Timor-Leste

Xanana Gusmão

Politician

Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão GCL CNZM is an East Timorese politician. A former militant, he was the first President of East Timor, serving from May 2002 to May 2007. He has been the fourth Prime Minister of East Timor since 8 August 2007.

José Ramos-Horta

Politician

José Manuel Ramos-Horta GCL is the United Nations' special Representative and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau. He was appointed to this position on 2 January 2013. Previously, he was special envoy to fellow Lusophone country, Guinea-Bissau, and was the President of East Timor from 20 May 2007 to 20 May 2012, the second since independence from Indonesia. He is a co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize and a former prime minister, having served from 2006 until his inauguration as president after winning the 2007 East Timorese presidential election. As a founder and former member of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor, Ramos-Horta served as the exiled spokesman for the East Timorese resistance during the years of the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. While he has continued to work with FRETILIN, Ramos-Horta resigned from the party in 1988, becoming an independent politician. After East Timor achieved independence in 2002, Ramos-Horta was appointed as the country's first foreign minister. He served in this position until his resignation on 25 June 2006, amidst political turmoil. On 26 June, following the resignation of prime minister Mari Alkatiri, Ramos-Horta was appointed acting prime minister by then president, Xanana Gusmão. Two weeks later, on 10 July 2006, he was sworn in as the second prime minister of East Timor. On 11 February 2008, Ramos-Horta was injured when he was shot during an assassination attempt.

Taur Matan Ruak

Politician

José Maria Vasconcelos, popularly known by his nom de guerre Taur Matan Ruak is an East Timorese politician who has been President of East Timor since 20 May 2012. Before entering politics, he was the Commander of the FALINTIL-Forças de Defesa de Timor-Leste, the military of East Timor, from 2002 until 6 October 2011. Prior to serving in the F-FDTL, he was the last commander of the Armed Forces of National Liberation of East Timor or FALINTIL, the insurgent army which resisted the Indonesian occupation of the territory from 1975 to 1999. Leaving the military in 2011, he stood as an independent candidate in the 2012 presidential election and prevailed in the second round of the vote, held in April 2012.

Eurico Guterres

Man

Eurico Barros Gomes Guterres born 1971 is a pro-Indonesian or anti-independence militia recruited by the Indonesian military. He was involved in several massacres in East Timor, and a chief militia leader during the post-independence massacre and destruction of the capital Dili. Though Indonesia officially convicted and sentenced Guterres to ten years imprisonment in November 2002, Indonesia has never incarcerated him. In August 2003 he formed Laskar Merah Putih (or Red and White Warriors) in Indonesian Papua. Elsham leader Aloysius Renwarin reported Guterres already had 200 members consisting of Indonesian expatriates from Maluku, Timor and Sulawesi in December 2003 when Guterres confidently requested the local government to provide his organisation offices in Timika, Papua. Combined with the appointment of Brig. Gen. Timbul Silaen (under U.N. indictment) as police chief for Papua, Papuans fear Guterres and his Laskar Merah Putih will be given free rein against the Papuan population.

Nicolau dos Reis Lobato

Politician

Nicolau dos Reis Lobato was an East-Timorese politician and national hero. He was born in 1946 in Soibada, Portuguese Timor. Lobato was prime minister of East Timor from November 28 to December 7, 1975. Upon the arrival of the Indonesian military Lobato, along with other key Fretilin leaders, fled into the Timorese hinterland to fight against the occupying forces. On the final day of 1978 Lobato was ambushed by Indonesian special forces led by Lieutenant Prabowo Subianto. He was killed after being shot in the stomach, and his body was brought to Dili to be inspected by Indonesian press. Nicolau Lobato was made an East Timorese national hero. The East Timor International Airport has been named in his honour.

Francisco Xavier do Amaral

Politician

Francisco Xavier do Amaral was an East Timorese politician. A founder of the Frente Revolucionaria de Timor Leste Independente, Amaral was sworn in as the first President of East Timor when the country, then a Portuguese colony, made a unilateral declaration of independence on 28 November 1975. He was a member of the National Parliament for the Timorese Social Democratic Association from 2001 until his death. Amaral was also known as "Abo Xavier," a term of endearment, by East Timorese.

José Abílio Osório Soares

Politician

Abílio José Osório Soares is a Indonesian Politician, he was the last governor of the Indonesian province of East Timor before the country's independence.

Fernando de Araújo

Politician

Fernando de Araújo, also known by Lasama is an East Timorese politician and the current President of the National Parliament of East Timor. He was also serving as the Acting President of East Timor for two months in early 2008. He is also the President of the Democratic Party. He is married to Jacqueline Aquino Siapno, Ph.D. of Dagupan City, Philippines.

