Lusa News Agency release.
Lisbon, October 11.
The portuguese parliament aproved today a unanimous its congratulations for the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to monsenhor Ximenes Belo and Ramos-Horta.
"Human Rights will defeat dictators and Indonesea's dictator or his sucessor will be no exception to this rule", said the Parliament's president Almeida Santos, considering this prize a "great step" for the timorese cause.
The secretary of state of parliamentary affairs António Costa stress that this was the first Peace Nobel Prize awarded to a portuguese speaking person.
Lusa News Agency release.
Lisbon, October 11.
Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio considered today the award of Nobel Peace Prize to be a "reward for a tireless strugle for Peace and the autoomy of the Territory".
Sydney, Australia, October 11.
José Ramos Horta, representative of the National Council of the Maubere Resistence (CNRM) told Lusa today that he was "deeply surprised" with the award. Speaking to Lusa in Sidney, Ramos Horta declared however, that the prize should have been awarded to Xanana Gusmão.
"This news shocked me enourmously and I would't believe when I heard it. I think it is more than deserved in what regards bisho Belo but I also think that it should have gone to Xanana Gusmão, an hero that deserves more than any one of us".
The news of the award was already recieved in Dili through the Portuguese Television International broadcast.
A resistence source in East-Timor, contacted by Lusa, said the news was a great surprise recieved with silent cries of joy.
Esta informação faz parte do serviço TimorNet: www.uc.pt/Timor/TimorNet.html