It is with deep sadness that the Ibero-American Association of Southeast Asian Studies (AIA-SEAS) informs its members of the news of the passing of Professor António Barbedo de Magalhães, an honorary member of our association, Professor Emeritus of the University of Porto and a key figure in the international solidarity movement with Timor-Leste’s cause for independence during the Indonesian occupation.
Born in the Azores in 1943, he held a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto and received his doctorate in Metallurgy from the University of Grand in Belgium in 1973. He was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus of the University of Porto in 2014, in recognition for his contributions as a teacher and for his development of a multidisciplinary team teaching methodology implemented across the University of Porto.
His strong connection with Timor-Leste began in 1974 through his military service, coordinating works for the Restructuring of Education in Timor. This connection continued during the Indonesian occupation with the founding of the Peace and Justice Association for Timor-Leste in 1983 and membership of the Commission for the Rights of the Maubere People. From 1989 to 1998 he was part of the Organizing Committee of the Timor Days at the University of Porto, mobilizing academic and political circles (national and international) for solidarity with Timor-Leste. He worked to keep the cause of Timor-Leste on the UN agenda, establishing contacts with various parties including the European Parliament, and these efforts culminated in the creation of the first Eventual Commission of the National Parliament to Monitor the Situation in Timor-Leste, and the presentation of Resolution 37/30 at the UN General Assembly approved on November 3, 1982, paving the way for the agreement that allowed the Referendum of August 30, 1999. His connection with Timor-Leste continued after the referendum with the co-organization of several meetings that brought together the Timor-Leste Resistance leaders and influential Indonesian personalities. In recognition of his work for Timor-Leste’s cause, he was awarded the Ordem do Infante D. Henrique on June 10, 2000, and the Ordem de Timor on May 20, 2012.
His Timor-Leste collection, collected between 1974 and 2007, can be found at the University of Porto (https://www.up.pt/arquivo/details?id=242600).
AIA-SEAS sends its heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and the academic community, recognising the example of his dedication to defending the rights of the Timorese people and of all oppressed peoples.
Photo credits: © Notícias da Universidade do Porto