Transition & reconstruction

East Timor wants foreign troops to stay

The Australian - December 18, 2003

Patrick Walters -- East Timor is calling for the United Nations to deploy a 400-strong paramilitary force at least until 2006 to bolster its tiny security forces.

Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta also wants Australian combat troops to remain in the country beyond May next year. The Dili Government is lobbying hard for a two-year extension of the UN mandate, which expires in May 2004, when most of the troops stationed in East Timor will leave.

In addition to an international paramilitary ready-reaction force, East Timor wants the UN to assign 50 military observers to assist with border security, as well as up to 70 civilian advisers for government ministries.

As the UN peacekeeping force winds down its presence in East Timor, the Timorese remain apprehensive about their ability to meet external and internal security challenges.

"We would hope that after May 2004, the UN will maintain a significant deterrent force, including a ready-reaction force," Mr Ramos Horta told The Australian in an interview in Dili.

He said the paramilitary force, which would consist of well-armed and highly mobile police units contributed by individual countries, together with the military observer force, should be a minimum UN security presence.

"We need these forces to ensure the Government's day-to-day function does not collapse and to ensure the stability and security of the country. "Our police force and defence force are still in need of further training."

He said the UN paramilitary force was needed as back-up to Timorese police in the event of threats to border security.

Mr Ramos Horta said he would like some Australian combat troops to remain beyond May 2004. "That essentially would be a psychological element and work as a deterrent," he said, acknowledging that no formal request had been made to Canberra by his Government.

The governments in Dili and Canberra agree any additional Australian troop presence later next year should be under the auspices of the UN.

Defence chief Peter Cosgrove said last week that Australian troops would stay in East Timor as long as the Timorese wanted them.

The level of UN involvement in East Timor beyond May 2004 is the subject of intense debate, with a UN team due in Dili next month to prepare final recommendations for Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

In recent weeks the UN has been rapidly winding down its military forces in East Timor, including Australia's contribution. Within weeks, Australia will have fewer than 500 troops stationed there, compared with more than 3000 at the height of its deployment in 2000.

Mr Ramos Horta told The Australian he remained confident about East Timor's border security and optimistic that Indonesia would honour its obligations. He said militia for ces still in West Timor should be resettled off the island.

The UN Security Council is expected to make final decisions on the shape of any UN force in East Timor by next March.

Some Australian troops to stay in Timor

The Australian - December 15, 2003

Australia will leave some 50 to 60 troops to assist with training of the East Timorese military once the peacekeeping force comes home, defence chief General Peter Cosgrove said today. He rejected suggestions that Australia could continue to deploy peacekeepers beyond the end of the United Nations mandate on May 20.

"My clear understanding of the government position on this is that when the mandate runs out May 20, as with the other troop contributing nations, we will withdraw all of the peacekeeping force and the Australia component of the peacekeeping force," he told a parliamentary committee

"There will be no more peacekeeping force. We have a bilateral arrangement with the East Timorese which is separate to that and which will remain extant. We have a program that will run into the future."

General Cosgrove visited Australian troops in East Timor over the weekend, opening the training centre at Metinaro in front of the President of the East Timor Parliament, Francesco Lu'Olo, and other East Timorese officials.

Both the training centre and the Platoon Commanders Course for the East Timor Defence Force form part of Australia's ongoing defence co-operation program with East Timor. General Cosgrove said 50-60 personnel would remain in East Timor, depending on training needs at the time, once the 400 peacekeepers head home.

"While our peacekeeping force will withdraw in May when the mandate runs out, our training team and those others we have salted away in there assisting the Timorese defence force to mature will remain as long as they are needed and wanted by the East Timorese government and as long as the Australian government considered this a useful contribution," he said.

Security & boarder issues

Military, police in border areas show reformed attitudes

Antara - December 21, 2003

Atambua -- Indonesian military and police personnel assigned to the border regions shared by Indonesia and East Timor have shown reformed attitudes in accordance with current era of reforms, a local legislator has said.

"We notice that the Indonesian military and police personnel assigned to the border areas have begun to show the principle of reforms as they now give priority to the people's interest," chairman of the Belu district legislative council, Herman Yoseph Loe Mau, said here Sunday.

Herman said Indonesian military and police personnel showed encouraging attitudes to the people in Belu district, East Nusa Tenggara province, when they were safeguarding the elections of Belu district head and deputy head for the 2004-2009 period on December 2, 2003.

The people in Belu welcomed the current security paradigm as the Indonesian military and police personnel gave priority to the principles of democracy, Herman said.

"Likewise, journalists and observers admitted that the democratic process has proceeded well and the security paradigm with a nuance of reform has taken place," he said, adding that the military and police have enabled the people to gather without any anarchic acts.

In addition, he said, the Indonesian military and police have been able to prove that the law and order situation in Belu district which many quarters have considered as prone to conflicts is now conducive to all activities.

All parties have to admit that the security paradigm applied by Chief of Belu district police Adjunct Senior Commissioner Agus Nugroho, Chief of the Belu district military command Lt.Col. Ganip Warsito and Chief of the Security Task Force on the East Nusa Tenggara-East Timor border Col. Djoko Sutiono has produced concrete results, he said.

Djoko Sutiono said over the weekend that the Security Task Force has been guarding 57 points along the 316.7-kilometer border-line shared by Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province and East Timor.

Sutiono pointed out that every security point has one control post guarded by 25-30 personnel.

He said the East Nusa Tenggara-East Timor border extends from an area in East Nusa Tenggara which directly borders on Oecusse district (East Timor) to Covalima district (also East Timor).

Until now, Sutiono said, the Indonesian territory on the border areas is still safeguarded by the Indonesian military personnel in an adequate number although the security situation there is considered conducive.

Such a measure is taken because the border line is relatively long and has many areas which are frequently made by certain people to cross illegally from East Nusa Tenggara to East Timor or vice versa, he said.

"The number of personnel guarding the border is actually big but there are still many people both Indonesians and East Timorese illegally crossing for different reasons and interests," he said.

Timor Gap

Mind the Timor gap

Herald Sun (Melbourne) - December 26, 2003

Andrew Hewett -- Governments from around the world gathered in East Timor recently to hear news of a looming economic crisis facing the world's newest nation.

This crisis is triggered by declining foreign aid and uncertainty about future revenue flows to East Timor from the oil and gas fields of the Timor Sea.

When East Timor celebrated independence in May 2002, the huge challenge of economic and social development lay ahead.

East Timor is the poorest country in East Asia. Only 60 per cent of its people can read and write, life expectancy is just 57 years and more than one-in-10 East Timorese children born today are likely to die before the age of five.

To confront these challenges, East Timor's paltry annual budget of $119 million relies heavily on foreign aid.

Most of this is set to decline rapidly over the next three years, leaving the country with an expected budget deficit of more than $195 million by 2007. While donor support for reconstruction has been generous since 1999, many donors are now scaling back support to help other countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Liberia.

