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East Timor news digest No 7 - July 1-31, 2005
The Australian - July 22, 2005
Nigel Wilson -- East Timor President Xanana Gusmao has broken
ranks with Prime Mininster Mari Alkatiri, threatening to veto the
proposed deal struck with Australia to share the energy riches of
the Timor Sea.
An agreement that would allow $13billion in revenue to flow from
Australia to East Timor -- in exchange for postponing talks on
the maritime boundary between the countries for 50 years -- was
expected to be signed next month.
But sources said Mr Gusmao remained unconvinced that his country,
one of the poorest in the world, should give up its claimed
sovereignty over gas reserves the UN believes are conservatively
worth more than $US30billion ($39.5billion).
Mr Gusmao has reportedly told Dr Alkatiri there needs to be more
debate over the maritime boundary issue, which determines who
owns the undersea oil and gas reserves, before he could accept
the best deal had been struck with Australia.
East Timor sources said last night that under the country's
constitution, the President had little executive power but could
veto legislation on the grounds of national interest.
Australian analysts say the veto threat, believed to have been
made in the past month, reflected the long-running antagonism
between Mr Gusmao and Dr Alkatiri and the residual opposition
among some of the country's elite to Australia's hardline
approach to Timor Sea negotiations ahead of the country's
independence in May 2002.
Nevertheless, the proposed deal with Australia is backed by East
Timor Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta, who supports Dr
Alkatiri's position.
Senior Australian officials said they were not surprised at the
possibility of disagreement between the two East Timor leaders
but suggested the veto threat was only a rumour and would not be
implemented.
Earlier this month, Mr Gusmao met Australian officials in
Canberra to discuss the proposed agreement. He was accompanied by
Mr Ramos Horta and the country's chief Timor Sea negotiator, Jose
Texeira, in a discussion designed to explain why the boundary
question had been set aside for such a long period.
The Australian - July 22, 2005
Natasha Robinson -- Businessman Ian Melrose will sue television
stations that refused to run his advertisements criticising the
Government's negotiations with East Timor over oil and gas
revenues in the Timor Sea.
Mr Melrose -- under fire from East Timor Foreign Minister Jose
Ramos Horta, who has labelled the ads "counter-productive" -- has
vowed to step up his campaign, even in the face of Mr Ramos
Horta's public rebuke.
Commercials Acceptance Division, a private company wholly owned
by the free-to-air TV stations, has responsibility for
classifying most advertisements shown on free-to-air television.
It has refused to approve some of Mr Melrose's ads for screening
on TV but won't give him a reason for the ban.
Under Australian Broadcasting Authority guidelines, advertising
agencies must submit advertisements to CAD for classification and
are required to answer questions about standards compliance. The
CAD then advises the ABA of its decision on classification.
Melbourne barrister Julian Burnside QC will run the action on
behalf of Mr Melrose.
"The advertisements that he wanted to run were unexceptional,
except for the fact they are critical of the Government," Mr
Burnside said.
"Who are these people (CAD) who for commercial profit put
themselves between the people and the television stations? It is
astonishing to think that content is filtered out by some bunch
who are unaccountable and won't give reasons for their
decisions."
One advertisement disallowed by CAD was to be screened after
Anzac Day this year. It showed Diggers who fought in East Timor
during World War II declaring: "I'm ashamed to be Australian."
Mr Melrose told The Australian yesterday he had begun production
of a further 16 ads, which he would shortly mail to politicians
for viewing.
He was unrepentant yesterday for his campaign against the
Government, despite Mr Ramos Horta's criticism. "I think it is
quite legitimate for me as an Australian citizen to criticise my
Government when I think they are doing the wrong thing," Mr
Melrose said.
Mr Ramos Horta's statement said some of the ads "suggest that the
Timor Leste Government does not know, cannot know, is not able,
to defend our own country's vital interests. We were able to do
so for 24 long years against overwhelming odds."
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Timor Gap
Gusmao to veto gas deal
Businessman to sue over Timor ad ban
Timor minister criticises Australian justice campaign
Australian Associated Press - July 21, 2005
East Timor Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta has criticised an Australia-based campaign calling for a better oil and gas revenue deal for his country.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner said the Timor Sea Justice Campaign (TSJC), financially backed by Melbourne businessman Ian Melrose, had become counter-productive.
The campaign, which has featured television ads, calls for a boundary in the Timor Sea halfway between Australia and Timor, giving the fledgling nation greater and fairer control over oil and gas fields.
The campaigners say revenue from oil and gas development should be put in a trust fund until the boundary dispute was resolved in international courts.
But Mr Ramos-Horta said while a solidarity campaign could be healthy and helpful, some of the comments made by the TSJC were misguided. "Often the tone and language of some individuals purporting to speak for the Timor Sea Justice Campaign exceeds the bounds of what is proper and has become counter-productive," he said in a statement today.
"While the Timor-Leste (East Timor) government welcomes all expressions of support from friends in Australia, some of the arguments and language used by certain elements of the TSJC suggest that the Timor-Leste government does not know, cannot know, is not able, to defend our own country's vital interests.
"We were able to do so for 24 long years against overwhelming odds." Mr Ramos-Horta said his country and Australia had "basically finalised" an agreement on the $5 billion Greater Sunrise oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea, but some of the details were yet to be worked out. But the question of a permanent maritime boundary had been set aside temporarily. East Timorese president Xanana Gusmao met with Prime Minister John Howard in Sydney two weeks ago to discuss the agreement, which was reported to be worth $13 billion in royalties to Timor.