Miro Baldo Bento

Football player

Miro Baldo Bento de Araújo is a retired East Timorese football player. He is a former Indonesia national football team player, before deciding to join the Timor-Leste national football team in 2005 after Timor-Leste's independence from Indonesia. He is now coaching the Persiram junior team.

Nino Konis Santana

Man

Nino Konis Santana was an East Timorese freedom fighter who led the FRETILIN militia between April 1993 and his death in March 1998 during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor, succeeding Ma'huno Bulerek Karathayano after the latter's capture in 1993. Santana died in an accident, after he was shot in the leg during an Indonesian ambush. He was succeeded by Taur Matan Ruak.

Bertolomeu Verdial

Soccer Midfielder

Bertolomeu Verdial Valadares is a football player. He is the current Striker for the Timor-Leste national football team. Starting debut against the Nepal in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying when he substitute for Anggisu Barbosa at 46 minutes. Many of his fans referred him as "EL Barto" because his quick moves.

Alberto Ricardo da Silva

Religious Leader

Alberto Ricardo da Silva is the Roman Catholic bishop of Dili, East Timor.

Juventina Napoleao

Olympic Road runner

Juventina Napoleão is an East Timorese long distance runner. She represented her country in the marathon event at the 2012 Summer Olympics and finished the race with a time of 3:05:07.

Estanislau da Silva

Politician

Estanislau da Conceição Aleixo Maria da Silva is an East Timorese politician and a key member of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor. He was acting Prime Minister from May 2007 to August 2007. A member of FRETILIN since 1974, Da Silva served on the diplomatic front for the East Timorese resistance during the years of the Indonesian occupation of Timor Leste. During the occupation, Da Silva resided in Mozambique, Portugal and Australia, before returning to Timor Leste in 1999. After Timor Leste achieved independence in 2002, Da Silva was appointed as the country's first Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. On July 10, 2006, he was sworn in as the First Deputy Prime Minister of Timor Leste. He was sworn in as the acting Prime Minister on May 19, 2007 to replace José Ramos-Horta who had been elected President of the young nation. He left office when Xanana Gusmão was sworn in as Prime Minister on August 8, 2007, following the June 2007 parliamentary election.

Emílio da Silva

Footballer

Emilio Ribeiro Neves da Silva, known simply as Emílio da Silva; born 5 April 1982 in Dili, Timor Timur, Indonesia, is a footballer from East Timor who has represented AD Esperança since 2004. Prior to this, da Silva played for FC Zebra for two years, having spent the entirety of his youth career there also. A prolific striker at club level, he has also notched 10 goals in 25 caps for the Timor-Leste national football team since 2003, and is their all time top scorer and appearance holder, both by a considerable margin. Da Silva is considered to be the best East Timorese footballer of all time. In 2011, Emilio was the highest paid athlete from East Timor, making $20,000.

Francisco Guterres

Politician

Francisco Guterres, popularly known as Lú-Olo is the President of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor. He was also President of the National Parliament of East Timor from 2002 to 2007. As the FRETILIN candidate, he ran for the presidency of the country in the 2007 presidential election, but was defeated in the second round. Guterres has described himself as “the son of a poor family, of humble people”. He is a Roman Catholic and a former guerrilla fighter. At an Extraordinary Conference of FRETILIN in Sydney, Australia in 1998, Guterres was named General Coordinator of the Council of Armed Resistance. In July 2001, he was elected President of FRETILIN. Guterres was elected to the Constituent Assembly in the August 2001 parliamentary election, and he was subsequently elected by the Constituent Assembly as its President; when East Timor gained its independence in May 2002, the Constituent Assembly was transformed into the National Parliament, with Guterres as its President. In the 2007 presidential election, Guterres ran as FRETILIN's candidate and campaigned on a populist platform. However, some members of FRETILIN blamed him for the 2006 East Timorese crisis and instead supported Prime Minister José Ramos-Horta, who was running as an independent candidate. In the first round of the election, held on April 9, Guterres took first place with 27.89% of the vote. He and Ramos-Horta participated in the second round in May, and Guterres lost with 31% of the vote against 69% for Ramos-Horta. He accepted the result and congratulated Ramos-Horta.

Vicente Ramos Freitas

Soccer Midfielder

Vicente Ramos or Entil is a East Timorese football player. He is the current midfielder for the Timor-Leste national football team.

