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Hotung Institute for International Relations

Timor-Leste | North Korea | China | USA

Timor-Leste - Activity Report for Year 1999 to 2004

H.E. Ambassador Eric Hotung Philanthropist

August 2002 to present time, the appointment of H.E Ambassador Eric Hotung as Ambassador at Large for Timor-Leste for Economic Affairs, International Trade and Investment, in accordance with H.E. mandate the following professional feasibility studies were complied (some presently in progress) and presented to the Government for approval, hence to seek international investment.

International consultants, architects, engineers, concept designers, financial advisors together with potential investors/ financiers are being hosted by Ambassador Hotung to visit Timor-Leste for the projects below.

Eco-Marine Park situated in the sub districts of of Laclo, availing the following investment development opportunities
- Eco-retreat village with 30 Timorese style villas and support buildings
- A four star beach front Luxury Eco-resort hotel
- Fifteen Luxury Portuguese/ Spanish style Villas set in an eco-park environment
Bamboo Project, incorporating reforestation, Bamboo wood industry, eatable bamboo shoot industry, and Bamboo pole export industry.
Marble/Alabaster, incorporating a high quality alabaster lighting industry for export, as well as specialised marble industry
Agriculture and Aquaculture, including crop farming, reforestation and ocean aquaculture, proposals to work with Hawaii development organisations etc.

Ambassador Hotung avails the use of his international architects and engineers to assist local NGOs with professional drawings / plans, presentations etc. that are used to assist them seek their donor funding for their projects and developments.

2004 Ambassador Hotung is hosting a number of international investors to visit Timor-Leste and meet with ministers and local stakeholders etc.

Ambassador Hotung has made available a website www.easttimorinvest.com for potential investors to persue these proposed developments.

7th February 2003, Ambassador Hotung was honoured to be able to assist with a generous donation and have his staff organise and oversee the complete rebuilding and refurbishment from 1st July 2002 of a destroyed building and grounds in the old market precinct in Dili, this project was completed to key turn stage and handed over to The First Lady for opening.the building and grounds are now the premises for the offices for The Alola Foundation (which revolve around the special needs of women survivors of gender-based violence) as well as being the headquarters and office for the First Lady.

Together with local NGO The Good Samaritian Foundation Ambassador Hotung continues to assist Alola foundation with various projects eg. Village water projects. Maintenance of building etc.

5th January 2003, Ambassador Hotung was able to sponsor a large irrigation project in Zumalai for local NGO, The Good Samaritan Foundation, this enabled the NGO to have a successful harvest this year.

22nd September to 4th October 2002, H.E. Ambassador Hotung was host to the official Timor-Leste delegation in New York and Washington that attended the occasion of Timor-Leste becoming a member of the UN General Assembly.

18th January 2002, Ambassador Hotung donated the funds needed to open a large student Hostel (Ashram) project in CaiColi, Dili.

H. E. arranged for his staff to manage the construction and fit out, working closely and supervised by Father Domingos Soares, Local NGO, The Good Samarition Foundation and his staff. (Ambassador Hotung also arrange support from local businesses, NGOs, the local community, as well as from U.S. Get and the crew of USS Blue ridge)
The Student Hostel can accommodate up to 100 students from remote areas of Timor-Leste giving a safe and clean shelter.
As well Ambassador Hotung financed the completion of the fully equipped bedrooms, shower and toilet blocks, study/lecture rooms, kitchen, dinning rooms, equipped TV and computer rooms, a library, and a Chapel room .
This project was opened by H. E. President Gusmau and The Bishop of Mozambique Don Francisco Sitota, 29th May 2002, during the independent ceremony week.
H.E. Ambassador Eric Hotung conducted a "first stone laying ceremony" with Father Domingos Soares and the Dili Commander for the US Marines during ant invitation visit to Timor-Leste.

Without H.E. Ambassador Eric Hotung's sponsorship, these students would not have been able to continue their studies that year. The hostel will help future generations of students from remote areas a chance to study in Dili City University.

Sponsoring and hosting conferences in Beijing, Washington, New York (APOCO), The Philippines, and globally helping to make people aware of the need to support the reconstruction of Timor-Leste and to help the people of Timor-Leste rebuild their lives.

H.E. Ambassador Eric Hotung purchased a special ship, M.V. Patricia Anne Hotung, in December 1999 to transport the refugees from Indonesia back to Dili /Com Timor-Leste; Over 12,000 East Timorese refugees have been returned home safely by sea from the refugee camps.

The ship carried, 400 tons of emergency aid and materials, during the 1st stage of International help after the crisis in the December 1999 from Darwin Australia to Dili.

The ship also stood by for emergency repatriation with PKF, for Occusie and Batugade.

As a gift to the people of Timor-Leste H.E. Ambassador Eric Hotung extensively refurbished and upgraded the Comoro International Airport, Dili.

The Donation of an air-conditioned prefabricated medical building at the Bario Pite Clinic is assisting Dr Dan Murphy and his team to treat over 400 underprivileged patients daily, areas of general consultancy, thousands of optical sight saving operations have been performed in the ERIC HOTUNG Clinic, as well as Dental and Tuberculosis, even operations for club foot have been performed at the clinic; a shipload of medical and other supplies was carried by H.E. Ambassador Eric Hotung's ship to Dili from Darwin.