Fortunately for East Timor there is a window of opportunity for financing its development needs over the coming decades -- lucrative undersea oil and gas reserves.

In the Timor Sea between Australia and East Timor lie vast reserves over which political tensions between Canberra and Dili are heating up.

Central to the tensions are the tens of billions of dollars worth of energy from an area of the Timor Sea that is subject to overlapping maritime boundary claims by the two countries.

With this sort of money at stake, the Australian Government claims that our maritime boundary extends to the edge of the Australian continental shelf -- 400km off our northern coast -- and, unsurprisingly, far closer to East Timor than Australia.

Such an outcome to boundary negotiations would bring the bulk of revenue from the deposits into Canberra's rather than Dili's coffers.

East Timor claims that the maritime boundary should be drawn along a middle line between our coast lines.

Since the early 1980s, such median lines have been the preferred method for determining maritime boundaries between countries less than 400 nautical miles apart.

Normally, when a maritime boundary cannot be agreed by two countries, the matter would go to the International Court of Justice.

But when East Timor suggested having the matter adjudicated that way, the Australian Government withdrew from this dispute settlement procedure. This tactical manoeuvre, perceived by the East Timorese Government as an unfriendly act, has effectively removed any opportunity East Timor might have had for seeking an independent, third-party resolution.

So it is left with no legal mechanism to establish its boundaries in the absence of timely and co-operative negotiations with Australia.

Australia needs to assist this small nation to achieve financial independence.

We should commit to achieving a permanent agreed maritime boundary in no more than five years -- or otherwise refer the issue to the International Court. The unfolding tensions over the Timor Sea risk undermining Australia's relations with our closest neighbour and tarnish the Howard Government's strongest foreign policy achievement in supporting the fledgling country over the past four years. The people of East Timor deserve a fair go.

[Andrew Hewett is executive director of Oxfam Community Aid Abroad.]

Government & politics

2004 should be year of 'stability': Gusmao

Lusa - December 22, 2003

Dili -- President Xanana Gusmco challenged East Timor's parliament Monday to make 2004 "the year of stability" for the newly independent nation.

Gusmco, addressing parliament to mark the end of its first session, called on the lawmakers to give priority to approving laws regulating local power structures and the civil service, along with the creation of a Council of State and a High Defense Council.

Though now independent, Gusmco said the Timorese state remained "weak" and in need of consolidation.

Democratic practice was also marred, the president added, saying it was serving as "an instrument of pure criticism" for the opposition, while the governing Fretilin party made "too much use" of its wide majority to do whatever it pleased.

Justice & reconciliation

Strongman weeps over his brutality

The Age - December 20, 2003

Jill Jolliffe, Dili -- The minister known as the strongman in East Timor's Government wept like a child as he confessed publicly to beating a prisoner during the 1975 civil war.

"I knew it was wrong, but he had killed my younger brother," Interior Minister Rogerio Lobato said. "I lost control. I didn't kill him, but I beat him up twice, badly." He asked the community and the man's family for forgiveness.

In his frank admission that he violated human rights, Mr Lobato was in a minority among the 13 politicians who testified before the Reception, Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Dili this week.

The commission was formed in 2001 to reconcile communities divided by the militia violence of 1999, but also has a mandate to examine human rights violations committed between 1974 and 1999.

On Monday it began public hearings on the most sensitive of topics -- the events leading to the six-week civil war that gave Indonesia the excuse it was seeking to invade and occupy the then Portuguese colony. The war between the nationalist parties Fretilin and the Timorese Democratic Union (UDT) erupted in August 1975, with the Portuguese administration withdrawing at the height of the fighting.

The commission consists of seven commissioners who invited political leaders to acknowledge responsibility for the violence and seek forgiveness from their people. It warned them of the dangers of self-incrimination.

Most witnesses defended their party's version of the civil war history. All formally requested forgiveness but, with a few exceptions, the errors they admitted -- such as promoting intolerance and lacking self-discipline -- were so generalised as to be meaningless.

One of the first to testify was Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri. When he concluded with the phrase: "I can state that I didn't do anything. I wasn't even [Fretilin] president or secretary," he was questioned impatiently by commissioner Jose Estevao.

Mr Estevao pointed out that the commission was dealing with human rights abuses, yet witnesses were engaging in politics. He accused witnesses of lacking courage. "Nobody accepts blame. I would like you, as a leader of Fretilin, to say whether Fretilin violated human rights," he said.

Timorese followed the hearings avidly, with keen interest in explanations for the killing of scores of prisoners Fretilin held in Dili when Indonesia invaded. Fretilin leaders took these prisoners to the mountains with them. Their bodies, and those of others held in local prisons, were found in mass graves in early 1976. They included senior leaders of the UDT party.

Mr Alkatiri said: "I'm not saying the people killed themselves. But I don't know who did. Because of the context, Fretilin accepts responsibility." His view was contradicted by the ageing former president of Fretilin, Xavier do Amaral, whose frankness echoed that of Mr Lobato. "We were in the midst of war, we had no transport, medicines or food," he said. "Some of the prisoners were very ill. If we let them survive, they could have fallen into enemy hands, to be used against us. So we took a decision to kill them."

Admission from last Portuguese Governor

Radio Australia - December 18, 2003

As East Timor continues to delve into its painful past, there's been a suprising confession from Timor's last European governor. During this week's final hearings at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Major General Mario Lemos Pires publically admitted that Portugal failed to prepare the former territory for democracy.

Presenter/Interviewer: James Panichi

Speakers: James Dunn, former Australian consul to Timor; Major General Mario Lemos Pires; Jose Ramos Horta, former Secretary General of Fretilin's Political Committee.

Announcer: "The latest report from the Portuguese colony of Timor say that widespread fighting's broken out between the rival nationalist groups Fretilin and the Timorese Democratic Union, the UDT. The UDT still controls the radio station..."

Journalist: "Will you want to go back to Timor when the fighting's over?"

Announcer: "Never more. Because all I have is lost. Timor is finished for me. And I think Timor is finished for every Timorese."

Ramos Horta: "I have appealed to both sides for them to sit down and talk. If they don't take any notice, I believe we are going to have endless and unneccessary bloodshed."

Panichi: The voice of Jose Ramos Horta, who today is East Timor's Foreign Minister. But at the time of that report, he was the Secretary General of Fretilin's political committee, and was in Australia when fighting broke out.

Mr Ramos Horta was one of many high-profile East Timorese political figures who testified at this week's Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearing.

The forum heard evidence relating to events between 1974 and 1976 -- the years which marked the bitter civil war which broke out in the wake of Portugal's sudden withdrawal.

James Dunn was Australian consul in the colony between 1962 and 1964, and was visting Dili at the height of the 1975 tension. He attended this week's hearing as an "expert witness".

Dunn: "What has been interesting is the way a number of victims have come forward with extraordinarily generous statement of their position. Such as one former [pro-Indonesian party] APODETI man who was taken captive and beaten, many of his friends killed.

