The government, through the Ministry of National Liberation Fighters’ Affairs, has launched a program to validate the records of the external/diplomatic front during the national liberation struggle. This initiative aims to recognize, document and honor the great contribution of the diplomatic front in the resistance against Indonesian occupation, preserving historical memory and highlighting the efforts of the Timorese who acted in international settings for independence.

 Throughout the resistance period, the diplomatic front played an important role in the corridors of the United Nations and in various capitals around the world, ensuring that Timor-Leste’s struggle for independence remained visible and received international support. Despite being less numerous than the armed or clandestine fronts, the external/diplomatic front was decisive in keeping the Timorese cause on the radar of the international community, promoting political and diplomatic pressure that helped pave the way for the country’s liberation.

The ceremony was attended by several personalities, including the Minister of National Liberation Combatants’ Affairs, Gil da Costa Monteiro “Oan Soru”, the Secretary of State for Veterans, César dos Santos da Silva, the former Prime Ministers, Mari Bim Amude Alkatiri and Estanislau A. da Silva, Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to Australia, Inês Almeida, Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Abel Guterres, the Chairman of the Board of the Council of National Liberation Combatants, Vidal de Jesus “Riak Leman”, former Minister Roque Rodrigues, and Ambassador Pascoela Barreto.