H.E. Ambassador Eric Hotung has made available to the Bario Pite Clinic when needed a Toyota 4x4 truck, it can used as an emergency ambulance to service some remote areas of Timor-Leste. The truck also assist with the maintenance of the clinic.

Donated for the veterans and men of Falintil (The National resistance force) 1,510 beds and 1,510 blankets, and 5,000 radios.

45,000 families in the mountain and remote areas of Timor-Leste received as a gift radios and battery packs to enable them to receive news from the government, the city and the outside world. These radios were distributed by the Bishop of Baucau Monsignor Nascimento.

Sponsoring orphanages in Timor-Leste, donations to Convent Sisters, assisting the Church centers, Church originations, and the outlying Diocese.

Supporting and sponsoring the remote Parish of Lete-foho; (42,000 people) Projects being as follows;

Main Benefactor for the Construction and realization of one of the largest provincial New Churches in Timor-Leste, this Church was recently opened by the Bishop of Dili, H.E. Ambassador Eric Hotung and Dr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, UN were the guests of Honor for this occasion, in attendance were 10,000 people.

A 28 Meter Statue of Christ on Top-of one of the highest Mountains in Timor-Leste; Supplying building Materials, thousands of bags of cement steel roofing iron, modern electrical tools, as well as professional training for their safety and use, a new serviced 22 KVA electrical generator. The transport of goods to Lete-foho, purchasing the fuel, Purchasing and availing the use of a 6-ton truck and two 3-ton truck for community projects.

Distribution of excess of one hundred truckloads of aid (clothing, food, tools, books, etc. to out lying areas of Timor-Leste working closely with Father Domingos Soares.

His Dili staff, have conducted feasibility studies for H.E. Ambassador Eric Hotung, to be considered for future investment and benefaction, in the areas of Tourism, (an 18 hole golf course and a 5 star Eco Resort of 40 Portuguese style villas in the remote and pristine area of Olopana at the foot of Mt, Ramelau, International Architects and consultants were employed and flown in to complete these feasibility studies, this will be a community aid project). Bamboo plantations, a furniture factory and coffee processing factories, as well as fishing projects and research.

The Hotung Institute for Timor-Leste assisted CNRT with all Logistics in the First National Congress, H.E. Ambassador Eric Hotung was a major sponsor for the official reception for the National Congress, as well as sponsorship he availed The Institute staff catering for 20,000 meals during the congress.

Arranged and sponsored attendance of a Chinese Delegation to The Dili National Congress in September, 2000, Delegation Headed by Mr. Qi Huai Yuan President of the Chinese Peoples Association for friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and including Mr. Wu Juan Office of Foreign Ministry.

February 2001 a meeting was held in Beijing under Institute and sponsorship through CPAFFC, Timorise representatives meet with the Chinese government, bridges were established during this meeting that resulted in 200 containers of agriculture and fisheries equipment etc. valued at US$50,000,000 to be donated to Timor-Leste.

Distribution of containers of aid from Australia (shipped in by The Australian Navy) through the church (Father Domingos Soares) to remote areas in Timor-Leste, as well as assisting the aged and disabled, supplying food, transport, fuel, etc.

H.E. Ambassador Eric Hotung availed the finance for the upgrade of 15 buildings for a project proposed by Father Domingos Soares for a large Child Development Center at Tibar Dili. (organised for a joint work program with the Visiting US Marine support team, 115 crew from the from US Ship USS Paul F. Foster they finished 7 of the buildings in 4 days of dedicated and appreciated hard work)

Arranged for a donation of 300 beds etc. from BHP Australia for Hostels orphanages, church building etc.

H.E. Ambassador Eric Hotung is a Benefactor for the " The East Timor Good Samaritan Foundation" President is Father Domingos Soares, The foundation main objectives is to support and help the people of Timor-Leste, especially, for the victims of the independence struggle, these people include the orphans, widows, youth and the sick and traumatized, as well as to research a sustainable projects.

A Benefactor and coordinator for the fit out of a building in Dili, which is the headquarters and office for "The East Timor Good Samaritan Foundation". This project is being instigated by Father Domingos Soares.

Supplying and sponsoring a fully equipped office and communication facilities operated by volunteer management and staff, for projects for Church groups, local NGOs as well as the distribution of aid etc.

Helping with the distribution, customs and port payments and clearance of aid for other NGOs and Church groups, through Father Domingos Soares).

The Hotung Institute has also supported the work of Fokupers, a women's and human rights organization in Dili, dealing with traumatized rape and violence victims.

Conducting a project to recover and recondition heavy machinery for local road construction in the mountain area of Lete-foho to allow transport of Coffee, as well as drainage, and to rebuild terraces for cultivation in the district, (the project will be assisted by PKF Australian Logistics Engineers and the US Support Group for Timor-Leste PKF/UNTAET, Civil Affairs, Liaison).

The Hotung Institute of international relation has arranged and supervised road construction projects, liaising with the transitional Government for construction contracts. The Hotung Institute for Timor-Leste avails finance and assistance to coordinate and make arrangements, which include visa, travel, completion of all university forms etc. for Timorese Students with scholarships to International Universities.

H.E. Ambassador Eric Hotung continues to assist the people of Timor-Leste, through The Hotung Institute for Timor-Leste. He continues to help the people of Timor-Leste by networking through his international contacts. He also continues to instigate and finance projects for the people of Timor-Leste.

Timor-Leste | North Korea | China | USA