Government of Timor-Leste

Minister of State and of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and

Official Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste

  Díli, April 17, 2015

Timor-Leste’s Veterans to Visit Australia and participate in ANZAC ceremonies

Next week veterans of Timor-Leste’s independence struggle will visit Australia to build on relationships with Australia’s veteran community, discuss ideas on veteran services and participate in ANZAC ceremonies which this year commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the landing of the ANZAC forces at Gallipoli in World War I.

Several delegations will be based in major Australian cities and a travelling delegation will move across the country to attend major events.  This delegation, led by the Minister for Planning and Strategic Investment H.E. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão includes the Minister of Social Solidarity H.E. Isabel Amaral Guterres, the Chief of Timor-Leste’s Defence Forces Major General Lere Annan Timur and Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to Australia Mr. Abel Guterres. Also taking part in this delegation are senior veterans of the Timorese struggle including Mr. Antonio Gomes da Costa [Ma’Huno] and Gil da Costa Monteiro [Oan Soro] who along with Minister Gusmão and Major General Lere are four veterans who participated for all 24 years of Timor-Leste’s struggle for the restoration of independence.

The visit to Australia is coordinated by veteran Ms. Ines de Almeida, who in Australia will be Spokesperson for the Veterans and early this year was appointed as Veterans Liaison to the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, H.E. Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo.

All visiting veterans will be studying aspects of Australia’s “Returned Services League” [RSL] to assist the development of Timor-Leste’s own “National Council of Combatants of National Liberation” and will proudly represent Timor-Leste’s veteran community in a wide range of ANZAC ceremonies, particularly those on ANZAC day, the 25^th of April. For several years now the RSL has partnered with Timor-Leste to advise and assist in the development of Timor-Leste’s own Veterans organization.

During the visit a number of war widows in the Timor-Leste delegation will continue their interactions with the War Widows Guild of Australia.

Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste, Minister of State Agio Pereira noted “The resolution of the State Council of the RSL of New South Wales to invite Timor-Leste veterans last October to ‘participate as fellow veterans and allies in the 2015 ANZAC Day March and other commemoration services in Sydney’ is a significant gesture. It is an invitation that is appreciated and clearly comes out of a growing relationship between Australia and Timor-Leste’s veteran communities which goes back as far as World War II and is characterized by friendship, good faith and mutual respect. The Government commends the Timorese veterans in their efforts to best serve their fellow veterans and to represent Timor-Leste with dignity as a part of these important commemorations in Australia.”