Lúcia Lobato

Politician

Lúcia Maria Brandão Freitas Lobato is an East Timorese politician, currently serving as Minister of Justice. She is a member of the National Parliament, representing the Social Democratic Party. Lobato was born in Liquiçá, and is a lawyer. She was elected to the Constituent Assembly in the August 2001 parliamentary election, taking her seat on September 15, 2001. Lobato was a candidate in the April 2007 presidential election, and the only female candidate. She received fifth place and 8.86% of the vote. In the June 2007 parliamentary election, Lobato was re-elected to Parliament as the third name on the joint candidate list of the PSD and the Timorese Social Democratic Association. In the government of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, sworn in on August 8, 2007, she was appointed Minister of Justice.

Gastão Salsinha

Man

Lieutenant Gastão Salsinha was the de facto leader of the East Timor rebel movement following the death of former leader Major Alfredo Reinado.

Ego Lemos

Musical Artist

Ego Lemos is a permaculturist and singer-songwriter from East Timor who sings in his native tongue, Tetum. His song "Balibo" was awarded best original song composed for the screen at the 2009 Screen Music Awards and a 2009 APRA Award for best song in a film. His debut solo album, produced by Michael Hohnen, was released in 2009. Lemos also plays with the popular East Timorese band Cinco do Oriente, a band named after a band that existed before the 1975 Indonesian invasion of East Timor.

Aguida Amaral

Olympic athlete

Águeda Fátima Amaral is an East Timorese athlete. She was one of the first athletes to represent East Timor at the Olympic Games, when she ran the marathon at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She technically competed as an individual athlete because East Timor was newly independent and had not yet been formally recognized by the International Olympic Committee. With a time of 3:10:55, she finished 43rd out of the 45 runners who completed the race, although eight other runners failed to finish. The Associated Press reported: The Independent likewise reported that Amaral "completed the course to a standing ovation". The Sydney Olympics followed East Timor's declaration of independence from Indonesia in 1999, and the ensuing violence. Amaral had fled her home in Dili, stayed in a refugee camp, and returned eventually to find it looted and burned. Along with her home and other belongings, her only pair of running shoes had been destroyed in the arson attack. She trained for the Olympics by running barefoot, until shoes were donated to her by Australia. CNN described her arrival in the stadium as "the most moving moment" of the race. The New York Times wrote that her "performance in the Sydney Games inspired the world", and described her as "a source of national pride".

Salvador Carlos

Soccer Defender

Salvador Carlos is a football player. He is the current defender for the Timor-Leste national football team.

Boavida Olegario

Soccer Midfielder

Boavida Olegario is a football player. He is the current midfielder for the Timor-Leste national football team.

Zacarias da Costa

Politician

Zacarias Albano da Costa is an East Timorese politician and diplomat. On 8 August 2007, he became Minister of Foreign Affairs following the 2007 parliamentary election. Before being appointed as Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Minister da Costa was a Member of Parliament and Leader of the Social Democratic Party Bench at the Parliament. In addition to his ministerial role, he is currently Chairman of the National Council of the PSD. Professionally, Minister da Costa has worked with the Asian Development Bank for four years as Inter-Agency Coordinator and Project Administration and Implementation Specialist. He was also a USAID Advisor on Private Sector Development Project and Head of Information Coordination and Monitoring Unit. Prior to the Independence of Timor-Leste, the Minister was a key figure in the CNRT Political Committee and the Coordinating Committee for the Diplomatic Front as the Permanent Representative to the European Union and International Organizations in Geneva covering the period 1985–2000. Another key function of the Minister was the coordination of the Secretariat of the Inter Parliamentary-Group of the European Parliament for Timor-Leste.

Miguel Santos Soares

Footballer

Miguel Santos Soares known as Migi is a football player. He is the current defender for the Timor-Leste national football team.

Vicente Guterres

Politician

Vicente da Silva Guterres is a politician from East Timor, a member of the National Parliament of East Timor and its Vice President since 2007.

Anggisu Barbosa

Soccer Defender

Anggisu Barbosa is a football player. He is the current forward for the Timor-Leste national football team. However in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, he was listed as a defender in the match report.

Adriano Quintão

Soccer Goalkeeper

Adriano Quintão is a Timorese footballer who last played as a goalkeeper for Giulianova.

