Megawati receives Timor-Leste's highest honour
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s fifth President and General Chairwoman of PDI Perjuangan, Megawati Soekarnoputri, was officially awarded Timor-Leste’s highest honour, the Grande Colar da Ordem de Timor-Leste, in a ceremony held at the Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace in Dili on Thursday.
The series of events began in the morning in the grounds of the Presidential Palace. Upon her arrival, Megawati was welcomed with a lively display of local traditional arts and dance.
Megawati’s arrival was then warmly greeted by two key figures of Timor-Leste, President José Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão.
The Chief of Staff of the Timor-Leste Presidency, Henriqueta Maria da Silva, read out that the award, conferred under Law No. 2/2009, was given in recognition of Megawati’s significant contribution to strengthening friendship, dialogue, and the normalisation of bilateral relations following Timor-Leste’s independence.
In his tribute speech, President José Ramos-Horta specifically praised Megawati’s crucial role during Indonesia’s difficult democratic transition period (Reformasi). Ramos-Horta underlined Megawati’s courageous decision in the 1999 general election, when she chose to peacefully accept the constitutional result in order to safeguard the stability of state institutions.
“Mrs Megawati calmly accepted that constitutional decision and took office as Vice President. She placed the interests of democracy above her own legitimate personal aspirations. That choice represents one of the highest proofs of a true stateswoman’s attitude,” said Ramos-Horta in a written statement received by Antara in Jakarta on Thursday.
Ramos-Horta also expressed appreciation for Megawati’s magnanimity while serving as President of Indonesia from 2001, when she fully accepted the new historical reality, supported the United Nations transition (UNTAET), and built strong bridges of diplomacy.
Midway through his speech, Ramos-Horta lightened the mood with a joke about PM Xanana Gusmão, whom he said graduated summa cum laude from ‘Cipinang University’. According to him, Megawati and Xanana are two figures who strengthened the relationship between both nations.
After the Grand Collar medal was pinned by President Ramos-Horta, Mrs Megawati delivered her acceptance speech, which opened with a warm greeting: “Bondia, Timor-Leste!”
Megawati affirmed that the award was not an end in itself, but rather a mandate and a promise for the future that Indonesia and Timor-Leste must continue to work towards.
“This Grand Collar award is not merely a medal. It is a chain of interlocking links. Each link supports the next. For me, that is where its meaning lies: the friendship between Indonesia and Timor-Leste is a chain that must keep growing—from one generation to the next, without ever breaking,” Megawati asserted.
She also left a profound message for the younger generations of both countries to nurture this relationship as equals.
In her speech, Megawati also called on Kupa Lopez, a young man from Timor-Leste who once sought her permission to enter politics and who has now become a successful diplomat (formerly Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to Cambodia).
Megawati also compared the sacrifices of Xanana Gusmão’s youth—called ‘Maun Xanana’—with those of her own father, Bung Karno, who spent a total of 22 years of his life in and out of prison and exile for the sake of independence.
Megawati’s characteristic humour emerged in the latter half of her speech as she recounted her first memory of visiting Dili. With a smile, she admitted she would never forget how intensely fiery the Timor-Leste bird’s eye chilli was.
Megawati told of her experience tasting a small dab of sauce at breakfast with fried rice at a small hotel in Dili, which turned out to taste ‘more explosive than a bomb’.
“Earlier I whispered to Mr Ramos-Horta and Maun Xanana that I have now ordered my staff to go to the Dili market to buy souvenirs, specifically to bring home that Timor-Leste chilli,” Megawati said, drawing laughter from the audience.
The ceremony concluded with a group photo session in five sittings, involving extended family, parliamentary leaders, Timor-Leste’s military and police officials, and the secretaries general of local political parties (CNRT, Fretilin, PD, PLP, KHUNTO).