Yesterday, in Dili I was very proud and humbled to be awarded the Medal of Timor Leste by the President, Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos Horta, alongside my wife Galuh Wandita, with whom I co-founded AJAR. In official letters from the President the award is described as one of the highest honours in Timor Leste, given in recognition of “remarkable contribution” to Timor Leste’s struggle through conflict to independence and democracy. In the press release I expressed my gratitude:

“It has been one of the great joys and inspiration of my life to be able to spend those years working beside the courageous Timorese people, who refused to accept domination by force and violence, standing firm in their belief that freedom and democracy is their right. Timor offers many lessons to other contexts, such as Myanmar, where people today also stand before those dragons of military might. Timor gives us hope, a clear example that entrenched conflict can be overcome and a democracy based on truth, justice and human rights is possible.

https://asia-ajar.org/press-release/on-receiving-the-medal-of-the-order-of-timor-leste-with-gratitude-to-survivors-friends-and-the-people-of-timor-leste
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Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR)