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Address to the Security Council meeting on Children
in Armed Conflict
by Jose from East Timor
New York, 5 May 2002 -
SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING ON CHILDREN
AND ARMED CONFLICT
Mr Chairman, delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
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My name is Jose. I was born and brought up in East
Timor. I am sure that many of you are quite familiar
with our recent history. I would like to use my short
time with you today to explain my own part in that history
and also some things that I hope we can learn from that.
I think and I think again and try to look for the answer
in my past experience of the war in my beloved country,
East Timor, during September 1999. I was at my school
at that time. The directors of my school, myself and
ten of my friends were taking care of many people who
came to shelter at my school, St. Joseph College High
School. There were about 4,000 refugees.
We saw that everyone around us was afraid. And we tried
to do the best for the refugees. Very strange, and it
seems terrible when we found there was no child playing,
no singing, there was only silence or guns. We began
to play the guitar and to sing together to help us forget.
Today in East Timor, I am a journalist at my school.
I have learned so many things from talking to children,
especially street children. There are still many children
with no opportunity to get education. Some of them spend
their time on the street to sell newspapers, CDs and
other things to get money. Some children just put out
their hands to ask for money. The money that they get
might be used to pay for their school or they give it
to their parents, but some of them are forced to give
the money to those people that threaten them on the
streets. The children do not know anything about war,
but they are the victims of the war and even though
it is over, some of these children still have to face
violence against themselves through the things that
they have never done. Most of the children around the
world were born to give their smile that will bring
happiness. But many of them were also born only to see
and to face the suffering given to them by those who
create war.
On this 20th of May 2002, East Timor will celebrate
independence; it will stand on its own for the first
time in over 500 years. A great day for East Timorese
to start a new life and to rebuild again our country
that had been burnt down. When East Timor joins the
UN this month, the Convention on the Rights of the Child
will be the first convention ratified by the new government.
I hope that children's rights will be given attention
by the government and by everyone who is responsible
for children.
For the future of Timor, we want a Timor that is clean,
beautiful and shiny, and where every person's dignity
and human rights are respected, not a Timor that is
dirty, rough and hypocritical. East Timorese children,
including the children living on the streets, have their
dreams to become a doctor, an engineer, a President.
But they do not have the opportunity to get an education
to reach for their dreams. What we need from you is
your help to keep our peace and unity so that all children
in East Timor can get an education and live in a peaceful
country. No more war.
I realise I am very lucky to have this chance today
to represent children, not only from East Timor but
also from Kosovo, Bosnia, Afghanistan or in other countries
in armed conflict. Because I am here for the Special
Session on Children, today is my chance to ask you,
very powerful people, on behalf of all children, not
just those of East Timor, to please ensure that our
rights are respected. I think we have the laws and conventions,
but we are not so good at doing what we say. I am sure
that only when children's rights are properly respected
and children can grow up in safety and peace will those
children be able to live in peace together when they
are adults - throughout the world. Please give us that
chance.
Thank you.
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