More than three decades of José Ramos-Horta’s life were spent in exile, lobbying the international community to recognize Timor-Leste. Today, as the president of the nation he helped bring into existence, he speaks of a lesson drawn from that experience: lasting peace is not achieved through victory, but through the decision not to seek revenge.
Speaking before diplomats, government officials, and academics at the ERIA School of Government Leadership Lecture Series (June 2), Ramos-Horta offered a perspective rarely heard in regional policy forums: the experience of building trust with former adversaries, rather than merely theorizing about it.
Reconciliation Is Not an Instant Process
Ramos-Horta emphasized that durable peace can only be achieved when a nation is willing to come to terms with its past. Following independence, Timor-Leste consciously chose national reconciliation over a cycle of retaliation and resentment.
He specifically acknowledged several Indonesian leaders who helped facilitate a peaceful transition, including B. J. Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid, and Megawati Soekarnoputri.
“Not a single Timorese felt discrimination,” he said.
Ramos-Horta recalled that Timorese citizens living in Indonesia, both during and after the transition period, were welcomed and given opportunities to study, work, and build their lives.
According to him, that experience also laid the foundation for the strong bilateral relationship that continues to exist between Timor-Leste and Indonesia today.
He described the relationship between the two countries as one of Southeast Asia’s most significant stories of reconciliation, demonstrating that friendship can emerge even from the most difficult chapters of shared history.
Timor-Leste’s Road to the 2029 ASEAN Chairmanship
Beyond reflecting on history, Ramos-Horta also outlined Timor-Leste’s future role in the region. The country is preparing to assume the rotating ASEAN chairmanship in 2029, with preparations already underway this year.
“We are working closely with the current chair, as well as the chairs of 2027 and 2028, to align policies and priorities so that continuity can be maintained,” he said.
He stressed that an ASEAN chair should not unilaterally introduce entirely new agendas or overturn decisions that have already been agreed upon by regional leaders. Instead, continuity and collective ownership should remain at the core of ASEAN’s decision-making process.
Timor-Leste has also established the ASEAN Chairmanship National Organizing Council (ACNOC), which held its inaugural meeting in February 2026. At the same time, the country continues to accelerate 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 extends beyond administrative readiness. In his view, Timor-Leste has a substantive experience to offer the region, particularly in reconciliation, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution.
One priority he hopes to advance is conflict prevention at both the regional and domestic levels. According to Ramos-Horta, Southeast Asia’s ethnic diversity, religious pluralism, and economic inequalities can become sources of instability if not managed proactively.
“ASEAN has demonstrated that countries with different histories, cultures, and political systems can work together in pursuit of common goals,” he said.
Relevance Beyond Timor-Leste
Nobuhiro Aizawa, Dean and Managing Director of the ERIA School of Government, described Timor-Leste’s experience as a tangible example of how leadership can transform conflict into cooperation.
Meanwhile, Tetsuya Watanabe emphasized that lessons of this kind cannot be learned solely through books or classroom instruction.
Looking ahead to full ASEAN membership, Ramos-Horta expressed confidence that Timor-Leste has valuable insights to contribute to the region.
“Timor-Leste hopes to contribute its own experience in reconciliation and nation-building as we deepen our engagement with the region,” he said.
