The three-day student protest from 15 to 17 September 2025, organised by the Timor-Leste University Students (EUTL), ended with a general clean-up, with the students removing all rubbish in the protest area in front of the Central Campus of the National University of Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL) in the capital Dili.
President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, in a public statement, said that the EUTL demonstrators had given the world a great lesson. He highlighted that this action sent a message that young people are not destructive but constructive and would continue their democratic struggle with social responsibility.
“I saw the demonstrators clean up the ground and rubbish after finishing their protest. This is unique in the world and should be documented. In many countries, protests end in destruction, but in Timor-Leste, the students demonstrated a culture of peace and responsibility,” Horta said in a declaration at the Auditorium of the Resistance Archive and Museum (AMRT) in Dili.
The President also affirmed that the protest was not only against the Lifetime Pension Law, which was considered unjust, but also served as an educational platform to raise community awareness about environmental responsibility. The President noted that at a time when many public events leave the city littered with rubbish, the EUTL students showed their difference by ending with a general clean-up.
President Horta further clarified that the most recent student protest posed no obstacle to Timor-Leste’s bid to join ASEAN, as democratic protests like this also occur in many countries worldwide. The difference, he said, was that Timorese students demonstrated a democratic culture with patience and responsibility, projecting a positive image of the nation on the international stage.
Meanwhile, UNITAL University student and protester, José Lino, said that despite facing tear gas and pressure from the security forces, the protesters remained consistent in their commitment to a peaceful demonstration.
“The protest ended with a general clean-up to show that our struggle is not about destruction, but about construction and solidarity. Joining the clean-up teams is a good example that young people must continue,” he underlined.
He added that students can demonstrate that in a democracy, a just political struggle must not only take place in the streets but also showcase leadership qualities.“We are the ones who made the mess. We are the ones who must clean it up. We cannot just leave it to others. Young people must set a good example for society,” he said.
