(East Timor info listed below is updated
irregularly and may not be current)
Up-Dated: Feb 1, 2002
NEW = Added to BACK DOOR Website since last Monday's Emailout
Jan
22 Commission for Reception, Truth, and Reconciliation sworn in
Biographies updated Jan 24
"On 21 February [January?] 2002, the National
Commissioners of the East Timor Commission for Reception, Truth, and
Reconciliation were sworn in to office, with speeches by Jose Ramos
Horta, Sergio Vieira de Mello and Xanana Gusmão, and messages from
Mary Robinson and Rev. Desmond Tutu. The following are the names and brief
biographies of the Commissioners, from the program for the swearing-in
ceremony."
See biographies of speakers (including many East Timorese leaders) at Conference on Sustainable Development in East Timor (25th - 31st January 2001) [370k]: http://members.tripod.com/sd_east_timor/bios/biosBoth.html
Bahasa Indonesia:
Daftar pembicara
dan riwayat hidup pembicara: Konferensi Pembangunan Berkelanjutan di Timor
Lorosa’e (diadakan pada 25-31 januari 2001) [370k]:
http://members.tripod.com/sd_east_timor/bios/biosBoth.html
In alphabetical order of first name:
Aderito
de Jesus Soares Added June 14 see
also
Aderito Soares is the Coordinator of SAHE
Institute for Liberation and the East Timor Jurists Association. He
is 31 years old, has a degree in Law from University of Salatiga in Central
Java. After graduating he worked as a lawyer for the NGO ELSHAM (Institute
for Policy Research and Advocacy) in Jakarta where he focussed on the indigenous
people of West Papua and labour issues in Kalimantan. Aderito lectures
in human rights and legal subjects at the East Timor National University.
He has considerable international experience, having represented East Timor
at the Vienna +5 Human Rights Conference in Ottawa in 1998 (with Jose
Ramos Horta), was one of seven international judges for the Peoples’
Tribunal in Puerto Rico in November 2000, and had an internship with OMCT,
a NGO focussing on Torture) in Geneva for three months in 1998. He acted
as a facilitator for the CNRT training campaigners
for independence, and during his time in Jakarta worked with the pro-democracy
movement. He is a Board member of the NGO
Forum and another NGO, Lao Hamutuk.
Aderito comes from Maliana District, and speaks Kemak (the local language),
Tetum, English, Bahasa Indonesian and Portugese.
Email: Sahe_Lib@yahoo.com
Andrea
da Costa Added June 14 see
also
Andrea is the External Liaison Officer
for the NGO Forum in East Timor. She
is the widow of an East Timorese expat Atanasio Conceicao da Costa, founder
and first President of the East Timorese Association of WA, Australia,
of the East Timorese Amateur Soccer Club of WA, Australia and of the East
Timorese Radio Station in Perth, Australia. Andrea was an active volunteer
for the Timorese refugees of 1975 working in the areas of social integration
for housing, education and legal affairs since that time. She and her husband
were members of CNRT and organised many demonstrations
and seminars for the plight of East Timor in the past 2 decades. As the
External Liaison Officer Andrea promotes cooperation, transparency, effective
dialogue and partnership between NGOs, INGOs, other international bodies,
UN agencies, UNTAET, ETTA, the banks (ADB, WB)
and the private sector. Andrea now lives with her husbands’ family in a
tent amongst the ruins of their bombed house, on a hilltop in the outskirts
of Dili. Andrea speaks English, Dutch, German and understands some Portuguese
and Tetum.
Arsenio
Bano Updated Nov 10 | see
also | and also
On Sep 20 2001 Arsenio Bano was appointed
Minister for Labour and Solidarity in the Second
Transitional Government in East Timor, as an Independent. He is the
Executive Director of the East Timor NGO
Forum, the coordination and information body for local and international
NGOs working in East Timor. He is 27 years old, and had begun a degree
in Management in Indonesia. He is currently also the Chair of FFSO (Fundacao
Fatu Sinai Oe-cusse), Arsenio’s home District, and Managing Director of
Tolas, a human rights newspaper in East Timor. Arsenio was one of a group
of students who jumped over the wall into the US embassy in Jakarta some
years ago to draw attention to the dire situation in East Timor. He was
sent to Portugal. From there he went to London where he worked as Campaign
and Research Assistant for the Human Rights
organisation TAPOL. He was also a member of the British Campaign for
East Timor. He returned to East Timor on 6 October 1999, and worked during
the emergency period with the student
NGO Renatil, and the CNRT. He is a strong advocate
for civil society organisations, and a skilled networker. He speaks Bicaeno
(the language of Oecusse), Tetum, Portugese, English and Bahasa Indonesian.
Aziza
Magno Updated Sep 3 see
also
Aziza (Adaljiza) Magno is a representative
of REDE, the East Timor Women's Network,
which has 15 member organisations. She has a degree in Economics from Yaysan
Universitas Sebelas Marek in Indonesia. She was active in the East Timor
students’ movement in Indonesia, being Secretary and later Treasurer for
IMPETU an East Timorese Students Association. She was also a Board member
of ELSHAN, a women student's group for peace. She has also been active
in Renatil and a Catholic Students’
group, PMKRI, of which she was Treasurer. Aziza was Secretary of the Committee
that organised the first Women's Congress of East Timor from 13-17 June
2000. This Congress developed a major platform for action to improve the
situation of women in East Timor. She also helped to establish REDE.
Aziza currently works as Coordinator for
Advocacy and Campaigning for SAHE Institute,
with a focus on women, labour and cultural issues. During the emergency
period she worked with another women's
NGO, Fokupers, and with a Human Rights
NGO, Yayasan Hak. She prepared radio programs for the UNTAET Radio
and for the student radio RTK. In Year 2000 she did a 6-week speaking tour
of the USA, talking about women's issues, labour issues, and the political
transition in East Timor. Aziza is from Baucau District, and speaks Bagia
(the local language), Tetum, Indonesian and English. She understands Portugese.
Sr. Dr. José Ramos-Horta
Updated Feb 1, 2002
* Dr Jose Ramos-Horta is an internationally-renowned spokesperson for the East Timorese cause. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for “sustained efforts to hinder the oppression of small people”.
* Dr Ramos-Horta has been a dynamic and determined advocate for a free and independent East Timor. From 1976 until 1989, he was the permanent representative of the Frente Revolucionaria de Timor Leste Independente (FRETILIN) at the United Nations. He currently holds the position of Senior Minister & Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in the United Nations appointed, all East Timorese, second transitional cabinet of East Timor.
* A witness to the National Pact of Unity, a peace accord signed by political parties for the August 30 elections, Dr Ramos-Horta remains independent of all political parties.
* To Contact Dr Jose Ramos-Horta:
C/- Ms Caroline O’Brien
Media Liaison Officer - Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Cooperation
Second Transitional Government East Timor
Telephone: +61 (0)417 804 298
Email: contact_carolineo@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.gov.tp
Mr Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão http://www.pcug.org.au/~wildwood/cnrt.htm#gusmaobio Added Oct 14