Medal Ceremony

I specifically greet you: Your Excellency Dr José Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste and your fellow Ministers; Brigadier-General Lare, Deputy Commander of the Defence Force of Timor-Leste; Your Excellency Ameerah Haq, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations; Your Excellency Tim McIvor,  New Zealand’s Ambassador to Timor-Leste; Your  Excellency, Peter Heyward, Ambassador of Australia to Timor-Leste and other members of the Diplomatic Corps; Colonel Simon Stuart, Commander of the International Stabilisation Force; distinguished guests otherwise; ladies and gentlemen.

I begin with a New Zealand greeting, "Kia Ora" and in the context of this ceremony add the following greeting: Boa tarde, hau sente laran haksolok tebes bele mai iha ne’e (“Good morning I am very pleased to be here”).

It is an honour and a pleasure, Mr President, to be able to join you here today in presenting the Timor-Leste Solidarity Medal to the outgoing New Zealand International Stabilisation Force Contingent, Taskforce Kaihanga personnel and the Defence Attache. It is an excellent opportunity to thank you for your continued support for New Zealand’s contribution to the ISF.

The Contingent, known as Gyro 8, has been in Timor since November. Its duties have included not only patrolling Dili, but also assistance with capacity building for the Timor-Leste Armed Forces and community engagement.  Task Group Kaihanga and the Defence Attache have also been here in a slightly different bilateral role, but again with the aim of assisting Timor-Leste.

I have been made aware of the fine work the military has done at the Santa Bachita Orphanage in Becora, the Mana Lourdes Community Centre in Dare  and the Farol School Rehabilitation Project.

This deployment of yours is significant because it is the last that New Zealand is scheduling to serve here at full company strength. The increasingly peaceful environment here means that your successors will be a much smaller expanded platoon.

Gyro 8 member can take considerable credit for helping to maintain the calm and stability that has helped bring about this reduction in numbers, and indeed a gradual reshaping of the whole international security presence in Timor-Leste.

The International Stabilisation Force—along with United Nations—has played a major role in creating the time and benign environment that will allow the Government and people of Timor-Leste to build their country and focus on their longer-term development needs and challenges. 

You can be very proud of your contribution to this country.

You can be proud also of having operated effectively alongside your Australian ISF colleagues. The International Stabilisation Force is a demonstration of what the overworked term ‘ANZAC’ really means: Australians and New Zealanders standing side-by-side in an overseas deployment.

With this in mind I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have commanded the ISF during the time of Gyro 8: Commodore Stuart Mayer and Colonel Simon Stuart. Both men have recognised and welcomed the New Zealand contribution to the ISF.

To the contingent members, I would like to put it on the record that it is not just what you have done here, but how you have done it that is important.

You have demonstrated an empathy and respect for the people of this beautiful country, an understanding of their past, a sensitivity to your presence on their land, and a commitment to working in partnership with Timorese to achieve a brighter future for their country.

On behalf of all New Zealanders, I thank you for your skill and professionalism, and for the extra yards that I know you have gone as representatives of your country.

New Zealand remains committed to continuing to contributing to the peace and security of Timor-Leste. The nature of our contribution is likely to continue to evolve as peace is sustained. That is as it should be.

I would also like to put on record my thanks for the fine leadership of this New Zealand contingent—Senior National Officer and Deputy ISF Commander Colonel Garry Brosnan, and Gyro 8 Commanding Officer Wing Commander Allison Wells.

I know that you have both worked well not only with the Government of Australia and the Timorese authorities, but also with the other New Zealand agencies represented in Timor-Leste: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Police, and with our defence advisers to the Timorese military.

To Gyro 8: the Timor-Leste Solidarity Medal that you are about to receive is a Timorese medal, recognising your service in their country, and their appreciation of your role in helping ensure security in Timor-Leste, and confidence in its future. 

To Kaihanga personnel and the Defence Attache: The New Zealand General Service Medal Timor-Leste also formally recognises your service to btoh Timor-Leste and the New Zealand Defence Force.

Wear them with pride.

And on that note, I seek to close in New Zealand's first language Māori, offering greetings and wishing everyone good health and fortitude in your endeavours.  No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.