The government was now working to inform MPs and the public about the merits of it, Mr Ramos-Horta said. "We believe (it) to be in Timor-Leste's best interests, as it is just and fair," Mr Ramos- Horta said.
There had also been productive talks between East Timor prime minister Mari Alkatiri and resources giant Woodside about the issue of a pipeline to the country's southern coast, he said.
Mr Ramos-Horta said he believed his country had the expertise to negotiate a fair deal. "It seems that there are an abundance of instant experts in Australia who seem to be even more patriotic than us," he said.
Timor Sea Justice Campaign spokesman Tom Clarke said the campaign had never been targeted at the Timorese government. "The Timor Sea Justice Campaign's focus has always been on the Australian government and what we see to be the Howard government's refusal to abide by current international law," Mr Clarke said.
"We've never been in business of criticising the East Timor government. "The inadequacies lie squarely with the stone-walling and hard-nosed Australian government taking advantage of the poorest nation in Asia." Mr Clarke said a permanent maritime boundary was the only way to ensure legal certainty over the oil and gas reserves and give companies the confidence to develop them.
The Australian - July 7, 2005
Dennis Shanahan, Nigel Wilson -- East Timor is expected to get more than $13 billion in gas royalties after a new deal with the Australian Government that is $8 billion more generous than first offered seven years ago.
The deal, which will take several weeks to put into a formal agreement, almost triples the revenue for East Timor over the next 15 to 30 years.
After meeting East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao yesterday at Kirribilli House in Sydney, John Howard said the arrangement would allow Australia's fledgling neighbour to access billions of dollars in extra royalties. "It is a very fair and generous arrangement for East Timor," the Prime Minister said.
The negotiations on developing a new and lucrative gas field to boost East Timor's economy now move to a crucial deal between East Timor and the Greater Sunrise gas project, headed by Australia's Woodside Petroleum.
Don Voelte is expected to meet East Timor Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri within days in Dili for talks on the $5billion project, which has been stalled by the delays in government negotiations.
Mr Howard also disputed previous claims that Australia had been unfair on the issue in the past.
"It will mean that that country will receive several billion dollars more over the years ahead than would otherwise have been received under the earlier arrangement," Mr Howard said.
"I reject completely the complaints that are still being made by some that Australia has been unfair and ungenerous towards the people of East Timor. We have always accepted the need to help the people of East Timor, consistent with our obligations to the Australian taxpayer."
The government-to-government deal settles the dispute between Australia and East Timor over the new nation's rights to gas revenues under an agreement sealed between Australia and Indonesia before East Timor's independence.
East Timor had rejected the boundary agreed between Australia and Indonesia, meaning there is no legally recognised boundary between the two countries.
The East Timor officials claimed that to accept the Indonesian boundary with Australia would have cost them billions of dollars in revenue.
Australia has not given way on the boundary dispute and no boundary claims will be allowed for the next 50 years.
The East Timor claim that the gas processing plant be sited in East Timor, instead of Darwin, has been left to be decided between East Timor and Woodside.
In 1998, the Australian Government first offered a $1billion share in gas revenues from the proposed Sunrise project and $4.1billion from the nearby Bayu-Undan project.
After the UN estimated East Timor could get $US30billion if it had control of the whole area, the offer was lifted to $1.8billion from Sunrise and $8.1billion from Bayu-Undan. The last offer, which was delayed last year because of the federal election, is for $5billion from Sunrise and $8.1billion from Bayu-Undan.
The Government in Dili has introduced strict financial guidelines on handling the revenues.
Modelled on the Norwegian experience for handling North Sea oil revenues but even tougher, the East Timor legislation ensures the revenues are paid into a fund that must be open to parliamentary scrutiny.
Radio Australia - July 6, 2005
Negotiations to determine seabed boundaries and ownership of the oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea have been long-running between Australia and it's northern neighbours -- previously Indonesia and now independent East Timor. But despite reports of agreement being near, it appears the issue of permanent maritime boundaries will again be deferred.
1972 Creating the Timor Gap
Australia and Indonesia sign an agreement setting seabed boundaries in the area of the Timor and Arafura Seas. In accordance with international law of the time, the boundary is set at the edge of Australia's continental shelf which is only 40 nautical miles from the coast of then Portuguese Timor.
However, because Portugal didn't participate in the negotiations or accept their outcome, a 130-nautical mile gap in the boundary was left in the waters off Portuguese Timor. This became known as the Timor Gap.
1975 East Timor invasion
Indonesia invades and annexes East Timor. It is later reported that prior to the invasion, then Australian ambassador to Indonesia, Richard Woolcott, sent a secret cable to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra stating..."This Department [of Minerals and Energy] might well have an interest in closing the present gap in the agreed sea border and this could be much more readily negotiated with Indonesia..."
1979 Negotiations begin
Australia formally recognises Indonesia's claim over East Timor and negotiations on a maritime boundary in the area of the Timor Gap begin. Agreement is not reached.
1982 UNCLOS
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is finalised. (In recent times, both Australia and East Timor have used UNCLOS to defend their positions: East Timor argues UNCLOS sets sea boundaries at the midpoint between two opposite states while Australia uses UNCLOS to back-up the positioning of the boundary at the edge of Australia's continental shelf.)
