At the end of a press conference in Portuguese following his release after six years in Indonesian prisons, someone asked Xanana Gusmao to speak directly to the world in English. The East Timorese resistance leader, a frail figure with a short grey beard, thought for a few moments, then he began to talk, slowly but unhesitatingly, and the little room in the British embassy in Jakarta became utterly still.
"I appeal to the international community to help this heroic, this brave, but so defenceless people," he said. "Help to stop the violence, help to stop the killing, help to save lives, children's lives, elderly people's lives, youths, everyone. The destruction taking place in East Timor is to persuade East Timor to be slaves forever. My people proved during 24 years their determination to achieve their freedom because only with freedom can we create peace and prosperity.
"I believe that the international community is aware of the situation in East Timor, because of the frightening images from journalists in East Timor, and as in the [1991] massacre of Santa Cruz when the international community started to know well a very small part of the genocide in East Timor, now I think that all the people in the world, that all the governments in the world are concerned about the suffering of my small and defenceless people," he said.
The former Jesuit priest and poet turned guerrilla fighter ended with the words: "I appeal to friendly countries to take immediate measures to help us to save lives, to save my people."
The plea could hardly have come in more poignant circumstances. After waiting so many years for his release Mr Gusmao cannot now return to East Timor because it is in flames.
His advisers are so concerned about his security in Jakarta that he asked the British ambassador, Mr Robin Christopher, for temporary lodgings behind the metal bars and razor wire of the British embassy while he considers what to do next.
Urgent measures must be put in place to pacify East Timor, to create the opportunity for the people to return to their homes, the East Timor leader said. "It is only possible in my humble opinion with a peace force - and the international community must help East Timor with logistics and medical aid. East Timor is destroyed."
The man who led Falantil guerrillas in the jungles of East Timor until his capture six years ago was formally released from Indonesian custody at 11.45 a.m. yesterday. He was brought to the Justice Ministry from the bungalow behind Salenda prison where he finished the last few months of what originally had been a 20-year sentence for resistance to Indonesian rule.
In a ceremony in a seventh-floor conference room, a presidential proclamation was read giving an amnesty to "Xanana, alias Jose Alexandre Gusmao, alias Kay Rala Canana Gusmao". He was handed into the care of the UN and the British embassy in the persons of the UN's Col Mark Probert of Australia and the British ambassador. Wearing a grey suit and red tie, and the red lapel badge with crossed sabres of Falantil, of which he is technically still commander-in-chief, Mr Gusmao's first words after he and Justice Minister Muladi signed the release documents were: "I promise as a free man I will do everything to bring peace to East Timor and to my people."
The parting from his jailers was a surprisingly emotional occasion. He received a long, teary-eyed farewell embrace from the prison governor, Mr Subari. Like Nelson Mandela, Xanana Gusmao is held in high regard for his integrity and dignified demeanour by friend and foe alike.
"I am very happy he is released, Xanana is like my brother, like we had the same parents," Mr Subari said as other Indonesian officials, including the Justice Minister who gave him a gift-wrapped box which he did not open, lined up afterwards for handshakes.
The East Timorese leader was driven to freedom but a very uncertain future in a lone Toyota Kitang cruiser accompanied by two East Timor security guards.
His immediate destination was the British embassy, where Mr Gusmao had asked for temporary accommodation. The British ambassador said he could stay as long as he liked.
Originally the Indonesian authorities planned to take Mr Gusmao to Dili but his lawyers argued this would have meant almost certain death at the hands of the militias. He said that he hoped to go to the East Timor capital soon.
"We can guarantee his security," said Manuel Carascalao, the vice-president of the National Resistance committee of East Timor (CNRT), said in an interview at the Justice ministry, "but that would mean bringing Falantil down from the mountains and that would mean war." In April, Mr Carascalao's son was killed by militias in Dili as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, was making his first visit to the East Timor capital.
Asked at his press conference about the policy of Falantil in the light of the killing of East Timor independence sympathisers, Mr Gusmao said the guerrillas would stay in their agreed mountain strongholds. "This morning I spoke with Falantil's deputy commander," he said. "Falantil will continue in the cantons. They are receiving a high number of the East Timorese people daily from all over the territory.
"It is very hard for Falantil guerrillas to bear the pain and tears of our people [but] they are determined to continue in the cantons and to continue pursuing the CNRT's political stand. They are determined not to make one gesture to be accused of waging a civil war."
When pressed to say who he thought was doing the killing, Mr Gusmao said bluntly: "I'm not a political analyst and I'm not an expert on Indonesian policy. What I know is the people say TNI [Indonesian army] is killing, Indonesian soldiers are killing."