"And the Indonesians caught one of the people who beat him and told him that he was now able to kill him.

"He told us he sat and thought about it for a while and walked up and threw his arms around him, and embraced him. That brought the house down."

Panichi: Mr Dunn concedes some of the testimony may have been politically self-serving. However, he says the four-day hearing was a positive first step in the process of reconciliation.

Announcer: "The Portuguese administration in Dili slipped out of the harbour under darkness this morning. As the fighting intensified, Governor Lemos Pires made repeated calls for help, saying his position was becoming untenable."

Panichi: The governor mentioned in that 1975 radio report is Major General Mario Lemos Pires. He had been appointed by the Portuguese government to usher the colony towards democracy, as quickly as possible.

In what amounted to a remarkably frank deposition, Major Lemos Pires admitted Portugal was at the time still smarting from the effects of its 1974 revolution. As a result, the government lacked the political will to undertake a more responsible approach to decolonisation.

Lemos Pires: "We were so much more worried about what happened in Portugal than what happened in Timor.

"For example, they couldn't despense forces -- in good condition and with good will -- to go to Timor to ensure security there.

"At the same time, for instance, we had no ambassador in Jakarta -- and that was a very important post for us.

"And the political credibility of Portugal at that time was so low."

Panichi: "In a satellite link from Portugal, Major Lemos Pires told the commission his government had left him without support in managing the process of decolonisation.

That lack of military presence led to his overnight retreat to the island of Atauro on August 27, 1975, in which he abandoned Dili to what later proved a particularly bloody civil war.

And in December 1975, the Indonesian army invaded East Timor -- an occupation which lasted until 1999.

It's not surprising, therefore, that the commission was keen to hear Major Lemos Pires's interpretation of events.

Lemos Pires: "Of course, if Portugal was prepared and had the force and political respect at that moment, we could have done better.

"The problem was that I became alone in that moment. Portugal forgot East Timor because on the one hand it was the revolution, on the other it was African decolonisation, and so many Portuguese there in such bad conditions."

Reconciliation hearing seeks to resolve bitter past

Radio Australia - December 15, 2003

Since gaining independence in 2002, the people of East Timor have struggled with the legacy of violence of Indonesia's 24-year occupation. Now they are being asked to turn their minds to what many people was an even more disturbing chapter of country's recent history.

In August 1975, East Timor descended into three weeks of bitter civil war, which may have claimed up to two thousand lives. Now, a reconciliation commission wants the country to face the demons of a past which continues to shape the present.

Presenter/Interviewer: James Panichi

Speakers: Joao Carrascalao, leader of the Timorese Democratic Union; Pat Walsh, special advisor to the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor; Father Jovito Araujo, deputy chairman of East Timor's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Panichi: In 1975, Joao Carrascalao was one of three leaders of the Timorese Democratic Union, or UDT. While the party was in favour of independence, it also advocated maintaining links with the territory's then political master, Portugal. As a result, the UDT soon came into conflict with East Timor's separatist left- wing political organisation, later known as Fretilin.

Mr Carrascalao, who will testify at this week's hearings, says the pain of those bitter clashes is still strong -- that's why this isn't the right time to delve into the past.

Carrascalao: There were horrendous crimes committed at the time and some people still remember, they saw their mothers being killed and it is very painful to remind them of that. And we don't know the outcome if we are going to point the finger at those perpetrators and that is why I think it is not the right moment.

Panichi: But the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor -- known by the acronym CAVR -- believes the time has come to discuss the events which took place between 1974 and 1976. The four-day hearing will hear evidence from senior East Timor political figures, including Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta, Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri and President Xanana Gusmao. The theory is that for a new democracy to build a culture of human rights and respect for the rule of law, it needs to face up to the most tragic moments of its history. The CAVR has examined the experiences of truth and reconciliation tribunals in Peru and South Africa, and believes can prevent witnesses using the process to score political points. Pat Walsh is a special advisor to the commission.

Walsh: We've tried to learn from that here and what we've done is spend alot of time with key people from 1975, some of whom are now in a position of leadership and people who are heads of parties which were instituted during the 1974 to 1976 period. And we've also promoted a sort of low key informal dialogue between those people, not just between the commission and them but amongst ourselves so that they can work out how to handle this and don't just surface all this difficult material at the public hearing.

Panichi: With the birth of the East Timorese state in 2002, the CAVR was given the mandate of investigating human rights violations from 1974 to 1999. However, this week's public hearing is particularly sensitive because the divisions of the civil war remain part of East Timor's political landscape today. By the time the Portuguese pulled out in 1975, the territory had only just held its first local elections. Fretilin was elected, with the UDT coming second and the pro-Indonesian Timorese Democratic People's Union receiving only a small number of votes. The UDT later carried out a coup, and the violence that followed led to a range of human rights violations, including summary executions, rapes, illegal detention and forced labour. In today's East Timor, the government is dominated by Fretilin supporters.

The CAVR's deputy chairman, Father Jovito Araujo, admits the UDT's exclusion from power will add some bitterness to this week's proceedings. Yet he remains confident reconciliation is still possible.

Araujo: I think not only UDT people but I think all the other party people also feel the same as the UDT but because the UDT is an historical party they feel an exclusion from the past to the present. But I think here the exclusion is not only for the UDT but for all the other parties.

Panichi: Do you believe that a hearing which focuses on these very bitter political divisions will help bring about reconcilliation in East Timor?

Araujo: If they do not take care of this situation then it will raise many conflicts inside the the country. I think so.

East Timor to air 1975 war errors

Melbourne Age - December 16, 2003

Jill Jolliffe, Dili -- In the hope that the seasonal spirit will prevail, East Timor's Truth and Reconciliation Commission is asking former political leaders to seek forgiveness for triggering the civil war that paved the way for Indonesia's bloody 1975 invasion.

President Xanana Gusmao was the first witness to testify yesterday at what will be a four-day hearing, saying: "Timor's political parties owe an apology to our people for the suffering they imposed."

Political observers consider the hearings as timely, given fears that East Timor may split into warring political factions when the UN withdraws in May.

Mr Gusmao admitted his errors as a junior member of the nationalist Fretilin party. He said that after Portugal's 1974 revolution granted freedom to the East Timorese "our parties began dividing people in an irrational way. Brothers and sisters turned against each other. We slandered each other until we no longer knew what was true".

But he also pointed to external interests that fanned divisions and limited the choices of Timor's immature politicians 30 years ago. Among them were the Soeharto dictatorship's virulent anti- communism, the Australian Government's refusal to help Portugal decolonise, and the communist victory in Vietnam, which hardened American attitudes to leftist governments in the region but inspired impressionable young Timorese.

Human rights/law

First TNI soldier convicted of crimes in Timor

Australian Associated Press - December 16, 2003

Rob Taylor -- An East Timorese human rights crimes court today sentenced a former member of Indonesia's military to 11 years in jail for murder and torture committed during the wave of violence which followed the country's 1999 independence vote.