Basilio do Nascimento

Religious Leader

Basílio do Nascimento Martins is the Roman Catholic bishop of Baucau, East Timor. He was born on June 14, 1950, in Suai, then Portuguese Timor and ordained priest in Évora, in 1977. He worked for 20 years in Portugal and France before returning home in 1994, which was at the time under Indonesian occupation. He became apostolic administrator of the new Diocese of Baucau on November 30, 1996 and titular bishop on January 6, 1997. When Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo retired, Nascimento became apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Dili, until the new bishop of Dili, Alberto Ricardo da Silva, was introduced on March 6, 2004. Nascimento then became bishop of Baucau. In October 1999, the President of the National Council of Timorese Resistance Xanana Gusmão thanked Bishop Nascimento for the support of the Church in the struggle for independence. Concerned that the names of the thousands of lives lost during Indonesia’s occupation of the country will be forgotten in the name of reconciliation with Indonesia, on 21 January 2006 he said that reconciliation with Jakarta without justice is meaningless.

Augusto Ramos Soares

Olympic Road runner

Augusto Ramos Soares is an East Timorese long distance runner. He represented his country in the marathon event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, finishing in 84th place. He was inspired to run by a visit to his school by Aguida Amaral, East Timor's first Olympic athlete. His pre-Olympic personal best was 2:30:04.

Asanco

Soccer Midfielder

José João Pereira

Footballer

José João Rodriques Pereira, also called João Kik is a Timorese footballer. He currently plays for FC Zebra as a midfielder.

Leonel da Silva Araujo

Soccer Goalkeeper

Leonel Da Silva Araujo, also known as Leonel is a football player. He is the current goalkeeper for the Timor-Leste national football team.

João Viegas Carrascalão

Politician

João Viegas Carrascalão was an East Timorese politician. He was one of the candidates in the April 2007 presidential election in East Timor. He studied topography and surveying in Luanda and specialized in cartography in Switzerland. He is president of the Timorese Democratic Union which he also co-founded. He supervised the August 11, 1975 coup which eventually started the civil war. The latter forced the governor, Lemos Pires, to flee as well as the Portuguese contingent stationed on the nearing island of Ataúro. Consequently Carrascalão moved to Australia and resided there throughout the Indonesian occupation. He integrated the leading agencies of the CNRT. He moved back when East Timor's independence was finally given. In the 2007 presidential election, he took eighth and last place with 1.72% of the vote. He later served as East Timor's ambassador to South Korea from 2009 until his death in 2012. He was the Director of Department of Geographical and Cadastral Surveys during the Portuguese Administration of Timor and was Minister of Infrastructure during the Transitional Government of East Timor by the UNO.

Nilo Soares

Soccer Midfielder

Nilo Soares is an East Timorese footballer who plays as midfielder for A.D. Baucau and the Timor-Leste national team.

Alex Tilman

Actor

Alex Tilman is an actor.

Francisco Borja da Costa

Author

Francisco Borja da Costa was the composer of Pátria, the national anthem of the Democratic Republic of East Timor, ando also a poet, writing the majority of his work in tetum language. Borja da Costa died at December 7, 1975, the same day of the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. Aside from the East Timorese anthem, his most famous known work may be the poem "Um Minuto de Silêncio": UM MINUTO DE SILÊNCIO Calai Montes Vales e fontes Regatos e ribeiros Pedras dos caminhos E ervas do chão, Calai Calai Pássaros do ar E ondas do mar Ventos que sopram Nas praias que sobram De terras de ninguém, Calai Calai Canas e bambus Árvores e "ai-rús" Palmeiras e capim Na verdura sem fim Do pequeno Timor, Calai Calai Calai-vos e calemo-nos POR UM MINUTO É tempo de silêncio No silêncio do tempo Ao tempo de vida Dos que perderam a vida Pela Pátria Pela Nação Pelo Povo Pela Nossa Libertação Calai - um minuto de silêncio...

Arsénio Bano

Man

Arsénio Paixão Bano is an East Timorese politician and the Vice-President of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor, a post to which he was elected by the party's Central Committee in July 2007. He served in the government as Minister of Labor and Community Reinsertion until August 2007. Bano is a member of FRETILIN's Central Committee and its National Political Commission. He was elected to a seat in the National Parliament in the June 2007 parliamentary election as the third name on FRETILIN's candidate list.

Eusebio de Almeida

Soccer Midfielder

Eusebio Hermenio Correia de Almeida or Eusebio is a football player. He is the current midfielder for the Timor-Leste national football team.

Diamantino Leong

Soccer Goalkeeper

Diamantino Leong, also known as Ady or Adi is a football player. He is the current goalkeeper for the Timor-Leste national football team.

Luzinho

Soccer Forward

Luzinho is a Timorese soccer player.

