TWO leading opponents of Indonesian military rule in East Timor were awarded the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize yesterday, thrusting the south east Asian territory's long struggle for self determination sharply into the international spotlight.
The Nobel Committee said Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo of Dili and Mr Jose RamosHorta, the self exiled spokesman for East Timor's pro independence movements, were honoured "for their work towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict on East Timor".
East Timor, a former Portuguese colony, was overrun by Indonesian troops in 1975 and annexed in the following year, after the democratic revolution in Portugal which led to that country's rapid withdrawal from its overseas possessions.
Since then, the committee said, "it has been estimated that one third of the population of East Timor lost their lives due to starvation, epidemics, war and terror".
It praised Bishop Belo and Mr Ramos Horta for their "sustained and self sacrificing contributions for a small but oppressed people".
The two will receive the award, and a shared cheque worth 7.4 million Swedish kronor ($1.12 million), at a ceremony in Oslo on December 10th, the 100th anniversary of the death of the Swedish inventor and creator of the prize, Alfred Nobel.
"We regret that such a reputable institution has decided to reward a person like Horta," a spokesman for the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, Mr Ghaffar Fadyl, said. He accused Mr Ramos Horta of manipulating the East Timorese for his own interests.
Mr Ramos Horta who is in Sydney, Australia, was swift to respond, saying he was "as guilty of inciting my people as the Dalai Lama is guilty of inciting the people of Tibet. I'm as guilty as Aung San Suu Kyi of inciting the Burmese people. I'm as guilty as Nelson Mandela of inciting the people of South Africa against apartheid."
Norway said yesterday it was prepared to host UN sponsored talks between the Indonesian government and Timorese pro independence forces. Previous attempts at negotiation have broken down, however.
Bishop Belo meanwhile hailed the award as belonging to "everyone who works for peace and human rights". The attendant publicity would lead to greater international attention and support for the Timorese cause, he said from his home in the East Timor capital, Dili.
He also emphasised that he preached non violent opposition to Indonesia. "This prize represents the very hard work we still have to do in the future," he said.
Mr Ramos Horta said he would have preferred Bishop Belo to share the prize with the former guerrilla and separatist leader, Mr Xanana Gusmao, who is serving a 20 year jail sentence in Indonesia.