José Ramos-Horta spent greater than thirty years of his life in exile, lobbying the international community for the popularity of East Timor. Today, as president of the nation he helped found, he speaks of the lesson learned from that have: lasting peace is achieved not by victory, but by the choice not to hunt revenge.
Speaking before diplomats, government officials and academics on the ERIA School of Government Leadership Lecture Series (June 2), Ramos-Horta offered a perspective rarely heard in regional policy forums: the experience of constructing trust with former adversaries, not only theorizing about it.
Reconciliation will not be an instantaneous process
Ramos-Horta emphasized that lasting peace can only be achieved when the nation is willing to come back to terms with its past. After independence, East Timor consciously selected national reconciliation somewhat than a cycle of retaliation and resentment.
He especially thanked several Indonesian leaders who helped facilitate a peaceful transition, including BJ Habibi, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri.
“No Timorese has felt discrimination,” he said.
Ramos-Horta recalled that Timorese residents living in Indonesia, each during and after the transition period, were welcomed and given the chance to review, work and construct their lives.
According to him, the experience also laid the inspiration for the strong bilateral relationship that also exists between Timor-Leste and Indonesia.
He described relations between the 2 countries as probably the most vital stories of reconciliation in Southeast Asia, showing that friendship can emerge even from essentially the most difficult chapters of shared history.
Timor-Leste’s path to the ASEAN presidency in 2029
In addition to reflecting on history, Ramos-Horta also outlined East Timor’s future role within the region. The country is preparing to take over the rotating presidency of ASEAN in 2029, and preparations are already underway this yr.
“We are working closely with the current chairman, as well as the 2027 and 2028 chairmen, to realign policies and priorities so that continuity can be maintained,” he said.
He stressed that the ASEAN chairman mustn’t unilaterally introduce entirely recent programs or overturn decisions already agreed upon by regional leaders. Instead, continuity and collective responsibility should remain at the guts of ASEAN’s decision-making.
Timor-Leste also established the ASEAN Chairmanship National Organizing Council (ACNOC), which held its inaugural meeting in February 2026. At the identical time, the country continues to speed up infrastructure development in preparation for hosting future ASEAN Summits.
As Timor-Leste moves closer to full ASEAN membership, Ramos-Horta argued that the country’s contribution goes beyond administrative readiness. He believes that Timor-Leste has substantive experience to supply the region, especially within the areas of reconciliation, peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
One of the priorities it hopes to realize is conflict prevention at each regional and national levels. According to Ramos-Horta, ethnic diversity, religious pluralism and economic inequality in Southeast Asia can turn out to be sources of instability if not managed proactively.
“ASEAN has shown that countries with different histories, cultures and political systems can work together to pursue common goals,” he said.
Importance outside East Timor
Nobuhiro Aizawa, dean and managing director of the ERIA School of Government, described the East Timor experience as a tangible example of how leadership can transform conflict into cooperation.
Meanwhile, Tetsuya Watanabe emphasized that these sorts of lessons can’t be learned solely through books or classroom lessons.
Looking ahead to full ASEAN membership, Ramos-Horta expressed confidence that Timor-Leste has useful insights that may contribute to the region’s development.
“Timor-Leste hopes to bring its own experience in reconciliation and nation-building, deepening our commitment to the region,” he said.
