Kirsty Sword Gusmão
Encyclopedia
Kirsty Sword Gusmão is married to Xanana Gusmão
, Prime Minister
and former President
of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
or East Timor. She is the founding director of the Alola Foundation, which seeks to improve the lives of women in Timor-Leste, a nation with one of the world's lowest per capita GDP.
, Australia, to schoolteachers Brian and Rosalie Sword, and was raised there and in Bendigo. Sword Gusmão attended Eaglehawk Primary School, where her father was the principal and her mother a music teacher in the 1970s. She was taught her first Indonesian
words by her father when she was four years old. She was a promising ballet
dancer, but decided not to pursue it as a career. As a teen, Sword Gusmão travelled to Bali
and Jakarta
with her father and brother. After Golden Square Secondary College
, she attended Monash University
and University of Melbourne
in the 1980s where she completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), majoring in Indonesian and Italian
, and a Diploma of Education. In 1985, while studying Indonesian at Monash, Sword Gusmão met Timor-Leste students and took up their struggle for independence. Her father Brian died in 1998.
) until 1991, when she joined the Refugee Studies Program at Oxford University in England
as assistant to the development coordinator. Later that year, she travelled to East Timor as a researcher
and interpreter
for a Yorkshire Television
documentary film called In Cold Blood: The massacre of East Timor, about political and social developments in the territory.
From 1992 to 1996, Sword lived and worked in Jakarta
, Indonesia
, as an English
teacher, humanitarian aid
worker and human rights
campaigner. At the same time, she became a clandestine activist and spy
for the Timor-Leste (East Timorese) resistance
to Indonesian rule. Her resistance code name
was Ruby Blade, later changed to Mukya (tr. 'fragrant') by Xanana Gusmão.
Regarding the eventual media revelation that a member of a supposedly neutral organisation was spying against a host country, whether any lasting damage was done to the capacity of humanitarian aid and human rights organisations to work freely in Indonesia is difficult to assess, as none of the relevant agencies have been willing to make official statements, however there has been some open criticism of her conduct that pointed out the lives of aid workers in Indonesia may have been endangered by the spying activities. Sword has deflected these criticisms by stating she did not consider herself bound by the codes of conduct applicable to aid workers.
Xanana was released in 1999 and the couple married the following year in Dili
, where they live in the independent Timor-Leste with their three sons, Alexandre, Kay Olok, and Daniel. From 2001 onwards, Sword Gusmão is the founding director of the Alola Foundation, which seeks to improve the lives of women in East Timor, the nation with the world's lowest per capita GDP. From May 2002 to May 2007, Xanana was President of Timor-Leste, and Sword Gusmão was its First Lady
. On 1 November 2003, she published an autobiography
entitled A Woman of Independence.
During the 2006 East Timorese crisis, Sword Gusmão conducted media interviews and met Australian troops on behalf of her husband, who was immobile due to back pain.http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1648107.htm In May 2007, Xanana declined to run for another term as President, and was succeeded by his Prime Minister José Ramos-Horta, Xanana became Prime Minister on 8 August. In October, Sword Gusmão was appointed to the honarary position of Goodwill Ambassador for Education of Timor-Leste by Ramos-Horta.
On 11 February 2008, national television reported that the motorcade of Gusmão had come under gunfire one hour after President Ramos-Horta was shot in the stomach; according to the Associated Press, the two incidents raised the possibility of a coup attempt. During the assassination attempts
, Sword Gusmão was protecting her children from gunmen stalking their home. Also being sheltered was another woman and her four children, upon contacting Xanana by mobile phone Sword Gusmão heard he was under gunfire. The Gusmão family were reunited after negotiations between her guards and the gunmen allowed her through and, despite the risks of future attempts, Sword Gusmão decided to remain in Timor-Leste.
Xanana Gusmão
Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão GCL is a former militant who was the first President of East Timor, serving from May 2002 to May 2007...
, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of East Timor
The Prime Minister of Timor-Leste is the head of government in East Timor. The President is the head of state. The Prime Minister is chosen by the political party or alliance of political parties with a majority in the national legislature and is formally appointed by the president...
and former President
President of East Timor
The President of East Timor is the Head of state of the East Timorese republic, elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The role is largely symbolic, though he is able to veto some legislation. Following elections, the president appoints as the prime minister, the leader of the majority party...
of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
or East Timor. She is the founding director of the Alola Foundation, which seeks to improve the lives of women in Timor-Leste, a nation with one of the world's lowest per capita GDP.
