Dili, 13 May 2026 – The Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice of Timor-Leste, Virgílio da Silva Guterres, participated as the keynote speaker in the Opening Conference of the seminar “From Planning to the Classroom: Practices in Portuguese Language Teaching,” held on May 11 and 12 at the Faculty of Economics and Management of the National University of Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL). Speaking on the theme “Portuguese as a Language of Teaching and Science in the Lusophone Space,” Guterres offered a critical reflection on the challenges facing the reintroduction of Portuguese in the country, warning that, despite 24 years of restored independence, the language’s roots remain fragile across key sectors of national life. During his speech, he affirmed that “the Portuguese language is the soul of Timor-Leste alongside the Tetum language,” reinforcing the complementary and equally essential role of both languages in the nation’s identity.
Recalling the dark years of the Indonesian occupation, the Ombudsman noted that the teaching of Portuguese was not free and was limited to very few institutions, such as the Externato de São José in Balide, which was eventually closed after the Santa Cruz massacre, and the Seminary of Nossa Senhora do Rosário de Fátima, which continued to teach Portuguese even during that period. “After the departure of Indonesia, Portuguese was reintroduced to Timorese soil. The age of our restoration of independence will soon equal the age of the Indonesian occupation, but we can affirm that the root of Portuguese is still not deeply ‘cultivated’ in various sectors of our lives, including within our educational institutions,” he stated. The Ombudsman further emphasized that for a language to expand, availability is key – it must be present in news, multimedia, literature, and daily communication channels. He pointed out that language expansion also depends on necessity: how often speakers are required to use it in their daily lives. “A systematic approach is therefore very important in this case,” he stressed, calling for deliberate and structured policies to ensure Portuguese gains practical relevance alongside its symbolic value.
For Timor-Leste, the Ombudsman emphasized, the choice of Portuguese as a co-official language is an affirmation of national identity. As the only Portuguese-speaking country in Asia, Portuguese marks the nation’s difference from its neighbors. He recalled that the language was used as a language of resistance against foreign occupation and remains central to the country’s history and culture. Beyond its symbolic role, Portuguese is fundamental in basic and secondary education, the drafting of laws and official documents, and international cooperation within the CPLP and other organizations such as the UN, the African Union, and ASEAN. However, he noted that Tetum and other local languages remain dominant in daily life, and Portuguese must be taught as a second or non-native language, requiring methodologies that respect and use national languages as tools to support learning. He reiterated that without systematic investment in media, educational resources, and authentic contexts for use, the language will struggle to take root regardless of its official status.
The Ombudsman also addressed the broader challenges facing Portuguese as a language of science within the Lusophone space, noting the hegemony of English in high-impact publications, the fragmentation of scientific policies among CPLP countries, and the lack of unified terminology. He argued that adopting Portuguese as a language of science should not aim to compete with English but to guarantee the production of knowledge, safeguard diversity of thought, and affirm the value of the Lusophone scientific heritage. “The presence of Portuguese unites four continents – Europe, Africa, America, and Asia – but without strong efforts for deep collaboration, this multicultural presence may not generate the expected results for Portuguese in the scientific field,” he concluded. The seminar, organized by the Portuguese Language Centre of UNTL as part of World Portuguese Language Day celebrations, brought together teachers, researchers, and policymakers to discuss pedagogical practices and effective language policies in multilingual Timor-Leste, with a shared recognition that a systematic, well-resourced approach is essential for the language to truly flourish.
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