Where is Nicolau Lobato?

.

Fidelis Magalhães - February 12, 2016 - Cambridge, Massachusetts

On his first state visit to Timor-Leste on January 26, 2016, President Joko Widodo of Indonesia received a rock star welcome. Children were out in the streets waving the two nations' flags; social media filled with traffics of positive comments about the visit. National newspapers ran laudatory and welcoming headlines. STL, a leading national newspaper reported, "Prezidenti RI too iha Dili, Povo Simu ho Antusiasmu" (President of the Republic of Indonesia arrived in Dili, and received by the people with enthusiasm).

In the same occasion Timor Leste's president Taur Matan Ruak bestowed the highest national honor, the Grande Colar do Ordem de Timor-Leste, to the visiting Indonesian president citing president Joko Widodo's role in strengthening friendship and mutual cooperation between the two countries. The award ceremony took place at the Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace.

The incredible speed with which the two countries managed to reconcile over their bitter history is an important lesson to the world. It was made possible thanks to the steadfast policy of reconciliation adopted by Timorese leadership with former president Xanana Gusmao and foreign minister Jose Ramos Ramos Horta as the main proponents. It also shows how a small country like Timor-Leste could craft its own foreign policy autonomous from the shadow of other foreign interests. By choosing to quickly improve relations they showed a steadfast refusal of becoming a pawn in the geopolitical chessboard.

While their policy has brought about positive gains in trade and other areas for Timor-Leste, the country might, however, have given in too much. Undirected pragmatism has made Timor-Leste weaker in negotiating with Indonesia to get the truth about what happened in the past. Most of the violations and killings that took place during the occupation are still shrouded in mystery. One such mystery was circumstances surrounding the death and the whereabouts of the remains of Timor-Leste's founding leader Nicolau Lobato. Mr. Lobato, after whom the airport, presidential complex and numerous government facilities are named, died in battle against the invading Indonesian military forces on December 31, 1978. His body believed to have been transported to Dili and subsequently to Jakarta for display. Until today Timor-Leste has failed to get Indonesia to agree to return Mr. Lobato's remains.

On February 12, 2016 the government announced that December 31, the day of Mr. Lobato's death, has been made a national holiday. The announcement came after its failure to achieve anything during Mr. Joko Widodo’s visit. In fact, official speeches were silent on the issue.

This is a failure of diplomacy. Timor-Leste has confused pandering with diplomacy.  It is agreed that improved relation with Indonesia is exemplary and essential for Timor Leste's long-term economic and political interests. But reconciliation with continual refusal to share information about what happened and the whereabouts of its founding leader is not a genuine reconciliation.

If president Joko Widodo is as transformative a leader as widely viewed, this is another chance for him to divorce from the past and take Indonesia to a transformative path. As president Taur Matan Ruak with a genuine intention bestowed the Grande Colar, now Mr. Joko Widodo can begin to earn it. Repatriating Mr. Lobato’s remains will only strengthen the existing friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

.