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 was the central protagonist of the epic resistance and liberation struggle. Now in his second term as prime minister, he is a voice of development and vision. The speeches selected for this volume illustrate the obstacles the Timorese people have overcome, their successes, and what is still to be done. They also show a country finding its place in the world as it approaches full membership of ASEAN.