East Timor president-in-waiting Mr Xanana Gusmao urged thousands of refugees who fled two years ago to return to the territory and rebuild their shattered land.
Mr Gusmao is on a three-day visit to Indonesia's West Timor, to where tens of thousands of East Timorese fled after militias supported by the Indonesian military went on a killing spree when the tiny territory voted for independence in 1999.
"Our main visit is to call our brothers and sisters who are still in the refugee camps to return to the land of East Timor," Mr Gusmao told reporters.
Mr Gusmao also thanked Indonesia's government for sheltering the East Timorese refugees. "For the governor and the people of NTT [East Nusa Tenggara] I am really in debt for many of your sacrifices," he said.
The territory of West Timor makes up the province of Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara.
"Let's go home and rebuild our own country," said the independence hero, who is widely tipped to become East Timor's leader next year when it formally declares independence.
The United Nations has been administering East Timor since the international community sent in troops in 1999 to end the bloodshed.
Mr Gusmao is due to meet refugee leaders on Wednesday and is also expected to hold reconciliation talks with leaders of the pro-Jakarta militias.