Former Indonesian army (TNI) Head Sergeant Marcelino Soares (Marcelino Soares) was found guilty of murdering Luis Dias Soares, who was beaten to death at an army post on Dili's outskirts on April 20, 1999.

United Nations-funded prosecutors from the Serious Crimes Unit in Dili found Soares, an East Timorese member of the TNI, also tortured Luis Dias Soares (Luis Dias Soares) and two other pro- independence supporters. One of the men was held captive and beaten for four days before he was released.

The sentence was the first imposed on a TNI member since the trials in East Timor began. He is also the first soldier to be jailed for the killings in East Timor.

Indonesia set up its own court to try offenders but rights groups described it as a sham.

Including trials in Indonesia, the decision in East Timor today brought to three the number of TNI soldiers who have been convicted, although the other two along with more senior military commanders, including former armed forces chief Wiranto, remain free.

Wiranto, who is being touted as a possible presidential candidate in next year's Indonesian elections, earlier this year strongly denied allegations of crimes against humanity lodged in an indictment by prosecutors in Dili.

He said he had not planned any of the killings, torture and kidnapping that occurred in East Timor when it voted to break away from Indonesia in 1999.

The Dili court today also jailed a former militiaman for 10 years for his role in two murders in the Covalima district in August and September 1999.

Damiao da Costa Nunes (Damiao da Costa Nunes), a former Laksaur militia member, was found guilty of murder for his part in the stabbing of independence supporter Jaime Da Costa Nunes (Jaime Da Costa Nunes) in Mota Ulun Village on August 27, 1999.

He was also found guilty of killing another man, Jose Dos Reis, by stabbing him in the chest on September 7, 1999, and of having a role in the abduction and disappearance of Albino Nahak the day before.

The East Timor special court has convicted 43 people since 1999 and acquitted one.

The militias -- organised and armed by the Indonesian military -- waged a savage intimidation campaign before the referendum and a revenge campaign afterwards. An estimated 1,000 people were killed and whole towns were razed.

Prosecutor Per Halsbog said the conviction of Marcelino Soares would help victims and their families get over their losses "in the knowledge that some measure of justice has been achieved".

News & issues

Timor fires 23 soldiers for indiscipline, more to follow

Associated Press - December 17, 2003

East Timor's tiny military has discharged 27 soldiers and will soon fire more than 60 others for being absent without leave or skipping training, a spokesman said Wednesday.

The country's 1,500-strong East Timor Defense Force is slowly taking over responsibilities from UN peacekeepers in the newly independent nation.

On Tuesday, 27 soldiers were fired for being absent without leave for more than 15 days or for skipping training sessions, said Col. Lere Anan Timur. He said another 63 will be dismissed over the same charges in January.

"We don't want to keep indisciplined soldiers in our military force," Maj. Jose Maubuti said at the dismissal ceremony. "It is a strong warning for all our soldiers."

East Timor's army is being trained by international instructors from Australia, Portugal, New Zealand, South Korea and the United States. It has two active and two reserve infantry battalions, as well as a naval unit consisting of two coastal patrol vessels.

UN troops arrived in East Timor in September 1999 to restore order after the Indonesian army and its militia proxies went on a rampage in the territory when it voted for independence.

The former Portuguese colony, which Indonesia invaded and occupied in 1975, remained under UN rule until May 2002 when it gained full independence. The UN force is due to pull out in June 2004.

International solidarity

Timor activist dead at 50

Associated Press - December 27, 2003

East Timorese freedom campaigners are mourning the death of a leading Australian human rights activist, Dr Andrew McNaughtan.

The 50-year-old was found dead in his Mosman home in Sydney's north on Christmas Eve after friends and neighbours noticed he had not been seen for some days.

Dr McNaughtan campaigned for the liberation of East Timor from Indonesian rule and was deported from the troubled province a number of times after exposing civilian murders and military oppression.

Jefferson Lee, a spokesman for the Australia-East Timor Association -- for which Dr McNaughtan served as convenor in recent years -- said the movement was in shock.

He said Dr McNaughtan played a major role in bringing the plight of the Timorese people to the world's attention throughout the 1990s, and sacrificed his medical career in the process.

Mr Lee described Dr McNaughtan as being "as game as Ned Kelly" in his approach, but "laudable as Ghandi" in championing the rights of oppressed people.

"I think it was just his deep-seated compassion for fellow human beings," Mr Lee said.

"He was first alerted to the Timor problem when he was working as a general practitioner in Darwin and was treating Timorese refugees and noticed all the torture marks and psychosis effects from torture."

In 1996, Dr McNaughtan and other Australians were detained by Malaysian police after attending a banned conference on East Timor at a Kuala Lumpur hotel.

A pro-government youth group allied to then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's ruling coalition broke up the conference, saying it could harm Malaysia's ties with Indonesia, which annexed East Timor in 1975.

East Timor's newly appointed consul-general to Australia, Abel Guterres, was also kicked out of Malaysia alongside Dr McNaughtan. Mr Guterres said Dr McNaughtan was considering his request to spend two years practising medicine in the village where he grew up.

"Andrew was one of those very special people whose dedication to the struggle of East Timor was just so tireless," Mr Guterres said. "He was a great mate who did everything possible to help East Timor and this is a great loss."

Mr Lee said Dr McNaughtan worked on the board of Timor Aid and dispensed medical assistance to hundreds of Timorese while lobbying politicians and the media about the meltdown in East Timor.

"Dr McNaughtan was best known for his devotion to the liberation of East Timor," Mr Lee said. "He spearheaded many campaigns to highlight human rights abuses there throughout the 1990s."

East Timor media monitoring

East Timor media monitoring

World Bank - December 15-31, 2003

Antara -- East Timorese community threatens to sue Indonesian Government over asylum-seekers case Kupang -- The East Timorese Community (KMTT) in Belu district, East Nusa Tenggara, has threatened to file a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice against Indonesia if the latter's government insists on deporting 26 East Timorese asylum seekers sheltered in the district. The Indonesian government should allow the asylum seekers and former East Timorese refugees in the province to live in the country instead of deporting them to East Timor, the KMTT said in a statement issued on Saturday. The three-page statement was signed by 11 East Timorese community figures representing 11 different areas in East Timor and 52 former East Timorese refugees living in the district.

Suara Timor Lorosae -- UNPOL denies Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group operating in Timor-Leste The Vice-Commander of UNPOL, Allen King, said that the information circulating in Timor-Leste saying that members of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah are operating in the country is not true and are only rumors. Mr King said that to date UNPOL has not found a member of Jemaah Islamiyah in Timor-Leste.

Population handed ammunition to Police The Inspector of National Police Force in Baucau, Pedro Belo, said that two farmers from Saelari-Laga, sub-district of Laga, found 122 J3 ammunitions buried in a hole while cleaning their farm. He added that he believed the ammunitions were buried in '99 during the civil war.

