Kamal Ahmed Bamadhaj

Friend of DTP

Student Activist

Australia, Timor-Leste

Kamal did what he did, not because of religious affiliations or regional politics or for any kind of fame…. It was something very simple, very basic: He loved people, and their suffering tormented him. He did what he could for a forgotten people.

Kamal Ahmed Bamadhaj was a 20-year-old honours student at the University of New South Wales, deeply committed to social justice when he went to East Timor in 1991 as a volunteer for Community Aid Abroad/Oxfam Australia with Bob Muntz. He was killed by the Indonesian military on November 12, 1991.

In an act of extraordinary courage, and believing his actions could help protect others Kamal stood in the front row of a funeral demonstration that mourned the death of a teenager killed by Indonesian police days before.

The peaceful demonstration was attacked by the Indonesian military as it reached Santa Cruz Cemetery. It is estimated that possibly as many as 271 people were killed by the military that day. Many others were injured. Others were “disappeared” never been seen again. The massacre was filmed and when the film was smuggled out and shown to international audiences it was a turning point in Timor Leste’s struggle for independence.

Kamal joined this demonstration to support the Timorese protesting at injustice and in the hope of being a protective presence as he had a New Zealand passport. Kamal was shot multiple times. While an International Red Cross ambulance tried to bring him to a hospital, multiple road blocks set up by the Indonesia military ultimately resulted in Kamal’s death from losing too much blood.

Kamal himself is quoted from his diary,

“Whether total genocide occurs in East Timor or not depends not only on the (remarkably powerful) will of the East Timorese people, but also on the will of humanity, of us all.”

His father also described Kamal in the way he should be remembered,

“Kamal did what he did, not because of religious affiliations or regional politics or for any kind of fame…. It was something very simple, very basic: He loved people, and their suffering tormented him. He did what he could for a forgotten people.”

If you wish to learn more, we recommend first looking into the CAVR report Chega!, as it is one of the most reliable sources surrounding Timor Leste and the Santa Cruz Massacre. Please also look into Punitive Damage, a documentary told through the perspective of Helen Todd, Kamal’s mother. Secondary links have been provided below to learn more about Kamal’s life and his resounding spirit we hope to channel through our work at Diplomacy Training Program.