Leaving
the military in 2011, he stood as an independent candidate in the 2012
presidential election and prevailed in the second round of the vote, held in
April 2012.
Biography
On 7
December 1975, when Indonesia invaded East Timor, Taur Matan Ruak took to the
hills with the recently formed FRETILIN Army, FALINTIL. As a combatant, he
participated in battles against the Indonesian military in Dili, Aileu,
Maubisse, Ossu, Venilale, Uatulari and finally in Laga on the northeastern
coast, where he eventually stayed. Major-General Ruak’s first official FALINTIL
appointment was at the end of 1976. From 1976 to 1979, he rose through the
FALINTIL ranks in the two eastern military sectors, the Central East Sector and
the Eastern Point, or the Ponta Leste Sector. Then he became a company
commander.
Taur
Matan Ruak and others regrouped the following day at the base of Monte Legumau
(Monte Apara) and recommenced guerrilla operations after the collapse of the
last Timorese resistance base at Matebian Mountain on 22 November 1978. He was
ordered to carry out guerrilla activities in the east after the death of
Commander Nicolau Lobato in December 1978. During a mission to locate survivors
of the annihilation campaign, Taur Matan Ruak was captured in the Viqueque area
by Indonesian army forces on 31 March 1979. After 23 days he managed to escape
and rejoin other FALINTIL forces in the mountains.
In
March 1981 he was appointed Assistant Chief-of-Staff of FALINTIL, responsible
for the operational command of the Eastern Sectors and later the Central
Sector. Taur Matan Ruak was promoted and made responsible for strategic
planning of commando operations in the Eastern sector in March 1983. Between
1984 and 1986 Brigadier Ruak was transferred and served as military adviser for
commando operations in the Western Sector. After nearly 10 years of operational
experience he was promoted to Deputy Chief-of-Staff. After 1986, he was
responsible for all commando operations throughout Timor Leste.
In
November 1992, Commander-in-Chief Xanana Gusmão was captured in Dili. Taur
Matan Ruak was promoted to Chief-of-Staff. Mr. Ruak became the Commander of
FALINTIL after the death of Commander Konis Santana on 11 March 1998. Xanana
Gusmão resigned from FALINTIL and Taur Matan Ruak was appointed the
Commander-in-Chief of FALINTIL. With the Restoration of Independence on 20 May
2002 he became the Chefe Estado Maior General Forças Armadas (CEMGFA or Chief
of the Armed Forces) and was promoted to Major General in 2009.
General
Ruak is married to Isabel da Costa Ferreira.
Events since restoration of
independence
Taur
Matan Ruak played a role on the 2006 East Timorese crisis. On 2 October 2006,
the United Nations Independent Special Commission of Inquiry made a number of
recommendations including that several individuals be prosecuted. Notably, it
found that Interior Minister Rogerio Lobato, and Defence Minister Roque
Rodrigues and Defence Force Chief Taur Matan Ruak acted illegally in
transferring weapons to civilians during the crisis.
Ruak
resigned from his position as commander of the F-FDTL on 1 September 2011. At
the time there was speculation that he was considering running for president.
Ruak stated that he would make a decision on standing for election during 2012.
He
was formally decommissioned by President José Ramos-Horta on 6 October 2011.