After nearly 25 years of an oppressive Indonesian regime and two and a half years of murder, pillage, and rape by Indonesian backed militias, while the rest of the world offered token support, East Timor now stand as the world’s newest nation.
At the stroke of midnight, Sunday May 19 - Monday May 20, East Timor became officially independent and later in the day, formally announced its intention to join the United Nations.
President Xanana Gusmão stated: "Today we are a people standing on equal footing with all other people in the world. On the celebration of independence, we wish to take upon ourselves this commitment before you: to work solely and exclusively for our people.
"East Timor is the poorest country in Asia and we wish to raise, gradually but steadily, the quality of life of our population. Our independence will have no value if all the people in East Timor continue to live in poverty and continue to suffer all kinds of difficulties. We gained our independence to improve our lives".
President Gusmão won a landslide victory in the April 14 elections, supervised by the United Nations. He was sworn in by East Timor’s Parliament President Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres, who gave the formal announcement of Independence, at midnight.
At the stroke of midnight, Sunday May 19 - Monday May 20, East Timor became officially independent and later in the day, formally announced its intention to join the United Nations.
President Xanana Gusmão stated: "Today we are a people standing on equal footing with all other people in the world. On the celebration of independence, we wish to take upon ourselves this commitment before you: to work solely and exclusively for our people.
"East Timor is the poorest country in Asia and we wish to raise, gradually but steadily, the quality of life of our population. Our independence will have no value if all the people in East Timor continue to live in poverty and continue to suffer all kinds of difficulties. We gained our independence to improve our lives".
President Gusmão won a landslide victory in the April 14 elections, supervised by the United Nations. He was sworn in by East Timor’s Parliament President Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres, who gave the formal announcement of Independence, at midnight.