1989 The Timor Gap Treaty
Unable to agree on permanent seabed boundaries between East Timor and Australia, the Jakarta and Hawke governments sign the Timor Gap Treaty allowing resources in the area to be exploited without prejudicing any future boundary negotiations between the two countries.
The Timor Gap Treaty established three Zones of Cooperation -- Zone A, Zone B and Zone C. In Zones B and C -- closest to Australia and East Timor respectively -- revenue is to be shared 90/10 with the closest country receiving 90 per cent.
Zone A, located between Zones B and C, is to be jointly managed through a Joint Authority. Revenue in Zone A is to be divided 50/50 between Australia and Indonesia.
1991 Legal challenge
Portugal did not accept validity of the Timor Gap Treaty contesting its legality in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague but the ICJ dismissed the case in 1995 because it involved a third country, Indonesia, which did not recognise the court's jurisdiction.
1999 Vote for independence
East Timor votes for independence and United Nations Transitional Authority in East Timor (UNTAET) is formed. UNTAET replaces Indonesia as party to the Timor Gap Treaty.
2000 Timor Gap Treaty declared illegal
UNTAET and the East Timor Transitional Administration (ETTA) declare the 1989 Timor Gap treaty illegal on the grounds that Indonesia was an illegal occupier of the territory.
UNTAET, Australia and East Timor begin negotiations for future arrangements in the Timor Gap.
2001 Joint Petroleum Development Area
Australia and UNTAET sign a Memorandum of Understanding of Timor Sea Arrangement (MOU) in anticipation of a new Timor Gap Treaty between Australia and East Timor when full independence occurs in May 2002.
The MOU could not be made binding for a future East Timorese government but was aimed at allowing continued exploitation in Zone A which under this MOU became known as the Joint Petroleum Development Area (JPDA).
2002 Australia withdraws from ICJ
Two months before East Timor gained independence, Australia withdrew from the section of the ICJ that deals with maritime boundary disputes in a move critics regarded as indicative of Australia's weak position under international law.
On the day East Timor gained full independence, 20 May 2002, the Timor Sea Treaty (TST) was signed between the governments of Australia and East Timor in Dili.
The TST contains the same provisions as the 2001 MOU and states that revenue from the JDPA will be distributed on the basis of 90 per cent to East Timor and 10 per cent to Australia.
The TST resolves that the Greater Sunrise Field -- the largest deposit in the area -- falls 20.1 per cent within the JDPA and 79.9 per cent within the Australian zone.
Like the 1989 Timor Gap Treaty, the TST does not resolve the issue of a permanent seabed boundary and allows both countries to jointly exploit the oil resources of the area without prejudicing their long term rights to negotiate a permanent boundary in the future.
The TST will remain in effect until a permanent boundary is negotiated or for 30 years, whichever is occurs first.
One of the first acts passed by the new East Timor Parliament was the Maritime Zones Act, which sets East Timor's sovereign maritime zones in a 200 nautical mile radius from the coastline. This claim overlaps with the claims of Australia in the Timor Sea.
2003 Greater Sunrise field
In March, the governments of East Timor and Australia sign an International Unitisation Agreement (IUA) to determine the taxation regime for the Greater Sunrise Field. (Because the Greater Sunrise deposit falls within both the JDPA and the Australian zone, the IUA is necessary to determine how to develop the deposit as one unit.)
The agreement has not yet been ratified by the East Timorese Parliament who say the deposit lies in an area of overlapping claims. Exploitation of the deposit cannot commence until a unitisation agreement is concluded.
2004 Boundary talks begin
Regular talks on maritime boundaries and disputed reserves between Australia and East Timor begin in April 2004. While East Timor requested monthly talks, Australia agreed to biannual meetings.
A second round of talks were held in September but no agreement was reached.
2005 Agreement nears on Greater Sunrise field
On conclusion of another round of talks in May, Australia's foreign minister, Alexander Downer, says the two countries are on the "threshold of an agreement" worth billions of dollars.
In July, East Timor's Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta says the two countries will sign a treaty within weeks. The deal will see East Timor receive 50 per cent of tax and royalty revenues from the entire Greater Sunrise Field in exchange for the issue of a permanent maritime boundary being shelved for at least 50 years.
"Money isn't such a big issue for us, but the boundaries are," Mr Downer said.
Dow Jones Newswires - July 5, 2005
Veronica Brooks, Canberra -- East Timor's Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta said Tuesday a revenue-sharing pact with Australia covering the US$5 billion Sunrise natural gas project in the Timor Sea was fair and he expects it to be signed in a few weeks.
Ramos-Horta, accompanying East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao on a weeklong visit to Australia, told reporters that Dili and Canberra are ironing out some technical and administrative matters.
"The work is being done by technical people, no longer political (representatives)," Ramos-Horta said.
"We have a broad agreement and I believe that also...we have growing support (for the pact) within various institutions in our country," he said.
"So I believe (it is) only a matter of a few weeks before we are able to sign an agreement, which I sincerely believe... is a fair deal for the people of East Timor," Ramos-Horta added.
According to the Australian government, the deal thrashed out between Dili and Canberra earlier this year could deliver an extra US$5 billion in petroleum royalties to impoverished East Timor in addition to existing revenue arrangements.
