Celebrating 10th anniversary, Timor-Leste’s Restoration of independence

Date: May 20, 2012

Today, Timor-Leste's new president Matan Rurak’s inauguration day as a new president. Seemingly celebrating his inauguration, ‘Patria’, national anthem of Timor-Leste sang in Yeosu EXPO site, International building B. The place is in front of Pacific Ocean Joint Pavilion, and it is for celebrating 10th anniversary, Timor-Leste’s ‘Restoration of Independence’.

"From 11 AM, Timor-Leste members from its pavilion will celebrate the 10th anniversary, restoration of the independence." Started with the guidance of a Korean events coordinator, it stopped audience’s walking and made them reflect the value of independence. People shown their respect by standing up, and performers shed tear while a performer sang ‘Patria’.

Since Republic of Korea for the first time in 1999 deployed military troops for peace keeping operation in Timor-Leste, it has already managed its sovereignty for ten years. It has similar two memorial days. One is ‘Proclamation Day’ from Portugal, 28th of November 1975; it had invaded by Indonesia right after 9 days though, the other is ‘Restoration Day’ from Indonesia, 20th of May 2002.

After singing ‘Patria’, the performers played a pair dance between male and female with ‘Suru Boek’, which is song for catching shrimp together, and audience also was joined by performers. They also played the most historic dance ‘Tebe Tebe’ with sing “O le le la, O le le la” with audiences by stepping forward and backward. It is more significant derived from the history which majority of Timorese danced together when they took independence result after United Nation’s election in 1999.

The theme of Timor-Leste pavilion, 'Pristine Water & White Sands’ emphasizes two more topics aligned with its official logo at the center of its place. On the left side of its logo, it put on the oldest fish hook, it is estimated up to 23,000 years ago. On the right side of it, it places a movie poster, ‘Bare Foot Dream’ based on a real story of football coach Mr. Kim, Shin Hwan, so called Timor-Leste’s Guus Hiddink who made Timor-Leste’s children team won two times at International Youth Football Championship. The Timor-Leste’s efforts are outstanding to promote it image which has the longest friendly relationship with ocean, and special relationship with Republic of Korea.

By Choi, Chang Won, Deputy Coordinator of Timor-Leste Commission Yeosu Expo 2012
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