Human Rights and East Timor: Remembering East Timor’s Former Political Prisoners

In a post-conflict society, with a still fragile justice system, establishing respect for human rights is crucial to nation-building in East Timor. An estimated 10,000 civilians, including women and children, were imprisoned, and often tortured, during the period 1975 to 1999. The Living Memory Project, founded by renowned Australian journalist Jill Jolliffe in collaboration with ASEPPOL (an association of former political prisoners), is creating a video archive to preserve their stories for a new generation of Timorese and for the human rights record.

This panel discussion tracks the progress of the Living Memory Project and explore questions of memory, truth and justice.

Chaired by Michael Williams, with Jill Jolliffe, filmmaker Robert Connelly (Balibo, The Boys, Romulus, My Father) and Timor-Leste Ambassador to Australia Abel Guterres.

This event was presented in partnership with the Victorian Women’s Trust and was supported by the Victorian Multicultural Commission and private donors.