In return, East Timor would set aside negotiations on a permanent maritime border for 50 years.
The deal would settle a protracted and sometimes acrimonious dispute between the two nations, with Dili last year accusing Australia of bullying East Timor by refusing to accept seabed borders that would give it more petroleum reserves.
Acting Australian Prime Minister John Anderson said Tuesday the deal with East Timor is "generous" and represents a "pragmatic and practical way forward" for both countries.
Sunrise contains up to US$40 billion of natural gas and concentrate, representing a significant windfall for East Timor, a poor nation of just 800,000 people which gained its independence from Indonesia in 2002 and still relies heavily on foreign aid.
Sunrise operator Woodside Petroleum Ltd. (WPL.AU) is now close to getting the fiscal and legal certainty it needs to resurrect a venture it shelved last year.
However, the fate of Sunrise remains unclear, given Perth-based Woodside's attention is currently fixed on the Browse project, located wholly in Australian waters. Browse is targeting a 2011 start that will export LNG to Asia, and potentially the US West Coast.
What is more, some inside the East Timorese government continue to argue the Sunrise gas should be processed on Timorese soil, rather than be piped to a facility in the northern Australian city of Darwin.
"In our view it should go to East Timor. It's closest to the field of Greater Sunrise," Ramos-Horta said Tuesday.
"We... have very serious views and studies that the pipeline should go to East Timor. It would make much, much more commercial sense. If they (the Sunrise partners) prove to us this is not accurate, well we can discuss it again," Ramos-Horta said.
His comments are at odds with a recent statement by East Timor's Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri that it is up to the companies involved, and not the governments, to select where the Sunrise processing plant is located.
Woodside Chief Executive Don Voelte is scheduled to hold talks with Alkatiri on Thursday about the Sunrise proposal.
Woodside owns 33.4% of Sunrise, which is situated 150 kilometers south of East Timor and regarded as the richest prize in the waters that divide the two countries. Its partners are Conocophillips (COP) with 30%, Royal Dutch/Shell Group (RD) with 26.6% and Japan's Osaka Gas Co. (9532.TO) with 10%.
Australian Associated Press - July 6, 2005
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer didn't arrive in Melbourne in time on Tuesday to see himself and his Labor predecessor Gareth Evans share a toast with oil-filled champagne glasses.
Mr Downer missed a small Melbourne street protest over the Timor Gap oil and gas reserves, at which two demonstrators acted the parts of the ministerial pair.
But he later told a Melbourne audience he was unapologetic about fighting for Australia's benefit in talks with East Timor over the joint area's lucrative resources.
"You have to understand this is a historic context," Mr Downer explained to members of the Australian American Alliance and Australian Institute of International Affairs.
He said Australia did not accept East Timor's argument that the lateral boundaries of the joint petroleum development area should be extended, and said Australia had been generous in giving East Timor 90 per cent of revenue from the joint area.
"We don't think expanding the east-west boundaries...does have any basis in international law," he said, responding to a question from the audience.
"We've had a dispute about that... and in the end we made a very important argument here that with all of our neighbours, each country puts forward its own claim -- with all of our neighbours.
"And I, actually, am not the Foreign Minister of East Timor I am the Foreign Minister of -- yes -- Australia. And you know what country I stick up for in this world? Australia.
"I stick up for Australia, that's my country and 20 million people out there, not quite all of them but nearly all of them, would expect me to stick up for Australia," he said.
"Now, Australia and East Timor have had... a negotiation about this issue and I think we are pretty much at the point where we've come to a very satisfactory, mutual conclusion."
"I think East Timor will do extraordinarily well out of this agreement. It solves our legal problems as well. We're not so concerned about the money, we're concerned about the principles of our boundaries," he said.
Earlier, about 20 protesters targeted the Minister's appearance in Melbourne. Two of them dressed as Mr Downer and former Senator Evans to "share a toast" with champagne glasses full of oil.
Protester Chip Henriss-Anderssen told the group he was a former Australian soldier who served in East Timor in 1999.
"We went there thinking we were doing a good thing...and the next thing you know we're stealing their oil," he said. "I was wondering if I and my other soldier friends were just being used to steal that oil."
The protest had disbanded by the time Mr Downer arrived to give the first in a series of lectures hosted by the Australian American Alliance.
| Justice & reconciliation |
Associated Press - July 30, 2005
Dili -- Domingas Casimira has spent the last six years trying to find justice for her husband and brother, gunned down in the Indonesian military's drive against East Timor's independence. But like others who suffered in the rampage that left 1,500 dead, she is starting to lose hope -- and not without reason.
Indonesia and East Timor have rejected a UN committee's recommendation for an international tribunal to investigate the abuses and instead created a joint truth and reconciliation commission that starts work Monday. But few expect the investigation by the two countries to be anything but a whitewash.
"This is a device to bury the past, not to find justice," said Brad Adams, Asia director of the New York-based Human Rights Watch. "The Indonesian military has no incentive to tell the truth... they know they will never be extradited to East Timor or prosecuted in Indonesia if they don't."
Indonesia invaded and occupied the tiny half-island territory in 1975 ending three centuries of Portuguese colonial rule.
