Taur Matan Ruak José Maria Vasconcelos , popularly known by his " nom de guerre " Taur Matan Ruak ( Tetum for " Two Sharp Eyes " ) is an East Timorese politician who has been President of East Timor since 20 May 2012 . Before entering politics , he was the Commander of the FALINTIL - " Forças de Defesa de Timor - Leste " ( F - FDTL ) , the military of East Timor , from 2002 until 6 October 2011 . Prior to serving in the F - FDTL , he was the last commander of the Armed Forces of National Liberation of East Timor or FALINTIL ( " Forças Armadas para a Liberação Nacional de Timor Leste " ) , the insurgent army which resisted the Indonesia n occupation of the territory from 1975 to 1999 . 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 and occupied 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 East Timor . 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 in 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 . Election as President . A presidential election was held in East Timor on 17 March and 16 April 2012 in order to choose a president for a five - year term . Incumbent President Jose Ramos - Horta , who was eligible for a second and final term as president , announced that he would seek nomination to be a candidate in the election . The election was seen as a test for the " young democracy " in seeking to take control of its own security . Taur Matan Ruak provisionally beat Francisco Guterres in a second round runoff . Taur Matan Ruak was sworn in as President on 20 May 2012 , on the same day that East Timor marked the tenth anniversary of its independence .