Respect first peoples dignity During the Human Rights Day ceremony the coordinator for Justice and Peace Commission for the Diocese of Baucau, Ilidio Gusmao, said that before we can talk about human rights first of all we should learn how to respect other peoples rights, and most importantly their dignity. He added that then we all can live in peace and harmony.

Inspector General: Public Works Case Was Not Corruption The accusations made against the Department of Public Works, of corruption, collusion and nepotism, are not true said the Inspector General, Mariano Lopes, according to a report published by Suara Timor Lorosae. Mr da Cruz said that the investigation on the alleged corruption could only prove mismanagement of financial resources, but not corruption. He added that the investigation is over and that a report has been presented to Prime-Minister Mari Alkatiri.

Timor Post -- Corruption is not out of control The Inspector General, Mariano Lopes da Cruz, said that corruption in Timor- Leste does not exist in great scale when compared to Indonesian times, which was out of control. He added that most of the alleged corruption usually comes from people that like to talk about it without presenting any evidence. Mr da Cruz said that people who talk about corruption, when asked to come forward, suddenly have nothing to say.

Council of Ministers Approves Cuts in State Budget The Council of Ministers approved Thursday the draft law of a revised State budget, which takes in consideration the US$9.4 million shortfall resulting from the lower revenues from oil and gas exploitation in the Timor Sea. The draft budget foresees cuts of US$4.5 million, affecting mainly salaries and wages (a decrease of one percent), the budget of State departments and capital expenditure. The bill will be sent to the National Parliament for consideration.

December 16, 2003

Suara Timor Lorosae -- Australian Defence Force Chief General, Peter Cosgrove, is now known in East Timor as "Fohorai Lulik" or the Sacred Serpent, a hero's honour which forever marks him as a unique person in Timorese folklore, and one who possesses special powers as a protector. General Cosgrove said he was deeply honoured by his new name and said it meant he had now been "accepted as part of the East Timorese family". The Australian Defence Force Chief was in East Timor to open a new English training facility at Metinaro, and to watch the graduation of a group of platoon commanders and to inspect Australian peacekeepers stationed on the Indonesian border.

Australia will stick to the United Nations deadline to withdraw peacekeepers from East Timor despite an appeal for continued help. Australian Defence Force Chief, Peter Cosgrove, said that only 50 to 60 of its 400 troops will remain in East Timor after the UN mandate runs out May 20.

During the inauguration of the irrigation system in Laclo, District of Manatuto, the Prime Minister, Dr Mari Alkatiri, said that he hopes the farmers will now be motivated and double their efforts and better their lives.

During the public audience organized by the Truth, Reception and Reconciliation Commission (CAVR), the Bishop of Baucau and Dili, D. Basilio do Nascimento, said to the public audience that it's important to help heal wounds of the past and look to the future. He added that it's also an opportunity for the political parties who were involved in the struggle in 74, to apologise to the people. The Bishop also said that reconciliation in the long run will help achieve justice.

During a seminar on the draft regulation for investment, the Secretary of State for Tourism, Environment and Investment, Jose Augusto Teixeira, said that the draft is an important issue for the Government of Timor-Leste. He added that the debate will focus on the proposal and what measures the Government should adopt on the draft regulation for investment.

Timor Post -- The President of the political party PSD, Mario Carrascalao, said that for political parties to apologise to the people, first we need to identify who was the biggest culprit. He added that people should be clear and say whether the party or the people responsible for the mistakes should apologise. Mr Carrascalao said that political parties cannot be blamed for the actions of some members. He added that those who recognise their mistake should apologise now to the people of this country.

F-FDTL with 50 undisciplined soldiers The Commander of F-FDTL Brigadier General, Taur Matan Ruak, said that 50 members of first and second battalion of F-FDTL will face disciplinary action for what he considers has been undisciplined. He added that he thinks that some of them will be dismissed from the army.

During the graduation ceremony for the 37 members of the Border Patrol Unit, the Minister of Interior, Rogerio Tiago Lobato, said that the BPU will be equipped with bigger and better guns to defend the border. He added that not to cause war but to defend the border.

The Head of the International Centre for Cooperation of France (CIRAD), based in Baucau, Laurence Olivier, said that a team from France has arrived in Timor-Leste to identify the bugs responsible for the killing of coconut trees.

Mr Olivier said that the team will evaluate the damage caused by the pest in the District of Baucau, and also try to identify if it is the same bug that is also killing the coconut trees in the Districts of Viqueque and Lospalos.

December 17, 2003

Timor Post -- During East Timor's Truth and Reconciliation Commission public hearing, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Jose Ramos Horta, said that the civil war in 1974 and 1975 was triggered by super powers due to the cold war at that time, and paved the way for Indonesia's invasion. Dr Horta also said that he was not there to accuse Fretilin or UDT, and in every process there's no white or black but the truth that is in between.

The Prime Minister, Dr Mari Alkatiri, said that the civil war was provoked by internal and external factors (the relationship between Lisbon and Jakarta deteriorated) that did not give time for leaders to think about what way to conduct the political process. He added that to complicate matters even further, Canberra stepped in the middle. Dr Alkatiri also said that at that time Washington didn't even know where Timor-Leste was. And for this reason Washington gave the green light to Jakarta to invade in 1975.

The Secretary of State for Power and Water (EDTL), Egidio de Jesus, said that with financial support from Asia Development Bank (ADB), 36 power stations have been rehabilitated throughout the country. Mr de Jesus said that ADB will finance the reconstruction of two new power stations in Fatu Lulik and Fatu Mea, in the District of Suai.

The Minister of Interior, Rogerio Tiago Lobato, said that the Rapid Intervention Unit Commander and his Deputy were dismissed by the Government due to their undisciplined behaviour. He added that they were only demoted from their positions, and not discharged from the National Police Force.

Judges of the special Panel for Serious Crimes acquitted Gilberto Fernandes, Jose da Costa and Inacio Oliveira, of the charges of murder and persecution as crimes against humanity, while convicting the three former Team Alfa members of violence against property or people. Nine others who are charged with the murder of the Liurai (King) of Lospalos remain fugitives and are believed to be in Indonesia, including two TNI officers and the former Administrator of Lautem.

The prosecution alleged that although the three defendants in this trial were not direct perpetrators of the killing, they played a sufficient role to incur criminal responsibility for the murder. The Special Panel disagreed and acquitted the three defendants on the charge in Count One of first degree murder as a crime against humanity under Section 14 UNTAET Regulation 2000/15.

Suara Timor Lorosae -- During East Timor's Truth and Reconciliation Commission public hearing the Prime minister, Dr Mari Alkatiri, said that as a founder of Timorese Social Democratic Association (ASDT) which transformed afterwards to Fretilin, choose the left wing political ideology which is not a communist ideology. Dr Alkatiri said that accusations made against Fretilin members as communists was propaganda used by Indonesia to convince the United States of America of a reason to invade Timor-Leste in 1975.