When East Timor voted overwhelming for independence almost 25 years later, elements of the Indonesian military and its militia proxies punished the island's people through a campaign of killing, looting and burning that ended only when Australian-led peacekeepers stepped in.
Though Jakarta agreed under intense international pressure to an ad hoc tribunal for 18 men suspected in the violence, most of them military and police, all but one were eventually acquitted. That suspect, a Timorese militia leader, is free on appeal.
"It was a sham," said Casimira, 33, who says Jakarta-backed militias kidnapped her 29-year-old brother Paulino Lopeswas from his home in the village of Memo on Aug. 25, 1999, and killed him. Two weeks later, she said, Indonesian soldiers murdered her husband, Jaime de Antas, 43.
She presented all the information she had about the deaths to a special crimes investigation unit, she said, but the evidence was ignored. "The only thing the Indonesian government wants is to protect former high ranking police and military," she added.
A United Nations commission of experts has recommenced that those accused of violence be retried and, if found responsible, punished within six months. If that doesn't happen, it wants Indonesia to submit to an international tribunal in a third country -- as was done for Rwanda and former Yugoslavia.
But Indonesia and East Timor say they don't want that, and will instead hold a joint Truth and Friendship Commission that focuses on reconciliation. The panel will consist of legal experts from the two countries who will be able to summon witnesses. It is not designed to recommend prosecutions.
In rejecting an international tribunal, the government of East Timor made clear it doesn't wants to jeopardize its burgeoning relations with its giant neighbor. "We want to address the past without endangering our future relations," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Yuri Thamrin.
But Adams, of Human Rights Watch, said "it is concerned about being the mouse stepped on by a neighboring elephant."
Asmara Nababan, executive director of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, agreed that fear of Indonesia is the main motivation for the East Timorese government to back the joint commission.
"East Timor knows how brutal the Indonesian military can be," he said. "Indonesia can use all means to destabilize or occupy East Timor as they did for 24 years."
But Maria Afonso de Jesus, whose husband was among dozens killed when pro-Jakarta militias stormed a church sheltering terrified refugees in April 1999, says she has no confidence in the joint commission.
She, too, sees an international court as the only answer. "The only point of the commission is to enhance the relationship between the two countries, while our fate is forgotten," said the 30-year-old finance officer. "It has nothing to do with the victims."
Washington Post - July 16, 2005
Ellen Nakashima, Jakarta -- Indonesian government officials said they expect to avert calls for an international war crimes tribunal on Indonesian military atrocities in East Timor, promoting instead a truth commission to probe abuses committed in the province after it voted for independence in 1999.
A UN panel has urged a war crimes tribunal if Indonesia does not take steps to hold credible trials of those charged with responsibility for the massacre of at least 1,400 civilians who were killed by militiamen under the direction of members of the Indonesian security forces.
"There's a sense that we've obtained from various quarters in the Security Council that the notion of an international tribunal is not really practical," said Marty Natalegawa, spokesman for Indonesia's Foreign Ministry.
"Certainly Indonesia is not convinced, and we get a sense that the rest of the Security Council will need to be convinced about the recommendations."
On Tuesday, a coalition of 12 international human rights groups sent a letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, calling on the Security Council to endorse the panel's recommendations and set up a system to monitor compliance. The coalition, which includes Human Rights Watch, the Coalition for International Justice, and the International Center for Transitional Justice, called for "decisive action from the international community." It criticized the proposed truth commission's lack of a criminal justice component and a proposal to give amnesty to those who committed crimes against humanity.
The US government, however, has made clear that it would be willing to support such a commission if "it is a credible process."
"We think that it should clearly name names so that the record is clear," said Pierre-Richard Prosper, the US ambassador at large for war-crimes issues, who visited East Timor and Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, last month.
Foreign Ministry officials said a truth commission would set a precedent in which two countries would establish a panel to work out their unique differences. East Timor established its independence from Indonesia in 2002.
"There are those who do not agree with us, but what is important is our relationship, our shared destiny," said Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda during a meeting last week with an East Timorese delegation led by Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta.
"Where else have two nations who have shared a turbulent past been bold enough to face the future in such a way?" said Ramos- Horta, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 during the long-running East Timor conflict.
The tribunal would be in a third country and would be established if Indonesia did not meet the panel's recommendation in a six- month time frame.
US officials have said they do not believe that an international war crimes tribunal is feasible now, for reasons that include cost, the difficulty of extraditing suspects to a third country and the lack of economic and other benefits to either East Timor or Indonesia.
Other Security Council members have been hesitant to call for a tribunal for many of the same reasons, US officials said. In its 149-page report to the secretary general, the UN Commission of Experts urged the Indonesian government first to retry police and military officials who were acquitted in earlier human rights trials here that the panel called "manifestly inadequate."
The panel also urged that Gen. Wiranto, the retired commander-in-chief of the Indonesian armed forces, be investigated. And it recommended that Indonesia strengthen its judicial and prosecutorial capacity with the guidance of experts on international criminal and humanitarian law.
The Security Council has not officially released the confidential report, which was leaked to the news media last month. The council had said it wants to give Indonesia and East Timor a chance to first add their comments.
"We reject the recommendation... of an international tribunal because it will not solve anything," Wirayuda said.
The East Timorese government's reluctance, meanwhile, undercuts any move to establish a war crimes tribunal, analysts said.
