Proclamation of Independence Day
Next: November 28, 2026
Tais, flags and a young nation's pride.
The story
Where it comes from
On 28 November 1975, as Portuguese rule came to an end, Francisco Xavier do Amaral proclaimed the independence of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste in Dili. The declaration was made unilaterally, and Indonesia invaded nine days later. Timor-Leste restored its independence on 20 May 2002, and both dates are now national holidays: 28 November remembers the first proclamation and the generation that made it.
How it's celebrated
The main ceremony is held at the Government Palace in Dili, where independence was proclaimed in 1975: a parade, the national anthem and the raising of the flag, which is lowered again at five in the afternoon. Every municipality holds its own flag-raising and pays tribute to former combatants. For the 50th anniversary in 2025, secondary-school students from across the country raised the flag in Dili.
Did you know
- Tais, Timor-Leste's handwoven cotton cloth, coloured with plant dyes and woven by women, was inscribed on UNESCO's list of heritage in need of urgent safeguarding in 2021.
- Timor-Leste became the 11th member of ASEAN on 26 October 2025, at the summit in Kuala Lumpur.
- At the 50th anniversary, President José Ramos-Horta remembered the young people of 1975: 'We had no diplomas, but we had the courage to imagine the impossible.'
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- Bonifacio Day · November 30, 2026
- World AIDS Day · December 1, 2026
- UAE National Day (Eid Al Etihad) · December 2, 2026
- International Day for the Abolition of Slavery · December 2, 2026