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Human Rights Award made to Colin Iles

May 19th, 2010
by Joanna Santa Barbara

Colin Iles, who lives at Riverside, in Lower Moutere, has worked for human rights and political independence of East Timor for decades. He protested the oppressive Indonesian occupation and then the atrocities of the invasion in 1999.

He supported East Timorese refugees arriving in New Zealand, and was a spokeperson to the NZ government on behalf of the East Timorese cause, protesting NZ's support of Indonesia in this very asymmetrical struggle.

This long dedication to the rights of a small and powerless population is being rewarded in the next few days by representatives of the East Timorese. Their government has flown Colin to Dili, the capital of East Timor, to award him a medal to signify their gratitude for his years of standing by them.

We will follow this story up when Colin returns home.

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