But some East Timorese said that is the only way to achieve justice. "What the East Timorese are hoping for now, ordinary people including myself, is an international tribunal," said Fernando Lasama de Araujo, head of the Democratic Party, the second-largest political party in the East Timor parliament, and a former student leader who was jailed by the Indonesian military for almost seven years.
Araujo said East Timorese officials have "the wrong vision," because "they think that reconciliation can bring justice for the East Timorese. They are focused more on political interest rather than justice for the victims in this country."
Trials conducted in Jakarta in 2003 resulted in 12 acquittals and six convictions, five of which were overturned on appeal. Only the conviction of an East Timorese militia commander was upheld, but his sentence was halved to five years and he remains free pending appeal.
The United States has said the trials were "seriously flawed and lacked credibility." At the same time, the US government views Indonesia as a crucial ally in its campaign against terrorism, and the Bush administration has been seeking to gradually lift restrictions on military aid.
The US Congress is debating aid to Indonesia for fiscal year 2006. The legislation likely will still carry some restrictions, though fewer than this year, congressional aides said.
Agence France Presse - July 13, 2005
Jakarta -- Human rights groups on Wednesday called on UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to back a plan for international trials for Indonesian military officers accused of atrocities in East Timor in 1999.
The US-based East Timor Action Network, Human Rights Watch and other groups urged Annan to support a UN commission recommendation for an international tribunal be set up and to discuss the issue at the UN Security Council.
Militia gangs, allegedly directed by Indonesian army officers, went on a rampage of killings and arson before and after East Timorese voted for independence from Jakarta in a UN-sponsored ballot in August 1999.
They killed about 1,400 independence supporters and laid waste to much of the infrastructure of the former Portuguese territory, which Indonesia had invaded and annexed in the mid-1970s.
The rights groups said in a letter that the UN commission had provided "reliable analysis" and that it had been "faithful" to the objectives set by Annan in conducting their recent enquiries in Indonesia and East Timor.
Indonesia has rejected the commission's recommendation and, together with East Timor, instead proceeded with reconciliation plans through a joint panel called the Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF).
Human rights trials held in Indonesia to try those responsible -- and to deflect UN calls for a proper tribunal -- ended last year after acquitting all but one of the 18 security officers or officials who appeared before them.
The rights groups accused Indonesia of intransigence in their letter, a copy of which was sent to AFP.
"It is impossible not to conclude that the main factor behind the limited progress in bringing to justice those most responsible for the atrocities committed in East Timor in 1999 is the intransigence of the Indonesian authorities in the face of their international legal obligations," they said.
The groups also blamed Indonesia's lack of cooperation for the failure of the UN-sponsored East Timor Serious Crimes Unit to secure the custody of more than 75 percent of the persons it indicted, including those believed to be most responsible for the crimes that took place in 1999.
Reuters - July 13, 2005
Irwin Arieff -- The Security Council is sitting on a UN expert panel's recommendation for an international tribunal to try Indonesian and local militia leaders blamed for a deadly 1999 rampage in East Timor, diplomats and UN officials said on Wednesday.
The experts submitted their findings on May 26 to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who transmitted their report to the 15-nation council in late June. Normally such a document would be officially published at that time.
But the council decided instead to delay its official release at least until Indonesia and East Timor had added their views, council diplomats and UN officials said.
Since Indonesia and East Timor's strong opposition to an international court is already well known, human rights activists said the council move raised fears it meant to suppress the report altogether.
Twelve rights groups wrote Annan on Tuesday asking him to ensure the report was published "as soon as possible" and its findings discussed by the council. "I have given my report to the council," Annan said when asked if the report was being killed off.
Greek Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis, the council president for July, denied the council wanted to suppress it. "We received a report from the secretary-general which the council will consider and will take appropriate action at some stage," he said.
Asked why there had been no official action to date, he said council members did not want to disturb the current good relations between East Timor and Indonesia, and wanted "to see also what the implementation of that report requires."
Wary of offending Indonesia
Diplomats said many council members including the United States, China and Russia had been were wary of offending Indonesia by putting out the report without first seeking Jakarta's comments.
China and the United States flatly denied standing in the way of its publication. Russia had no immediate comment.
"This issue of justice in East Timor is incredibly embarrassing for Indonesia. It is very worrying that the council now may be falling in line behind them," said Charmain Mohamed, a researcher with New York-based Human Rights Watch.
"The fear is that they may be secretly working on a face-saving way forward. At the very least, the report should be published and all the recommendations publicly aired before any deal is struck," Mohamed said in a telephone interview.
About 1,500 civilians were killed, 250,000 driven from their homes and others raped and tortured when the Indonesian army and proxy gangs and militia razed much of East Timor in 1999.
The violence was triggered by a referendum in which mainly Catholic East Timor voted to break free from Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, after 24 years of brutal military rule.
East Timor finally won independence in May 2002 after 2-1/2 years of UN administration and centuries of Portuguese colonial rule and Indonesia occupation.
Under international pressure, Indonesia set up a special court to hear cases of crimes against humanity and its attorney general indicted two government officials, 18 military and police officers and a gang leader but no high-level suspects.
Over the ensuing years, of the 18 tried, only the gang leader was convicted.
In February, Annan named a panel of three outside experts to determine whether justice had been done, despite pleas from Indonesia and East Timor to leave the matter to them.
