José-Manuel Ramos-Horta. (DR)

Who is Ramos-Horta?

Since May 2007, José-Manuel Ramos-Horta has been the president of East Timor. The 60-year-old man received the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize with Bishop Ximenes Belo for their efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict in East Timor, based on people's right to self-determination. This son of a Timorese mother and a Portuguese father knows the price of the war. He has lost four brothers, killed by the Indonesian military. A graduate in public international law, peace studies and human rights, he was involved in political awareness-raising in the Portuguese Timor since the beginning of the 70s and was exiled because of it. Appointed Foreign Minister at the age of 25, he went to plead the Timor case before the United Nations when the Indonesian army invaded the Timorese territory. He is considered as a spokesman of East Timor’s cause. The former Foreign Minister, Minister of Defense and Prime Minister was elected President in May 2007. He survived an assassination attempt in February 2008. He recently declared that he would support the creation of an international criminal court (supported by the UN) to judge the crimes committed in East Timor between 1975 and 1999. Ramos-Horta, who supported the US invasion of Iraq, may be a candidate to the position of UN Secretary General in 2012.

Wednesday Apr. 21, 2 PM, lecture on 'Building a Culture of Peace and Development in a Globalized World' by Mr. Ramos-Horta at the University of Cambodia's Conference Center, 143 Norodom Blvd. Free of charge. Further information and seat reservation at 023 993 274 / info@uc.edu.kh