Timor-Leste Passport

【 Country Name 】 Democratic Republic of Timor Leste.

【 Area 】 15007 square kilometers.

Population: 1.34 million (2024).

78% of the population is indigenous (a mixed race of Papuan, Malay, or Polynesian), 20% is Indonesian, and 2% is Chinese.

The official languages are Tetum and Portuguese.

About 91.4% of the population believes in Catholicism, 2.6% believes in Christianity, and 1.7% believes in Islam.

【 Capital 】 Dili, located on the northeast coast of Timor Island, has a population of 325000. The national political, economic, and cultural center, where over 80% of economic activities take place in the east.

Jos é Manuel Ramos Horta, the head of state, became the fifth President of Timor Leste on May 20, 2022.

[Important Festival] Restoration of Independence Day (Founding Day): May 20th; Independence Referendum Day: August 30th; Independence Day: November 28th (commemorating the announcement of independence by the Revolutionary Front for the Independence of East Timor on November 28th, 1975); Catholic holidays (such as Christmas).

In history, it was colonized by Portugal for a long time. In 1975, the Portuguese government allowed East Timor to implement national self-determination. The East Timor Independence Revolutionary Front (FRETILIN), which advocates independence, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Portugal (RCD), which advocates maintaining relations with Portugal, and the Timorese People's Democratic Association (ADP), which advocates merging with Indonesia, sparked a civil war due to different political views. On November 28, 1975, Fretilin unilaterally declared the independence of East Timor and established the Democratic Republic of East Timor. In December of the same year, Indonesia sent troops to East Timor, and the following year declared East Timor as the 27th province of Indonesia. In December 1975, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for Indonesia to withdraw its troops and urging all countries to respect the territorial integrity and self-determination rights of the people of East Timor.

In January 1999, under internal and external pressure, Indonesian President Habibie agreed to allow East Timor to choose autonomy or independence from Indonesia through a national referendum. On May 5th, Indonesia, Portugal, and the United Nations signed an agreement to hold a referendum in East Timor. On August 30th, East Timor held a national referendum, with 75% of the population voting in favor of independence. President Habibie expressed acceptance of the voting results on the same day. After the vote, there was a bloody conflict between pro Indonesian and pro independence factions in East Timor, and the situation deteriorated. About 200000 refugees fled to West Timor. In September, President Habibie announced his agreement to allow a multinational force to enter East Timor. The Security Council has authorized the establishment of a multinational force led by Australia and consisting of approximately 8000 personnel to station in East Timor through a resolution. In October, the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly passed a resolution officially approving East Timor's separation from Indonesia.

In November 1999, East Timor established the National Consultative Council (NCC) with a quasi cabinet and quasi legislative nature. The first transitional cabinet was formed in July 2000, and the Constituent Assembly elections were held in August 2001. On September 15, the Constituent Assembly and the second transitional cabinet were established. In April 2002, the presidential election was held, and the leader of the East Timorese independence movement, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, was elected. On May 20, 2002, the Democratic Republic of East Timor was officially established.