The Principal of the Pre-Secondary School in the District of Viqueque, Mateus Lobo, said that his school has adopted a discipline rule to fine USD1 to students that miss school. He added that since the implementation of the rule in September the numbers of attendees have doubled, and the children are taking less days off from school.

A member of the community from the District of Maufahe, Mario Oliveira, said that the heavy rain from the past few days has caused landslide in the main road that connects Same to Dili. He added that since then travellers have to sleep overnight to catch the next car that arrives from Dili.

December 18, 2003

Suara Timor Lorosae -- The PNTL Superintendent, Paulo Fatima Martins, said that he was disappointed with the clashes between two martial art groups [KORKA and PSHT], which occurred on Sunday in Comoro market. Martins said he was sad because innocent people had been victims of this clash. According to the newspaper, PNTL officers are now questioning the two martial art groups. The newspaper says that the police are trying to identify those involved in the clashes in order to take them to court.

During East Timor's Truth and Reconciliation Commission the Minister of Interior, Rogerio Tiago Lobato, said that as a Falintil Operational Commander he has moral responsibilities for the violence but cannot assume responsibilities for the crimes committed individually in 1975. He added that he never gave orders to Falintil to kill their political opponents. Mr Lobato said that people who were killed in '75 during civil war, that was without him knowing and he cannot be accountable for other people's undisciplined actions.

The Sub-District coordinator for the Ainaro District, Jose Mendonca da Silva, said that the last few days heavy rain destroyed two houses in the District of Ainaro, badly injuring a lady and her child. He added that both are hospitalised in the intensive care unit in Maubisse hospital.

A Member of the National Parliament from Commission F, Antonio Ximenes, said that according to his information 500 Filipinos, Bangladeshis and Indonesians were recruited to work on the Timor Gap (the paper fails to mentioned where or when they were recruited). Mr Ximenes also said that he wants to know why the 30 East Timorese recruited for training were dismissed.

The District Administrator of Mauibisse, Jose Mendonca da Silva, said that during a workshop in Maubisse the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery, Estanislau da Silva, promised corn seeds to the population from the Sub-District of Maubisse but failed to deliver them. Mr da Silva said that people from nine villages are still waiting for the promised seeds. In the mean time, farmers in the District of Ainaro and Sub-District of Hatudu have received 10 tons of corn seeds that were delivered by the Head of the Department of Agriculture in the District of Ainaro, Natalia Orleans.

Timor Post -- During East Timor's Truth and Reconciliation Commission public hearing the Minister of Interior, Rogerio Tiago Lobato, said that in 1975 Fretilin and UDT did not want to talk and listen to one another. He added that as a Commander for the Armed Forces at that time he takes all the responsibilities for the Armed Forces actions. Mr Lobato said that he apologises to the victims of families that have suffered for the loss of their loved ones just because of the civil war.

The Secretary of State for Public Works, Joao Alves, said that his department has approached RESPECT seeking financial support to repair the main road that connects Turiscai and Maubisse. He added that the financial support will facilitate transportation for the farmers and coffee growers to be able sell their products elsewhere. Mr Alves also said that people in the District of Ermera will benefit from the TFET and CFET budget allocation programs for FY04.

Mr Alves said that some of the money will be allocated to repair bridges in the Sub-District of Iliomar, and the Districts of Lospalos and Viqueque.

The Manager of Markets, Basilio Guterres, said that side street vendors will soon be removed and sent to the nearest market, because the vendor are blocking the footpaths for pedestrians. He added that the vendors on the footpaths are illegally trading their goods.

December 19, 2003

Suara Timur Lorosae -- The Police Commissioner of PNTL, Paulo de Fatima Martins, said that recently an unidentified warship sailed into the waters of Fatu Sinai, Oe-Cussi, and fired a round of ammunition, scaring the population in that area. Mr Martins said that the Border Patrol units (BPU) in Oe-Cussi reported that an helicopter was seen flying into Timor-Leste air space, also without any identification.

The F-FDTL Army Chief Coronel, Lere Anan Timur, said that F-FDTL will discharge another 60 soldiers for what he considers laziness, and failure to report back to their duties. He added that the 60 soldiers had abandoned service for at least 15-days without clear reasons and were absent from training.

The Special Representative of SRSG in Timor-Leste, Kamalesh Sharma, said that with the end of the UNMISET mission next year, Timor-Leste will have a special support team for sectors that need further assistance. Mr Sharma said that before any decision can be made he will meet with the Government of Timor-Leste to decide and prioritise areas that the Government considers vital for the special team to be able to help.

The National Police Commissioner, Paulo de Fatima Martins, said that he considers the recent clash between two martial arts groups (PSHT and KORKA) in Comoro market, as an organized crime. He added that the police are now investigating the reason that led the groups to clash. In the mean time the National Police Force have detained 8 members from one of the martial arts group. They are in custody awaiting trial.

On today's edition the newspaper reports that an unknown group, possibly former Militias, destroyed the Border Patrol Unit (BPU) post in Passabe, Oe-Cussi Sub-District. According to the newspaper, the former militias currently living in refugee camps in West Timor, crossed the border to Timor-Leste to carry out their activities when BPU officers detained the suspect militia men. The newspaper also reports that in another incident a man identified as Punef Afu and his nephew accidentally crossed the border while attending to their animals.

They tried to escape, but gave themselves up after BPU officers fired shots to the air.

Timor Post -- During East Timor's Truth and Reconciliation Commission public hearing the President, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, appealed to the youth to sort out their differences and stop the violence, especially those involved in the Comoro Market clash. Mr Gusmao also made an appeal to the nation to help and share the burden and love each other instead of using violence.

During a workshop for private sector investment the Vice-Minister for Environment and Development, Abel Ximenes, said that the private sector is a sector that can contribute a lot for the development of Timor-Leste. He added that the private sector needs to be developed and thus will create much needed jobs for the people.

The executive Director of UNICEF, Carol Belammy, said that UNICEF has launched a campaign primarily to identify the challenges faced by women in primary and secondary schools throughout the country. Ms Belammy said that the program will focus mainly on the difficulties women face with their lives.

December 22, 2003

Antara -- Indonesian military and police personnel assigned to the border regions shared by Indonesia and East Timor have shown reformed attitudes in accordance with current era of reforms, a local legislator has said. "We notice that the Indonesian military and police personnel assigned to the border areas have begun to show the principle of reforms as they now give priority to the people's interest," chairman of the Belu district legislative council, Herman Yoseph Loe Mau, said here Sunday. Herman said Indonesian military and police personnel showed encouraging attitudes to the people in Belu district, East Nusa Tenggara province, when they were safeguarding the elections of Belu district head and deputy head for the 2004-2009 period on December 2, 2003.

