East Timor distinguishes 15 "leading figures" of the liberation

LUSA 13 May 2008 - The Government of East Timor has distinguished 15 "leading figures" of the struggle for national liberation in a ceremony presided over by the prime minister, Xanana Gusmao, in Dili.

The surprise announcement of the granting of pensions was made by the Prime Minister at the ceremony that marked the start of the process of payment of pensions by the state to fighters and martyrs of the struggle against the Indonesian occupation.

The government has set the value of the pension to fifteen of the most important of the Timorese resistance, or their heirs, at US$750 U.S. dollars with retroactive effect from 1 January 2008.

The list is headed by Francisco Xavier do Amaral, founder of the Timorese Social Democratic Association (ASDT) and Fretilin and head of state before the Indonesian invasion in December 1975. Francisco Xavier do Amaral will receive the pension as "Proclamator of the Republic and First President of the Republic".

The following names from the list read today by Xanana Gusmao are two of the fallen heroes of the Timorese struggle: Nicolau Lobato, the first prime minister and second president of the Republic, and Domingos Ribeiro, chief of General Staff of Falintil (Armed Forces for the Liberation of an Independent East Timor).

Other heroes in the distinguished list are David Alex ( "Dai Tula"), Vice-Commander of General Staff of Falintil, and Santana Days Antonino (Nino "Konis" Santana), secretary of the Border Region and head of the Council of the Executive Committee of the Struggle, Armed Front/Clandestine Front.

Four other figures who died were announced by the Prime Minister; namely, Doutel Sebastian Maria Sarmento ("Kakoak"), the first commander of the National Shock Brigade, Jose da Costa ("Mau Hudo"), political commissioner and vice secretary of the CDF, Anthony Duarte Carvarino ("Mau Lear"), Minister of Justice and the second prime minister, and Vicente dos Reis ("Sahe"), Minister of Labour and Social Welfare and national political commissioner.

The penions board also distinguishes Jose Antonio da Costa Gomes ("Ma'Huno"), Vice-Commander of Falintil General Staff, Antonio Maria de Vasconcelos, the original name of Taur Matan Ruak, vice commander-in-chief and then chief of the Falintil General Staff and current commander of the Timorese Armed Forces, Tito da Costa, or Lere Anan Timur, Vice-Commander of Falintil General Staff, and Francisco Guterres "Lu Olo", Secretary of the Board of Fretilin and secretary of the Front and Policy Affairs.

The process of payment of pensions began with the formal submission of the proclamation of the names of the potential beneficiaries to district administrators.

The number of pensions to be allocated is 12,538, of which 631 are living combatants and 11,907 fighters who fell during the resistance to Indonesian occupation (between 1975 and 1999).

The value of monthly pension varies between $US85 and $US550 U.S. dollars, depending on the time of militancy and position occupied in the struggle for national liberation.

Lusa

At 09:03 PM 5/13/2008, you wrote: > > A machine-based English translation of the LUSA article on the names of those honoured with pensions for their part in the liberation struggle is available at

<easttimorlegalinformation.org/Miscellaneous/pensions2_ex-combatants.html>  <easttimorlegalinformation.org> East Timor Legal Information Site

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