In their 149-page report, the experts said the Indonesian officials and gang leaders should be tried by an international tribunal if Jakarta did not agree to prosecute them within six months under international supervision.
The prosecutions before the Indonesian special court had been "manifestly deficient," they concluded, "due to a lack of commitment on the part of the prosecution" as well as a lack of expertise, experience and training.
Antara - July 8, 2005
Jakarta -- A number of human rights non-governmental organizations questioned the Indonesian government's rejection of the recommendation of a UN appointed panel of experts following the settlement of human rights violation cases in East Timor.
"The government remains steadfast to use the existing mechanism of the truth and friendship commission which has undergone a disorientation," Usman Hamid, Chairman of the Commission of Missing People and Acts of Violence (Kontras), said in a press conference here on Friday.
He also saw the Foreign Ministry's reaction to the recommendation on the setting up of an ad-hoc tribunal for the East Timor case as panic-stricken reaction.
"The Foreign Minister might have failed to read the recommendation objectively," Usman said, adding that the recommendations still respected Indonesian law objectively, as the experts only wished to review the whole process of the ad-hoc tribunal on East Timor human right violation.
The experts did not directly recommend that the case be passed on to an international tribunal he said.
Disappointment
Indonesia and East Timor expressed disappointment over a report by a UN-appointed panel of experts that calls for prosecution of mostly Indonesian figures allegedly involved in the violence that wracked East Timor in 1999 after its people voted for independence.
The stance was made at the conclusion of the third meeting of the East Timor-Indonesia joint ministerial commission during which Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda and his East Timorese counterpart Jose Ramos-Horta issued a joint statement.
"Both parties expressed their disappointment towards the report of the Commission of Experts appointed by the (UN) secretary general," the joint statement said.
"Both parties shared the view that the secretary general's report of the Commission of Experts to the UN Security Council does not promote the process of reconciliation," it added.
In the report, the commission reportedly recommends that the United Nations invoke its charter to set up an international tribunal to try those involved in the East Timor violence if Indonesia refuses to prosecute them within six months under international supervision.
It reportedly says that prosecutions made so far by an ad hoc human rights tribunal set up by the Indonesian government in response to international pressure to try those responsible for the violence, have been "manifestly inadequate" with "scant respect or relevant international standards."
In February, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan announced the establishment of the independent Commission of Experts to prove the issue of bringing to justice those responsible for the violence that followed a UN-organized referendum in which the East Timorese voted overwhelmingly for independence.
Associated Press - July 8, 2005
East Timor on Friday stood by its former occupier, Indonesia, in jointly rejecting a UN panel's recommendation that an international tribunal be created to try those accused of violence sparked by the territory's vote for independence in 1999.
The joint statement, released in Jakarta, signaled East Timor's intent to pursue good relations with its giant neighbor rather than seek justice for more than 1,500 Timorese killed when Indonesian-backed soldiers and militias launched a bloody rampage before and after the independence vote.
It also reflects improving ties between the two countries following the end of Indonesia's brutal 24-year occupation.
"Both parties expressed their disappointment toward the report of the commission of experts," the statement said, referring to a UN panel that recommended the creation of an international tribunal. "Both parties shared the opinion that the commission does not promote the process of reconciliation."
Following the 1999 violence, Indonesia promised to punish those responsible, but all 17 police, military and government officers who stood trial were acquitted.
The UN panel, consisting of five international judges who visited Indonesia and East Timor earlier this year, was appointed to evaluate Indonesia's attempts to bring the perpetrators to justice.
It submitted a report to the UN Security Council last week that described Jakarta's efforts to secure justice as "manifestly inadequate."
The report recommended that the Security Council establish an international criminal tribunal akin to those for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda unless Indonesia takes "substantive action" within six months.
East Timor had previously opposed such a court, saying relations with Indonesia were more important than settling old scores.
The two countries recently set up a joint Commission on Truth and Friendship to deal with the violence. The body, staffed by officials from both countries, will investigate the violence but has no power to recommend criminal proceedings.
The two countries also signed agreements establishing a provisional land border as well as technical assistance and training in Indonesia for Timorese civil servants.
Antara - July 7, 2005
New York -- The idea of forming an international tribunal to try the 1999 post-ballot human rights violations in East Timor is not likely to gain the support of UN Security Council members, an Indonesian diplomat said here Wednesday.
"I think, they (UNSC members) are in general aware that forming and maintaining an international tribunal will be costly while such tribunals in the past have not always been effective," Rezlan Ishar Jenie, Indonesia's Permanent Representatives to the UN, said.
He was commenting on the recommendation the UN Commission of Experts has made to the UNSC that Indonesia should retry a number of Indonesian military men and civilians for responsibility over the East Timor human rights abuses failing which they should be brought before an international tribunal.
Rezlan said Indonesia and East Timor were continuing to promote the Commission for Truth and Friendship (CTF) which they had established to settle the 1999 incidents legally.
About Indonesia's official stance on the report the UN Commission of Experts had submitted to the UNSC, Rezlan said formulating it was up to the government.
The UN Commission of Experts' report included a recommendation that Indonesia retry in six months' time and under UN supervision the Indonesian military officers and military leaders who were once arraigned in court over the East Timor human rights abuses. If Indonesia refused to do so, the same Indonesian military officers and militia leaders should be tried by an international tribunal.
Another alternative the Commission had proposed was to consider referring the East Timor human rights case to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Netherlands.
