Dili, 10 March 2026 – The Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice, Virgílio da Silva Guterres “Lamukan,” received a courtesy visit today from Jerald Joseph, former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), at the PDHJ office in Dili. The meeting served as a valuable platform for exchanging ideas and experiences on pressing human rights issues in both Timor-Leste and Malaysia, as well as broader challenges and opportunities within the ASEAN region.
Jerald Joseph is a seasoned human rights defender with over 20 years of experience specializing in Indigenous Peoples’ rights, racial discrimination, and economic, social and cultural rights. He pioneered non-discrimination programmes that led to UN Special Rapporteur visits to Malaysia, coordinated Malaysian NGO reporting for the UPR and served as Chair of the ASEAN People’s Forum Regional Steering Committee in 2015. He holds a Masters in Human Rights from Mahidol University, Thailand.
Ombudsman Guterres welcomed the exchange of insights and reaffirmed PDHJ’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with regional human rights institutions and mechanisms to advance the protection and promotion of human rights in Timor-Leste and beyond.
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