After the independence of East Timor, Fretilin, as the largest party, formed its first government and made efforts to promote judicial construction, administrative management, national reconciliation, and economic reconstruction. However, livelihood issues have long been prominent, and public dissatisfaction has risen. In 2006, the largest riots since the founding of the country occurred, and Australia established an international stabilization force to assist in maintaining law and order in East Timor. The riots led to the resignation of Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, and former Minister of State and Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Jose Ramos Horta took over, forming a new government on July 14, 2006. In the presidential election held in April 2007, Horta was elected. The first parliamentary elections will be held in June, with Fretilin remaining the largest party; But the National Congress Party for the Reconstruction of East Timor (hereinafter referred to as the "Congress Party") formed a parliamentary majority alliance with other political parties and won the right to form a government. On August 8th, a new government was established, with Shanana appointed as the Prime Minister. Two rounds of presidential elections were held in March and April 2012, and former commander-in-chief of the National Army, Ruwak, was elected. In July, the second parliamentary election was held, and the Congress Party defeated the Revolutionary Front to become the largest party in parliament, forming a ruling coalition with the Democratic Party and the Revolutionary Front. On August 8th, a new government was established and Prime Minister Shanana was re elected. At the end of the same year, the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor Leste and the International Stabilization Force completed their missions and withdrew from Timor Leste. In February 2015, there was a significant reshuffle of the cabinet, with Prime Minister Shanana resigning and replaced by Prime Minister Araujiro, a member of the Revolutionary Front Central Committee. In March 2017, presidential elections were held, and the chairman of the Revolutionary Front, Lu Olo, was elected as the fourth president. In the July parliamentary elections, the Revolutionary Front won 23 votes and formed a coalition government with the Democratic Party. On September 15th, General Secretary Alkatiri of the Revolutionary Front was appointed as the Prime Minister. On January 26, 2018, Eastern President Luoluo announced the dissolution of the parliament. On May 12th, the East held early parliamentary elections, and the Reform and Progress Alliance, formed by the Congress Party, the People's Liberation Party (hereinafter referred to as the "People's Liberation Party"), and the People's Unity and Prosperity Party (hereinafter referred to as the "Prosperity Party"), won 34 seats and the right to form a government. On June 22nd, the Chairman of the People's Liberation Party and former President Ruwak was appointed as the Prime Minister. In January 2020, the Reform and Progress Alliance disintegrated and the government underwent restructuring. The Congress Party became the opposition party and withdrew from the government, while the People's Liberation Party formed an alliance with the Revolutionary Front and the Prosperity Party to form the government, occupying a majority of seats in the parliament. The members of the Congress Party resigned, and Prime Minister Ruwak nominated a new cabinet, which was approved by President Lu Olo.

The presidential election will be held in April 2022, and former Eastern President Horta will be elected as the fifth President of the East with 62.09% of the vote. He will officially take office on May 20, 2022, and serve until May 2027.

On March 22, 2002, the Constituent Assembly of Timor Leste passed and promulgated the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste, which stipulates that the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste is a sovereign, independent, and unified democratic and rule of law country, with the National Assembly, government, and courts as the state power institutions. The President is the head of state and the supreme commander of the armed forces, elected directly by the people for a term of five years and renewable for one term.

The National Assembly, also known as the Parliament, implements a unicameral system. Representing all citizens to exercise the power of formulating laws, supervising the government, and making political decisions, it is directly elected by voters and has a total of 65 seats with a term of five years. The first National Assembly was automatically transformed from the original Constituent Assembly after its independence on May 20, 2002. The 6th National Assembly was established in June 2023, with the current Speaker Maria Fernanda Lay.

The government is composed of the Prime Minister, ministers, deputy ministers, and the Secretary of State, and is accountable to the President and the National Assembly. The Prime Minister is the head of government, nominated by the political party or coalition with the most seats in parliament, and appointed by the President. The Vice Premier, Ministers, and State Secretaries are nominated by the Prime Minister and appointed by the President. In June 2023, Timor Leste will form its ninth government, with key members including Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs Coordination, Tourism and Environment Francisco Kalbuadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural Development Coordination Mariano Assanami Sabino, Minister of State for the Council of Ministers Agio Pereira, Minister of Finance Santina Viegas Cardoso, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bendito Freitas, Minister of Justice Amandio Benevides, and Minister of National Administration Tomas Cabral.

There are a total of 14 districts, with 65 sub districts, 443 townships (Sucos), and 2236 villages (Aldeias) located below the districts.

The judiciary is composed of the Supreme Court, local courts, administrative, tax and audit high courts, first instance administrative courts, and military courts. The President of the Supreme Court is appointed by the President for a term of four years. Until now, the Supreme Court has not been established, and the Supreme Court of Appeal serves as the final court to exercise the functions of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court. The current President of the Supreme Court of Appeals is Deolindo Dos Santos.

The General Prosecutor's Office is the highest procuratorial organ. The Attorney General is appointed by the President for a term of 4 years, accountable to the President, and reports annually to the National Assembly. The current Attorney General is Alfonso Lopez.

