video transcript

Soldiers march in formation in honour of East Timor's hard-fought freedom, ten years ago. After decades of conflict with Indonesia, the Asian nation won its independence in 2002. Former independence fighter and newly elected President Taur Matan Ruak thanked the United Nations and the countries that supported the rebirth of the nation as well as those who sacrificed their lives. Ruak took the oath of office in the early hours of Sunday, making him the country's third president. He takes over for outgoing president and Nobel laureate Jose Ramos Horta. East Timor's executive office holds little policy-making power to tackle problems of instability, unemployment and a lack of infrastructure. Lindsey Parietti, Reuters