Suara Timur Lorosae -- The Vice-Administrator of Lospalos, Jacinto da Costa, said that during the Indonesian time experts from Japan did an investigation of the lake and the result showed that it can be the source of energy for Timor-Leste. Mr da Costa also said that a new study has been conducted again by Japanese experts after Timor-Leste gained its independence, and the report has been handed to the Government. He added that the Government of Norway has shown interest in investing in the porwer generated by water from Iralalara lake.

The National Police Commissioner, Paulo de Fatima Martins, said that throughout Christmas festivities until the New Year the National Police Force will double their patrol in the capital and in the sub-districts and districts.

During a ceremony to initiate the training for the 50 new recruits, the Vice-Minister of Health, Luis Lobato, said that the training will be important for the new recruits to learn about their moral responsibilities and discipline within the work place.

The Minister for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Armindo Maia, said that according to the report published by UNICEF only 10% of women can read out of the 50% of women that make up the population. He added that the report also shows that only 25% of men can read in Timor-Leste. Dr Maia also said that one the major difficulties for women is their inability to attend school because of the nature of the social environment in Timor's society.

According to an article published in today's edition, four houses were destroyed by strong ghusty winds in Suco Kova, Sub-District of Balibo. The occupants were able to walk away without sustaining any injury. Meanwhile in the Sub-District of Kailaco, due to heavy rain for the past few days, 30 houses in Suco Atudara and Aldeia Via Dilla were washed away by the strong current of the river Osala.

According to the newspaper the head of the village in Atudara, Manuel Ximenes, said that not only the houses were washed away, but also corn fields, pigs, goats and buffalos.

No relevant stories in the Timor Post today

December 23, 2003

Timor Post -- People sad with politicians insults During a special session in the National Parliament the President of Timor-Leste, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, said in his Christmas message that the population of Timor-Leste are sad to hear that politicians use democracy to insult each other. He added that this attitude has reached intolerance. Mr Gusmao said that politicians should not forget that as a Timorese they should respect each other according to the rules of the society.

The Prime Minister, Dr Mari Alkatiri, said that his Government in 2004 will fully implement the national development program, and as set a top priority stability and peace for Timor-Leste.

The United States of America Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Grover Joseph Rees said is country was not involved in the Indonesian invasion of Timor-Leste, on the contrary was quite sympathetic to the Timorese reported Timor Post on Saturday. Mr Rees also said that at the time he was a young man and was not aware of the situation but recalls that there was a lot of discussion in the US about Timor-Leste being led by a communist movement.

The President of the National Parliament, Lu Olo, said that the visit was a moral one and show that we care about them specially on this festive season. He added that was also an opportunity to distribute Christmas present to the sick.

The Head of the National Economic Institute, Manuel C. C. Bukar, said that for the investors to come and create jobs in Timor- Leste thus helping with the development have to create the conditions and stability. He added that otherwise people will continue to suffer specially for those in the Districts. If you drunk stay home ? says Lobato The Minister of Interior, Rogerio Tiago Lobato, said that the best remedy for those who loves to get drunk during Christmas period to stay home and avoid creating unnecessary problems for himself and others. He added that the National Police will not tolerate any disturbances.

Suara Timur Lorosae -- The Head of the Indonesian Police at West Timor Agus Nugroho said the deportation of the 26 Timorese asylum seekers from Kupang would take place on Monday. Nugroho said the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hassan Wirajuda made the decision.

The Minister of Justice, Domingos Sarmento, said that he was one the signatories to fight corruption while representing the Government of Timor-Leste in the International Convention to Fight Corruption, held in Mexico. Mr Sarmento also said that his Ministry will work close with the General Prosecutor in preparing a draft law that will be submitted to the Council of Ministers.

The Vice-Minister for Transport, Telecommunication and Public Works, Cesar Moreira, said that has made an study about new tariffs that will soon be introduced in Timor-Leste throughout the 13 districts. He added that the new tariff will focus mainly on the transport section and will not have an impact on the current market prices on diesel and gasoline.

The District Administrator of Viqueque, Francisco da Silva, said that the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) based in Baucau and Viqueque has distributed food for orphans and widows as a gesture of good willing in this festivity season. Mr da silva also said that many NGOs have donated and supported the population throughout the Districts but sometimes the donations don't reach the ones in desperate need.

UNMISET - In his festive season message to all UNMISET staff, issued Monday, SRSG Kamalesh Sharma said this is a time to reflect upon the past year and look to the future with a renewed sense of commitment and hope. "2003 has been a year of immense sadness for many of us and indeed for the entire UN family. During this festive season, our thoughts and prayers reach out to the loved ones of our friends and colleagues lost in the tragedy in Baghdad. Let us all reaffirm our commitment to and faith in the principles of peace, human rights and the dignity of all men, women and children of the world", adding that " 2003 has been a year of great achievement for all of us at UNMISET. We can all be rightly proud of the support, friendship and solidarity we have provided to the people and Government of Timor-Leste. In the remaining months of UNMISET's mandate, let us all continue to focus our efforts in assisting Timor-Leste build a future of hope and prosperity". Mr Sharma also said that "this is a time of great change for UNMISET as we head into the final stages of our mandate and say farewell to colleagues who are moving on to other endeavors. I thank the entire team of UNMISET for their support, energy and enthusiasm".

December 29, 2003

Suara Timur Lorosae -- A member of the National Parliament, Rui Menezes, said that the Timor Gap accord does contemplate jobs for the Timorese, but fails to specify how many posts are destined for the Timorese. He added that for this reason now we can see many Filipinos and other nationalities being recruited by the company. Mr Menezes also said that Timor Gap is an important sector for Timor-Leste in terms of jobs for the Timorese in near future.

The Sub-District Administrator in Hato-Builico, Manuel Martins, said that for the last three months Hato-Builico has been without diesel to run the power station. He added that the Director of EDTL knows about the shortage of diesel to run the power station but until now has not taken any action to solve the problem.

The District Administrator of Viqueque, Francisco da Silva, said that the World Bank has financed the rehabilitation of the market in Viqueque with an amount of USD 80,000. He added that they are waiting for the Central Government to survey before any rehab can commence on site.

The Minister for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Armindo Maia, said that the Government of Timor-Leste, since taking power in August '99, has not yet recognized the private Universities that have been established in Timor-Leste. Dr Maia also said that the Universities need to consult and find out what criteria are required to establish an University.

The Prime Minister, Dr Mari Alkatiri, said that the investors whether international or local have to pay taxes otherwise they will be taken to court, and their names will be available to the media.

No relevant stories in the Timor Post today

December 30, 2003

Suara Timur Lorosae -- During a press conference the Coordinator of CPD-RDTL, Aitonio Ai-Tahan Matak, said that the many politicians did not speak the truth during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CAVR) public hearing. He added that the politicians should face public justice for their wrongs in the past.

During the season festivities the President of Timor-Leste, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, said to the journalists that journalism is not theirs alone but also belongs to the entire nation. Mr Gusmao also said that it's important that the media organize themselves and the journalists improve their quality without any shame.