Early years and education
Sword Gusmão was born in 1966 in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia, to schoolteachers Brian and Rosalie Sword, and was raised there and in Bendigo. Sword Gusmão attended Eaglehawk Primary School, where her father was the principal and her mother a music teacher in the 1970s. She was taught her first Indonesian
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
words by her father when she was four years old. She was a promising ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
dancer, but decided not to pursue it as a career. As a teen, Sword Gusmão travelled to Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
and Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
with her father and brother. After Golden Square Secondary College
Golden Square Secondary College
Golden Square High School in Australia was established in temporary accommodation at Camp Hill Primary School in 1960. It moved to its current site in 1962, providing for years 7-12. In 1978 it became a 7-10 school and was one of the original feeder schools to Bendigo Senior High School...
, she attended Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
and University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
in the 1980s where she completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), majoring in Indonesian and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, and a Diploma of Education. In 1985, while studying Indonesian at Monash, Sword Gusmão met Timor-Leste students and took up their struggle for independence. Her father Brian died in 1998.
Career
Sword worked as an administrative secretary with the Overseas Service Bureau (now Australian Volunteers InternationalAustralian Volunteers International
Australian Volunteers International or AVI recruits skilled professionals from Australia to work with partner organisations in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and the Middle East...
) until 1991, when she joined the Refugee Studies Program at Oxford University in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as assistant to the development coordinator. Later that year, she travelled to East Timor as a researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
and interpreter
Interpreting
Language interpretation is the facilitating of oral or sign-language communication, either simultaneously or consecutively, between users of different languages...
for a Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
documentary film called In Cold Blood: The massacre of East Timor, about political and social developments in the territory.
From 1992 to 1996, Sword lived and worked in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, as an English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
teacher, humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
worker and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
campaigner. At the same time, she became a clandestine activist and spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
for the Timor-Leste (East Timorese) resistance
Resistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
to Indonesian rule. Her resistance code name
Code name
A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage...
was Ruby Blade, later changed to Mukya (tr. 'fragrant') by Xanana Gusmão.
Regarding the eventual media revelation that a member of a supposedly neutral organisation was spying against a host country, whether any lasting damage was done to the capacity of humanitarian aid and human rights organisations to work freely in Indonesia is difficult to assess, as none of the relevant agencies have been willing to make official statements, however there has been some open criticism of her conduct that pointed out the lives of aid workers in Indonesia may have been endangered by the spying activities. Sword has deflected these criticisms by stating she did not consider herself bound by the codes of conduct applicable to aid workers.
From resistance activist to First Lady
Sword finally met Xanana Gusmão face to face in December 1994 while he was serving a 20-year sentence in Jakarta's Cipinang prison for leading the East Timorese resistance group FRETILIN. Their first contact came when she taught him English by correspondence since 1992, ultimately she bluffed her way into the prison at Christmas 1994 on the pretence of visiting an uncle.Xanana was released in 1999 and the couple married the following year in Dili
Dili
Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....
, where they live in the independent Timor-Leste with their three sons, Alexandre, Kay Olok, and Daniel. From 2001 onwards, Sword Gusmão is the founding director of the Alola Foundation, which seeks to improve the lives of women in East Timor, the nation with the world's lowest per capita GDP. From May 2002 to May 2007, Xanana was President of Timor-Leste, and Sword Gusmão was its First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
. On 1 November 2003, she published an autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
entitled A Woman of Independence.
During the 2006 East Timorese crisis, Sword Gusmão conducted media interviews and met Australian troops on behalf of her husband, who was immobile due to back pain.http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1648107.htm In May 2007, Xanana declined to run for another term as President, and was succeeded by his Prime Minister José Ramos-Horta, Xanana became Prime Minister on 8 August. In October, Sword Gusmão was appointed to the honarary position of Goodwill Ambassador for Education of Timor-Leste by Ramos-Horta.
On 11 February 2008, national television reported that the motorcade of Gusmão had come under gunfire one hour after President Ramos-Horta was shot in the stomach; according to the Associated Press, the two incidents raised the possibility of a coup attempt. During the assassination attempts
2008 East Timorese assassination attempts
Rebel East Timorese soldiers invaded the homes of the President and Prime Minister of East Timor on February 11, 2008, leading to the shooting and serious wounding of President José Ramos-Horta, the shooting up of the car of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, and the fatal shooting of rebel leader...
, Sword Gusmão was protecting her children from gunmen stalking their home. Also being sheltered was another woman and her four children, upon contacting Xanana by mobile phone Sword Gusmão heard he was under gunfire. The Gusmão family were reunited after negotiations between her guards and the gunmen allowed her through and, despite the risks of future attempts, Sword Gusmão decided to remain in Timor-Leste.