| 2025 Timor-Leste protests | |
|---|---|
| Date | 15–17 September 2025 |
| Location | |
| Caused by | Proposed US$4 million budget to buy 65 new cars for members of parliament |
| Goals | Cancellation of MPs' new car purchase |
| Resulted in |
|
| Casualties | |
| Injuries | 4 |
In September 2025, student-led protests were held in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, against the National Parliament's decision to purchase SUVs for legislators at a cost of US$4 million. Announced in late August, the move was criticized by opposition parties and civil society groups.
On 15 September 2025, more than 1,000 people, mostly university students from Dili, gathered in front of parliament to demonstrate. Police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, injuring four people, after some protestors threw stones towards the parliament building. Later that day, three parties within the ruling coalition—the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT), the Democratic Party (PD), and Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nasional Timor Oan (KHUNTO) parties—announced that they would ask parliament to cancel the purchase of cars for MPs.
More than 2,000 demonstrators returned to the streets the following day, with their demands expanding to call for the cancellation of the lifetime pensions provided to former lawmakers. Later that day, parliament voted unanimously to cancel the plan to purchase new cars. On September 17, a third day of demonstrations concluded with an agreement between protest leaders and parliament that the pensions for former MPs would be canceled and, in return, the demonstrations would conclude.
Timor-Leste, an independent state since 2002, is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, with an oil-dependent economy and high levels of inequality, malnutrition, and unemployment. [1] [2] [3] [4] More than 40% of the population lives in poverty. [1] [3] Ninety percent of Timor-Leste's national income comes from its Petroleum Fund, which was valued at US$18.27 billion in 2024 but is depleting rapidly. [3]
Members of the National Parliament of Timor-Leste have an annual salary of US$36,000 as of 2023, more than 10 times the average income, estimated in 2021 at $3,000. [4] Among the perks of office lawmakers receive are free cars to be used as official work vehicles. [4] Since the 2000s, there have been recurring demonstrations against MPs' free vehicles. [4] In 2008, police arrested several students who were protesting a planned $1 million purchase of new cars for lawmakers that year. [4]
In late August 2025, the National Parliament approved a $4 million purchase of 65 Toyota Prado SUVs, at a cost of $61,500 per vehicle, for each member of parliament. [1] [2] [3] President of Parliament Maria Fernanda Lay stated that the decision to purchase the cars had been made because "all the [MPs'] vehicles have already broken down." [3] The plan was criticized by opposition parties and civil society groups as extravagant during a time of economic uncertainty in Timor-Leste. [3] The leader of the opposition People's Liberation Party (PLP), Maria Angelina Lopes Sarmento, disputed Lay's claim that legislators' existing cars were all broken down, telling reporters that "some are still in working condition, and others need repairs. [3] Student groups also denounced the decision, including the National Resistance of East Timorese Students, which said members of parliament should be "ashamed of this move." [3]
On Monday, 15 September 2025, more than 1,000 people, mostly university students from Dili, Timor-Leste's capital, gathered in front of the National Parliament of Timor-Leste to rally against the legislature's plan to purchase 65 Toyota Prado SUVs for each member of parliament. [1] [2] The protest coincided with the opening ceremony of the third legislative session of the Sixth Legislature of the National Parliament. [2] The demonstrators were initially peaceful, but later began throwing stones and other objects at the parliament building, damaging several cars. [1] [2] Police responded by dispersing the demonstration with tear gas and rubber bullets, injuring four protestors, who were taken to a nearby medical clinic. [1] [2] An official with the National Police of Timor-Leste said that authorities would demand responsibility for the damage from the protest coordinators. [1]
Later that day, the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT), the Democratic Party (PD), and Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nasional Timor Oan (KHUNTO) parties—all members of the ruling coalition—released a joint statement saying that they would ask parliament to cancel the purchase as it "did not reflect public interest." [1] [2] The leader of the opposition Fretilin party, Aniceto Guterres Lopes, thanked the student protestors and noted that his party had presented a proposal to remove the funding earmarked for the purchase of cars for MPs when it was first proposed during state budget discussions in parliament in November 2024, but was overruled by the governing coalition. [2] He stated: "Fretilin's position has always been clear. We wanted to eliminate this budget because there are other priorities... the people face many shortcomings that need to be addressed." [2] The opposition People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader, Maria Angelina Lopes Sarmento, criticized the CNRT and PD for deciding to cancel the purchase of MPs' vehicles only after the students' demonstration, and recalled that the PLP, like Fretilin, had opposed the move when it was first proposed during initial budget discussions. [2]
The following day, Tuesday, September 16, more than 2,000 demonstrators again gathered outside the National Parliament, vowing to continue protesting until the plan to purchase cars was formally canceled by lawmakers. [2] Some protestors set a government vehicle on fire, burned tires, and threw rocks at the parliament building and police officers, who responded with tear gas. [2] [4] Soon afterward, President José Ramos-Horta told reporters that there would be "no tolerance" of violence by demonstrators, stating, "You can hold demonstrations to protest the government, parliament when they do wrong, but you must not resort to violence." [2] Later that day, members of parliament voted unanimously to cancel the purchase of new cars. [4] [5]
On Wednesday, September 17, an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 demonstrators once again returned to the streets in Dili to protest. [4] [5] By then, the protestors' goals had expanded to include calls for abolishing lifetime pensions provided to former members of parliament. [4] [5] Later that day, members of parliament reached an agreement with the student protest leaders to cancel their lifetime pensions, with the students in return agreeing to cease their demonstrations. [5]