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'Goodbye Tom. We will remember you forever' - tributes pour in following death of peace campaigner Tom Hyland (72)

Source
The Independent - December 26, 2024

Sarah MacDonald – Tributes are pouring in for Irishman Tom Hyland, who played a pivotal role in highlighting the genocide in East Timor, following his death on Christmas Eve in the Timorese capital of Dili.

The 72-year-old former Dublin bus driver from Ballyfermot was described by President Michael D. Higgins as "exceptional".

In a statement, Mr Higgins recalled how Tom Hyland had contacted him seeking his support for the work of the East Timor Ireland Solidarity Campaign, which Hyland set up in 1992, and they had remained in touch on the issue over the years.

"As the driving force behind the East Timor Ireland Solidarity Campaign (ETISC), Tom Hyland made a deeply significant contribution to the independence struggle and establishment of Timor-Leste," Mr Higgins said.

Tom Hyland became involved in campaigning to highlight the atrocities being carried out by Indonesia in East Timor after seeing Max Stahl's UTV television documentary, 'Cold Blood: The Massacre of East Timor in 1992'. It showed secretly-filmed footage of a massacre of over 250 young Timorese in the Santa Cruz graveyard in Dili by Indonesian troops.

As many as 200,000 Timorese were killed by Indonesian forces or died as a result of famine or deprivation following Indonesia's invasion of the former Portuguese colony in 1975.

Mr Hyland worked tirelessly to spotlight the plight of the tiny Southeast Asian half-island nation in Ireland and internationally.

He hosted many Timorese campaigners in Dublin, including Jose Ramos Horta, who in 1996 won the Nobel Peace Prize and later became prime minister and president of independent Timor-Leste.

In a post on Facebook, Mr Ramos Horta stated: "Goodbye Tom. We will remember you forever. You have joined Max [Stahl] who left us too soon. Both live in our memory, in our story telling."

In 2015, Tom Hyland was presented with the Order of Timor-Leste Presidential Medal by President Taur Matan Ruak in recognition of his and the East Timor Ireland Solidarity Campaign's role in lobbying key decision makers on the need to deploy UN peacekeeping troops in East Timor in 1999.

The UN troops were needed to quell the violence that erupted after the people of East Timor voted overwhelmingly in an August 30, 1999 UN-backed referendum for independence, an outcome which the Indonesian military were unhappy with.

The outcome led to pro-Indonesian paramilitaries attacking East Timorese pro-independence groups.

The deployment of UN peacekeepers, including a contingent from the Irish Army's Ranger wing, was seen as significant in establishing peace and security and allowing East Timor to make the transition from Indonesian occupation to independence, which was officially restored in May 2002.

Tom Hyland moved to East Timor shortly after independence.

He returned to Ireland in 2019 to receive treatment for cancer. While he recovered sufficiently to return to Dili six years ago, he continued to battle ill health.

In his tribute, President Higgins said, "I know that his work and legacy will remain deeply appreciated there [Timor Leste], where he has been given a grave among the 'heroes of the Revolution' in Timor."

Source: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/goodbye-tom-we-will-remember-you-forever-tributes-pour-in-following-death-of-peace-campaigner-tom-hyland-72/a800257158.htm

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