Tom Hyland (12 October 1952 – 24 December 2024) was an Irish human rights activist who campaigned for East Timor, which was occupied by Indonesia from 1975 to 1999.
[5][6] A little later, while he was playing cards with friends, Christopher Wenner's documentary In Cold Blood: The Massacre of East Timor about the Santa Cruz massacre of 1991, in which at least 271 people were murdered, 382 injured and another 270 "disappeared" without a trace, was playing in the background on a television set.
Hyland initially wanted to concentrate on the card game and asked for the volume on the television to be turned down.
They began to put pressure on the Irish government to persuade Indonesia to withdraw from East Timor.
The vigil also drew attention to the Australian government's extensive military and economic support for Indonesia.
[1] He died on 24 December 2024, at the Guido Valadares National Hospital in East Timor's capital city, Dili.
[2] In recognition of his services, the ETISC received the Order of Timor-Leste from East Timor's then President Taur Matan Ruak in 2015.
[8] Internationally, ETISC, with its influence in Ireland and the European Union, was one of the most effective support groups for East Timor's independence.