In 2004, the East promulgated the Political Parties Law. The main political parties in the East include:

(1) The National Congress of Timor Leste Reconstruction (CNRT), also known as the National Congress of Timor Leste Reconstruction, was founded by Shanana on March 27, 2007. Party members mainly include former members of the National Council of Timorese Resistance, former leaders and key members of other small and medium-sized political parties, as well as followers of Shanana. Advocate reform and innovation, promote ideological diversity, and encourage broad public participation in major national decisions. We attach great importance to the recovery and development of the national economy, advocate for the decentralization of power, and encourage the adoption of more open and flexible economic policies. The Party Chairman is Prime Minister Shanana, and the General Secretary is Vice Premier and Minister of Economic Affairs Coordination, as well as Minister of Tourism and Environment Li Fafang.

(2) The Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor (FRETILIN), also known as FRETILIN in Portuguese, was established on May 20, 1974. It is one of the earliest political parties in East Timor and was originally known as the Association for Social Democracy of Timor Leste (ASDT). It was renamed on September 11, 1974. On November 28, 1975, the Democratic Republic of East Timor was unilaterally declared. After Indonesia occupied East Timor on December 7th of the same year, some members went into exile overseas, while the rest persisted in resistance and struggle domestically. After the launch of the independence process in 1999, the Revolutionary Front reorganized and put forward proposals such as restoring democratic independence, consolidating national unity, and establishing a multi-party democratic rule of law country, which gained widespread support and won the August 2001 Constituent Assembly elections. In 2002, the first government led by the party was formed, with General Secretary Alkatiri serving as Prime Minister.

(3) The Democratic Party (PD), founded on June 10, 2001, is mainly composed of young students and intellectuals. It advocates for the unity and development of the country on the basis of democracy and the rule of law, achieving social diversity, justice, and freedom, and improving people's living standards. The party chairman is Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Coordination for Rural Development Affairs Sabino, and the general secretary is Antonio de Concesan.

(4) The People's Liberation Party (Partidu Libertasaun Popular/People's Liberation Party) was established on December 22, 2015, with the backbone mostly consisting of a new generation of social elites with good educational backgrounds, with the aim of "building East Timor into a prosperous and secure country". The party chairman is former Prime Minister Ruwak.

(5) Kmanek Haburas Unidad Nasional Timor Oan, also known as KHUNTO, was founded on June 22, 2011, by Namori, the founder of Timor Leste's largest martial arts group, the Timor People's Centre for Prosperity. The party chairman is Mrs. Nemori, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Relief and Inclusion Amanda Berta dos Santos, and the general secretary is former Minister of Transport and Communications Jos é Agostinu da Silva.

Jos é Ramos Horta: President. Born in December 1949 in Dili, he is the founder of the Revolutionary Front for East Timor Independence (FRETILIN). In 1975, the Revolutionary Front unilaterally declared independence and was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In December of the same year, he went into exile overseas and continued to serve the Eastern Resistance Forces. From the end of 1975 to 1985, he served as the Permanent Representative of the Revolutionary Front to the United Nations. Retired from the Revolutionary Front in 1988. In 1999, he returned to the east and was consecutively elected as the Foreign Minister of the Transitional Cabinet. On May 20, 2002, Dong regained independence and was appointed as the first Foreign Minister. He served as Prime Minister in 2006, President from 2007 to 2012, and National Security Advisor to the 7th Constitutional Government of the East from September 2017 to June 2018. He will assume the presidency again in May 2022 and serve until 2027.

Kai Lara Xanana Gusm ã o: Prime Minister, leader of the East Timor independence movement, known as the 'Mandela of East Timor'. Joined the Revolutionary Front for the Independence of East Timor in 1974. He served as the first President of East Timor from 2002 to 2007. In March 2007, the National Reconstruction Congress Party was established, and in August of the same year, he was appointed as the Prime Minister. He was re elected in August 2012. In February 2015, the Eastern Cabinet was reorganized, and Shanana was appointed as the Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment and the representative of the East Sea delimitation. Appointed as the Chief Negotiator for the Delimitation of the Eastern Ocean and Land Boundary in August 2018. Resigned from the coalition government in May 2020. In May 2023, Shanana led the National Reconstruction Congress Party to win the 6th National Assembly elections in East Timor, formed a new government in June, and became Prime Minister again in July.

