East Timor Celebrates Its First Day of Independence

East Timor has celebrated its first day of independence, with former guerrilla leader Xanana Gusmão sworn in as the country's first president. President Gusmão called for reconciliation with Indonesia, the former ruling power of East Timor, and for new relations with that country. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, praised the courage of the people of this land during the ceremony marking East Timor's independence in Dili, the capital. East Timor is the first newly independent country of the third millennium to join the United Nations. After centuries under Portuguese rule, two decades under Indonesian governance, and two and a half years under UN control, the people of East Timor celebrated their independence with joy and festivity, having begun the countdown to independence after more than 400 years of foreign domination. In Dili, Carlos Belo, a Roman Catholic bishop and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, prayed for peace and forgiveness with his fellow citizens. Since 1999, following a referendum that confirmed separation from Indonesia by a majority vote, East Timor has been administered under the United Nations.