Q : Kyoto Seika University was founded 30 years ago, and this series of interviews commemorates our 30 years anniversary. This series is called "Messages for Freedom" and the reason we planned it is that our goal is "freedom and autonomy." Throughout this 30 years we practiced this in many ways, and now realize we have to go to the next stage. Therefore we would like to ask some questions concerning liberty and freedom. First of all, what about your student life? What did you do as a student in your university?

J R-H : Well, in East Timor we did not have a university, so in East Timor I studied only high school, I didn't have a normal university life. I finished high school in Timor and then went to the United States in 1975, representing the Timorese movement. It was during that time, after 1975, that I slowly went back to school, continuing my work at the UN, and studied in the United States. I did a program at Antioch University, an independent study program called Peace Studies, so I cannot consider myself to be a typical student, because that was not possible at that time -- we didn't have a university. I was very active in the high school, active in politics, in sports, in discussions. I always wanted to be a journalist, from the very beginning, but by and large most Timorese students when they finish high school in Timor, whoever could get a scholarship, will go to study in Portugal, in the universities in Portugal.

Q : Do you have a general message and concrete advice for the younger generation -- the 21st Century generation I'd rather say -- of Japan and of the world?

J R-H : I'd say first study, and study, and study. Try to be not "good", not "better", but try to be "the best" in the field you choose. But without ever losing sight of humanity, of human values, of international solidarity, of ethics, of morality, human rights, because you can be the most successful student in the world, you can be the most successful businessman in the world, but if you don't care about other human beings, if you don't care about the poor, the victims of dictatorships, then I'd say your life is really empty, you are like really a machine that produces work, that produces profit. So I say study, and study, and study, but never lose sight of your condition as a human being. And a human being must care about others -- that is what makes our life worthwhile.

Q : What does freedom, and liberty, mean to you?

J R-H : For me, personally, it means being able to speak out my ideas without fear, to be able to write my ideas, my feelings, without fear, to be able to travel within the country or around the world without fear. This is what I call freedom. But for others in other situations it might mean different things. Maybe for someone in India "freedom" might mean freedom from hunger, freedom from poverty. Some people take priority -- priority is food. Then comes being able to write. In fact it is very difficult to talk, to tell someone in India or in Bangladesh, or in a poor country like Sudan, to talk to him or to her about freedom of the press, when first there is no press there anyway in his or her village there is not a newspaper, and talk to her about freedom of expression, and yet he or she is busy trying to find food to eat. So it is a bit difficult for us to generalize about the notions of freedom. For me, myself, individually, I would say that is freedom, because I am not worried about food, because I have money to eat. Ideally the situation would be that both go hand-in-hand. Freedom from all torture, freedom to express your views, freedom to write whatever you want -- but also you should have enough to eat, you should have enough to send your children to school. What I mean to say is that you have two rights, civil and political -- economic, social and cultural rights, both are together, both are inseparable. A human being should be entitled to these two categories of rights -- the right to eat, to go to school, the right to a house, but the right also to express his or her opinion or views politically without fear.

Q : I think you have experienced many dangerous situations. At the risk of your own life, you have continued to take an active part in the independence movement of East Timor, and many political events to free East Timor from Indonesia. What makes you do so, in spite of the danger of being killed?

J R-H : Well first I would say my own life is not so difficult or dangerous. People like my leader, who is in prison, Xanana Gusmao -- he is a man of courage. And many others, young people, old people, in East Timor -- they are more courageous than I am. At least I am abroad, I was never in the country so I was not subjected to the daily threats. You know I have more admiration for someone like Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. She is an extraordinarily courageous woman. Talking about courage, I prefer to talk about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and not about myself. I am free in the world right now, in Australia, and I could be tomorrow in New York, speaking out. I am free to talk, so I prefer to use these few minutes to join my voice with everybody else to call for the release, for freedom of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. If democracy is restored in Burma, if Daw Aung San Suu Kyi becomes leader of Burma, it would have enormous positive impact for the entire region. So I would say, let's all support that great woman, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Q : Concerning Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, do you have any message directly for her?

J R-H : I have the greatest admiration for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Everywhere, whenever I can, I speak out about Burma. I have spoken out about Burma everywhere in Europe, US, Latin America, even in Africa. I have the greatest sympathy, admiration, affection for the Burmese people, and for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. She is a very courageous woman, and I believe that one day she should be free, and one of the best leaders in this entire region. In a region where you have so many mediocre leaders, look at Hashimoto of Japan -- what an idiot! Look at Habibie in Indonesia -- what a clown! Look at Fidel Ramos in the Philippines -- mediocre. Look at Mahathir, in Malaysia -- a megalomaniac, he has a big ego. So in all of this region, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi can be, will be, really the best. The most charismatic, the most intelligent, honest, like Kim Dae Jung in South Korea. So for the benefit of this region, for the good name of Asia, yes I hope that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should be free, soon.

Q : You mentioned that due to the fact that you were out of the country, you were safer than the other people in East Timor. Have you ever experienced being physically scared?

J R-H : Well, I was threatened many times, persecuted, harassed, and they threatened to kill me, to poison me, many times. But I believe it was only psychological warfare, not a real intention.

Q : In Australia as well?

J R-H : In Australia, in the United States -- they follow me everywhere. Not so much now, because they are economically bankrupt, so they cannot send too many people to follow me, but sometimes they have ten, fifteen people following me in the United States, in Canada. Wasting the money of the Indonesian people just to follow me. Not so much now, now I don't see them.

Q : When you are walking in the city, can you walk alone?

J R-H : It all depends, you know. Mostly I'm alone, yes, I'm not afraid, I don't care.

Q : Thank you. Those were our main questions for today. If possible, could we ask for your comment on our 30 year's anniversary too, please?

J R-H : I wish to extend to you all, to the Kyoto Seika University, my warmest congratulations on your 30th anniversary. It is a university with a lot of prestige, credibility, and has done a lot of good work over the years. I hope that this extraordinary work that you are doing will continue in the years to come, and I wish you, to all the faculty members, and the students, my warmest congratulations and all the very best. Congratulations to you!

Q : Thank you very much! And lastly, I know that you are an extremely busy person, but if your goal is reached, I think you will have some more time, and if we invite you then to come to our university, could you accept our invitation?

J R-H : Sure, it would be a pleasure. Maybe next year?