The economic development level of Timor Leste is backward, structurally imbalanced, and heavily dependent on oil and gas revenue and foreign aid. The non oil and gas economy is mainly dominated by traditional service industries and agriculture. In recent years, the government of Timor Leste has made poverty reduction and job creation a key focus of governance, gradually increasing the fiscal budget, expanding public spending, and encouraging foreign investment to drive non oil and gas economic growth. The main economic data are as follows:

Non oil and gas GDP: 1.833 billion US dollars (2023)

Non oil and gas per capita GDP: 1357 US dollars (2023)

Non oil and gas economic growth rate: 2.3% (2023)

Currency name: Universal US dollar, issuing domestic coins equivalent to the US dollar.

Unemployment rate: 30% (2021)

The main mineral deposits include gold, manganese, chromium, tin, copper, etc. The Timor Sea is rich in oil and natural gas resources, with 44 oil fields discovered and proven oil reserves of approximately 3 billion barrels and natural gas reserves of approximately 700 billion cubic meters. The Petroleum Fund was established in July 2005, and as of the end of 2022, the accumulated funds of the East Petroleum Fund amounted to 17.41 billion US dollars.

The Eastern government actively seeks to join the World Trade Organization, encourages the development of foreign trade, and strives to expand exports. The main export products are economic crops such as coffee, wood, rubber, and coconut, while imports include fuel, grains, vehicles, and electromechanical equipment. The total import and export volume in 2022 is 1.305 billion US dollars, with an import value of 933 million US dollars and an export value of 372 million US dollars. The main importing countries are Indonesia, China, Singapore, India, Vietnam, etc., and the exporting countries are Singapore, Japan, China, South Korea, Thailand, etc.

In 2020, foreign investment attracted 67.65 million US dollars. In 2021, foreign direct investment was 68.84 million US dollars (according to World Bank data). The main investors are Singapore, Thailand, Portugal, Australia, the United Kingdom, South Korea, the United States, etc., focusing on infrastructure construction, coffee cultivation, tourism and other industries.

【 People's Livelihood 】 Listed as one of the least developed countries in the world by the United Nations, 30.3% of residents live on less than $2 a day. There are 6 hospitals nationwide, and there are health centers at the county level, which can only provide medical and health services to 60% of the population. The birth rate is 2.9%, and the mortality rate for children under 5 years old is 4.4%. Nearly 50% of children suffer from malnutrition, over half of the population has no access to drinking water, and the life expectancy is 69.5 years.

The East Timor Defense Force (F-FDTL) was developed from the former armed forces of the independence movement and was officially established in February 2001. It implements a voluntary military service system and currently has a force of over 3000 personnel. The current commander-in-chief, Farol.

During the transition period of Eastern independence, the United Nations peacekeeping forces were responsible for defense work. After independence, the United Nations deployed peacekeeping police to the east. In 2006, there were large-scale riots in East Timor, and Australia formed an international stabilization force to station in East Timor. At the end of 2012, all United Nations peacekeeping police and international stabilization forces in Timor Leste withdrew.

There are 1275 primary schools, 81 junior high schools, and 17 colleges and universities in education. The National University of Timor Leste was reopened in November 2000. In 2019, the enrollment rate of Dong Elementary School was 91.5%, the enrollment rate of middle school was 65.8%, and the literacy rate of adults aged 15 and above was 68.1% in 2018.

The main newspapers include Timor Post and Suara Timor Lorosae. In March 2017, the government of Timor Leste approved the establishment of Tatoli, the East National News Agency. The main source of Portuguese language news comes from LUSA, also known as the Portuguese news agency.

Radio and television stations include RTTL, TVTL, and STLTV, the first private commercial channel. In 2017, GMN, a private television channel, began broadcasting programs.

We adhere to a pragmatic and balanced foreign policy, extensively seek international assistance, and have established diplomatic relations with 122 countries. We attach great importance to developing relations with our two neighboring countries, Australia and Indonesia, as well as major countries such as China, the United States, and Japan. We have established a close relationship with Portugal, with one chairman and three vice chairmen. Portugal has connections with Portuguese speaking countries and is the only Asian member of the Portuguese Community. Emphasize regional cooperation and become a member of the Southwest Pacific Dialogue mechanism, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the ASEAN Regional Forum. Joined 22 international organizations and initiated the establishment of the Group of Fragile States (G7+). On November 11, 2022, the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits issued the ASEAN Leaders' Statement on Timor Leste's Application to Join ASEAN, agreeing in principle to accept Timor Leste as the 11th member of ASEAN and grant it observer status.