Chiquito Filipe do Carmo

Footballer

Chiquito Filipe do Carmo or Quito is a football player. He is the current forward for the Timor-Leste national football team. Starting debut against the Philippine in the AFF Suzuki Cup qualifying and the first international goal he created when facing Cambodia at the same event.

Norberto Do Amaral

Religious Leader

Norberto Do Amaral was born February 17, 1956 in Ainaro, East Timor. After attending the elementary Catholic school in Ainaro, he entered the Seminary of Our Lady of Fatima in Dare. He completed his philosophical studies from 1981–1983 and theological studies between 1985-1988 at the Major Seminary of St. Peter in Ritapiret, Flores, Indonesia. He also carried out a year of pastoral ministry in the parish of Ossú during 1984. He was ordained a priest on October 18, 1988 for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Díli. He subsequently served in the following positions: 1988: Assistant Pastor of the Parish of Ainaro, 1989-2000: Pastor of the Parish of Maubisse, 2000-2004: Rector of the Diocesan Minor Seminary in Dili. From 2005-2007 he undertook studies for a licentiate in dogmatic theology at the Urban University in Rome. Since 2007 he has been Professor of Dogmatic Theology and Prefect of Studies at the Major Seminary in Dili. Since 2008, he has served as Chancellor of the Diocese of Dili and Director of the Diocesan Magazine “Seara”. On 24 Apr 2010 he was ordained bishop of the newly created Roman Catholic Diocese of Maliana.

Nazario do Carmo

Soccer Defender

Nazario do Carmo or Nazario is an Indonesian football player. He has played as defender for the Timor-Leste national football team.

Cipriano Branco

Footballer

Cipriano Branco or Branco is a football player. He is the current midfielder for the Timor-Leste national football team. His international debut against the Philippine team on October 20, 2010 in 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup qualification as a substitute in the 52nd minute.

Martinho de Araújo

Olympic athlete

Martinho de Araújo, born 26 July 1973 in Dili, is an East Timorese weightlifter. He was one of the first sportspeople to represent East Timor at the Olympic Games, when he took part in weightlifting events at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. A resident of Dili, he fled his home in 1999 after East Timor's declaration of independence from Indonesia, and the ensuing violence. He subsequently returned to find that his weightlifting training equipment had been stolen or rendered unusable in looting and arson. In order to continue training, de Araújo "improvised with metal rods stuck into paint cans that had been filled with cement." In Sydney, he lifted 67.5 kg in the snatch and 90 kg in the clean and jerk, finishing last. Newsday commented: "He wasn't exactly crushed by it. Chances are none of the other competitors had to make their own weights and barbells to train."

Eduardo Pereira

Football player

Eduardo Pereira is a footballer of Timor-Leste. He played in FC Rusa Fuik and Timor-Leste national football team. He is a defender.

Elijeu De Jesus Belo Soares

Soccer Defender

Elijeu De Jesus Belo Soares or De Jesus is a football player. He is the current defender for the Timor-Leste national football team.

Claudio de Jesus Ximenes

Man

Cláudio de Jesus Ximenes, is the President of the Court of Appeal of East Timor, first appointed in 2003. Recently reappointed to a third term as Judge and President of the Court of Appeal, the highest judicial authority in the country, analogous to the United States' Supreme Court. He is also the President of the Superior Council for the Judiciary.

Lamberto Gama

Soccer Midfielder

Lamberto Gama is a football player. He is the current midfielder for the Timor-Leste national football team. His international debut against the Philippine team on October 20, 2010 in 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup qualification.

Adalgisa Magno Guterres

Politician

Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno, is an East Timorese politician. She was interim Minister of Foreign Affairs of East Timor from 19 May to 8 August 2007.

Juvitu da Silva

Soccer Defender

Juvitu Correia Da Silva or Juvitu is a football player. He is the current defender for the Timor-Leste national football team.

Carlo Mateus Ximenez

Soccer Midfielder

Carlo Ximenez or Carlos is a football player. He is the current midfielder for the Timor-Leste national football team.

Ed Dino

Football player

Idelfonso da Silva

Soccer Defender

Idelfonso da Silva is an East Timorese football player. He is the current defender for the Timor-Leste national football team.

Adelino Trindade

Soccer Midfielder

Adelino Trindade is a Timorese footballer who plays for Ad. Baucau.

Raimundo Sarmento

Soccer Defender

Raimundo Sarmento is a Timorese football defender.

Theodoro Soares

Soccer Defender

Theodoro Soares is a footballer who plays for East Timor national football team.

Tomé Diogo

Man

Eugenio

Football player