Aside from meeting Ireland’s leaders and receiving an honorary degree from UCD, the state visit by President José Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste last Monday 8 March provided a special opportunity to thank the Irish people for their contributions to the country’s burgeoning democracy.
For many years, the country also known East Timor suffered under the harsh rule of neighbouring Indonesia, whose leaders squandered its resources and murdered and punished its people for speaking out against oppression, or merely demanding their rights.
But while many across the world were silent over the gross abuse of rights in this small east Asian country, we in Ireland stood up and supported them. We did not do it in anticipation of any future reward, but because of our love for life and objection to injustice no matter where it occurs.
And we owe our successful efforts largely to the leadership of one man, a former Dublin Bus driver named Tom Hyland who gave all in support of the ordinary people of Timor-Leste.
His selfless contribution helped to bring the dangerous situation of the people to international attention – the beginning of the end of decades of dictatorship in the country.
Even so, President Ramos-Horta’s visit is a reminder that there is still much more that we can do for the people of Timor-Leste – particularly in eradicating abject poverty, the bane of their own development.
news@metroeireann.com
