The Sky is Ours

After decades of suffering and heroic resistance, the people of Timor-Leste expressed their will to become a sovereign state on August 30, 1999, affirming their right to self-determination and independence by an overwhelming majority. In 2024, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of that historic moment, which put an end to a final wave of brutal violence unleashed by the occupying forces, and initiated the transfer of power to the Timorese, and leaders freely chosen by them. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão