Santos, David Alex “Daitula”, João Batista, Sebastião Sarmento and so on,” Mandati stressed.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