A Member of the National Parliament, Joao Goncalves, said that the Minister of Interior's action in ordering the imprisonment of two coordinators of PSD in the District of Suai, goes against the Constitution. He added that his party condemns this show of attitude on the part of the Minister of Interior. Mr Goncalves also said that before any arrest can be made you need a court order, but to the contrary the police just went along and arrested both men without any legal documentation.

The EDTL Technician in the District of Manufahe, Jose Maria Sousa Costa, said that the two generators have broken down due to mechanical problems since June.

He added that a report was presented to the District Administrator who has sent it to the National EDTL in Dili, but until now nothing has happened. Mr Costa also said that the two generators that they have are old and need urgent repairs for them to be able to supply electricity to the people in Manufahe.

The Head of the Village in Gaelema, Sub-District of Hatolia, Julio do Rosario, said that the recent monsoon and strong winds destroyed coffee and corn on 60 hectares of land in the District of Ermera. He added that ten houses were partially destroyed by the monsoon. Mr da Costa said that about fifteen buffalos, horses and pigs were also killed during the storm. Meanwhile in the District of Oe-Cussi heavy rain and strong gusty winds, that lasted for three days, destroyed fields of corn, banana plantations, cassava and beans, in the Sub-District of Nitibe, Passabe and Sub-District of Oesilu.

The Head of the Department of Health in the District of Lautem, Lourenco da Cruz, said that the hospital has only one nurse to attend just about everybody that needs assistance. He added that it's very difficult for pregnant women to seek help from male nurses because of the culture. Mr da Costa said that the health department should pay urgent attention and allow recruitment of qualified nurses and midwives to the hospital.

Timor Post -- During a graduation day ceremony for new members of the National Police Force the Prime minister, Dr Mari Alkatiri, said that everyday now Timor-Leste has to confront many small problems that could destabilize the system that the Government has put in place. He added that those who want to destabilize it will have to confront the National Police Force. Dr Alkatiri said that we want a state that will be respected by the world. Many Timorese still does not have the national patriotism, and does not want to face the reality that this country is facing. He added that those who want to destabilize the Government system are simple ignoring the deaths of the many people who gave their lives for this country to achieve the independence.

During the graduation day ceremony for new members of the Police Force the Special Representative of the Secretary General in Timor-Leste, Kamalesh Sharma, said that the UN will continue to fulfil its commitment and promised support to the National Police Force.

The Prime Minister, Dr Mari Alkatiri, said during his New Years message to the country that 2004 is the year of big challenges for development, peace, stability and democracy to this new nation Timor-Leste. He added that to achieve that, every single person has to participate to be able to strengthen the desire for democracy, peace and stability. Dr Alkatiri said that challenges will focus on sectors outlined by the Government on its programs. He added that the Provedor (ombudsman) office for Human Rights and Justice will be established in 2004, thus will help create a better public service system in Timor-Leste.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Jose Ramos- Horta, said that he is scheduled to visit Portugal and South Korean at the end of this month. He added that during the visit he will discuss about the end of UNMISET mandate and the continue presence of UN, which has been endorsed by the international community. Dr Horta said that the new mission would be focusing more on the police area. In South Korea Ramos-Horta will seek funding to assist the orphans and street children in Timor, because he says, it is a question of ethic and morale. Dr Horta also said that the government is having difficulties addressing this issue but is providing assistant through NGOs. He added that Portugal's Minister of Foreign Affairs Teresa Patricia Gouveia will officially visit Timor-Leste to review the Portuguese assistance to the country.

December 31, 2004

Suara Timur Lorosae -- The Vice-Minister for Health, Luis Lobato, said that a NGO from Australia has donated a boat to operate in Atauro as a mobile clinic to give consultation and needed treatment in every suco of the island. (The report fails to mention who the NGO is). Mr Lobato also said that the boat can evacuate any patient that needs urgent medical attention to the mainland hospital.

A member of the community from Lamat, suco Karaubalu, in the Sub-District of Viqueque, Tereza Soares, said that CEP and NGOs that have supported projects in the District and sub-district level, should make an evaluation about the projects. Ms Soares said that it's important that the evaluation is carried out to determine if the results were expected or not or the money was well spent.

Meanwhile the Chefe Suco from the Sub-District of Viqueque, Cristiano, said that 60 widows received much needed building materials from CEP. (The paper failed to report the suco's name). He added that the 60 widows are from Caberu-Oan, Lamak Laran, Has-habut, Siralari, Wesa and Mamulak.

In a lengthy interview for today's newspaper edition the Prime Minister, Dr Mari Alkatiri, said that the Government of Timor- Leste is reflecting over the past years achievements and failures in order to be able to implement what needs to be done in the coming yar. He added that priorities will be given to sectors that are most important for the National Development Plan. Questioned about the plans for 2004, Dr Alkatiri, said that before any development can be done we should give priority to the infrastructure sector. He added that otherwise the farmers would not be able to transport their goods to sell it in the market, and we cannot ask them to produce and work harder when the roads are not in good condition. Dr Alkatiri said that the Timorese have to be prepared because in 2004 investors will come to invest in the areas of industry, fishery, agriculture and tourism. The Prime Minister also said that the draft regulation on investment has been sent to the Parliament and he personally asked them to approve it as soon as possible. He added that investment has to start in 2004 and the draft regulation is important.

The Sub-District Administrator of Maubisse, Jose Mendonca da Silva (Koto Moruk), said that the Government should not promise what it cannot deliver. He added that as a member of local Government he does not have the courage to make promises, because it becomes like an heavy debt to repay. (The paper does not mention what sort of promise was made by the Government to the people in Maubisse).

The Administrator for the Sub-District of Viqueque, Cristiano Soares, said that the World Bank and Community Empowerment Project (CEP) has forgotten about the community necessities. He added that until now CEP has not given them any certificate in recognition for their efforts at the base level. Mr Soares also said that CEP will end its mission next year and a certificate will help the community to find a similar job with a NGO.

Inverell East Timor lighting project needs sponsors for about 15 more solar-powered lights. The Rotary-sponsored team has funding for about 135 solar lights for homes in Ermera District but the target is 150 and time is running out. Project leader, Greag Moran, said that the generosity of locals who have supported the concept has been overwhelming. But another kick was needed to give volunteer workers all the equipment they need. The lighting project developed after an initial aid tour to East Timor by an Inverell Rotary sponsored group in 2002. During the trip, the lack of lighting for students and family life was apparent and the team undertook to seek support to put solar powered lights in as many homes in Ermera District as possible. The lights cost $268 each delivered to Darwin by Perth firm Sustainable Energy Systems. The team needs just more than $4000 or 15 lights at $268 to guarantee the fundraiser's success.

The project has even caught the eye of a southern Sydney local government group that wants to light public buildings in another area of East Timor.

Timor Post -- was not available today.

[Compiled by Jose Filipe External Affairs World Bank, Dili Office.]