The Commission which consisted of Prafullachandra Bhagwati of India, Yozo Yokota of the UN Human Rights Commission and Shaitta Shammeem of Fiji had also said in its report that the ad hoc trials the Indonesian government had once conducted to settle the East Timor human rights violations were not enough.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, through its spokesman, Yuri Thamrin, had recently deplored that UN Commission's recommendation was made not long after the Commission visited Indonesia.
Agence France Presse - July 5, 2005
Jakarta -- Indonesia today formally rejected a recommendation by a UN panel of experts that an international tribunal be set up to judge military officers and others accused of atrocities in East Timor in 1999.
Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said the panel's demand would not alter Jakarta's refusal to pursue those accused of abuses during Indonesia's violent exit from Timor after its own trials failed to jail any key figures.
"We have all along rejected the recommendation on the establishment of an international tribunal because it is not a solution," he told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
Wirayuda said Indonesia would soon write to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the Security Council to convey its rejection of the report by the three-member UN Commission of Experts.
Pro-Indonesian militia gangs, allegedly directed by Indonesian army officers, went on a rampage before and after East Timorese voted for independence from Jakarta in a UN-sponsored ballot in August 1999.
They killed about 1,400 independence supporters, laid waste to much of the infrastructure and forcibly deported 250,000 people after the poll resulted in an overwhelming vote for separation. Most of the deportees have since returned.
Human rights trials held in Indonesia to try those responsible -- and deflect UN calls for a proper tribunal -- ended last year after acquitting all but one of the 18 security officers or officials who appeared before them.
In its report, the commission said Indonesia's human rights court was "manifestly inadequate" and "shows scant respect for -- or conformity to - relevant international standards".
The three-member panel recommended that the UN Secretary General require Indonesia to account for its prosecutions within six months or allow an international tribunal to bring those responsible for the violence to justice.
Wirayuda said Indonesia and East Timor were bringing justice through reconciliation efforts and by calling for an international tribunal the UN panel had exceeded its mission's purpose.
"Regardless of the Commission of Experts' recommendations, we will continue to work with East Timor to come to terms with the past through the Commission of Truth and Friendship," Wirayuda said.
The UN commission visited Indonesia in May to assess its efforts after earlier visiting East Timor to review the work of a parallel prosecution body tasked with indicting human rights violators.
Jakarta had argued that the United Nations panel was redundant in light of the creation of the truth and friendship commission, but later agreed to cooperate.
East Timor leaders have said they do not support an international tribunal, preferring to focus on good ties with their giant neighbour.
East Timor, a former Portuguese colony, gained full independence in May 2002 after more than two years of UN stewardship, which followed a quarter of a century of Indonesian occupation.
Jakarta Post - July 5, 2005
Jakarta -- The Commission of Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KONTRAS) has urged the government to follow up the United Nations' recommendations to reinvestigate the 1999 bloodshed in East Timor and to bring the case to the international rights tribunal.
Coordinator of the human rights group Usman Hamid said on Monday that the government had never taken a clear stance on the recommendations, although it received the report from the UN's Commission of Experts last June.
"The Indonesian government should not perceive the report as a form of intervention or pressure upon the country's court system," Usman said as quoted by Antara.
To put it more objectively, he added, the Commission of Experts had not abruptly urged the government to bring the case to the international tribunal.
The commission has instead provided an opportunity for the government to reopen the case, particularly the charge against then Indonesian Military commander Gen. (ret.) Wiranto, who is allegedly responsible for the tragedy.
"There's nothing to be afraid of. The case's reopening must be perceived as an opportunity to restore the national legal system and mechanism, so that the East Timor case and other similar cases can be resolved fairly," Usman said.
In a clearly orchestrated violence that accompanied the vote for independence in East Timor that ended Indonesia's 24-year occupation, pro-Indonesia militia, with the alleged support of military forces, killed over a thousand of people.
About half of East Timor's 700,000 population were forced to flee during the bloodshed, which only ended with the arrival of foreign peacekeeping troops.
Reacting to international pressure, Indonesian courts charged 18 people, mostly police and military officers. Twelve people were acquitted, and five others had their sentences overturned on appeal. An appeal in the final case against a senior pro- Indonesia militiaman is still pending.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed the three-member Commission of Experts to review the prosecutions and explain why a 1999 Security Council resolution to try those responsible for the bloodshed failed.
In its report, the three experts from India, Japan and Fiji, said that the Indonesian ad hoc human rights tribunal did not meet and did not respect the international standard.
The experts thus recommended that the UN secretary-general ask the Indonesian government to file a law suit within six months. Otherwise, the government would be instructed to allow the international tribunal to process the case.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Yuri O. Thamrin earlier said the Indonesian government had a clear stance on resolving the East Timor case and was certain that reconciliation was the best approach.
The situation has been complicated by East Timor President Xanana Gusmao's statement that the country is no longer interested in pursuing war crimes cases against the Indonesian generals, saying it is more interested in improving ties with Indonesia.
The two countries set up a Commission of Truth and Friendship in March. Consisting of lawyers and human rights figures from both countries, it will issue a report describing the cause of the bloodshed, but will not recommend legal action against those responsible.
Human rights groups, however, want the United Nations to oversee an international tribunal like those in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.
Usman said that while reconciliation is needed, it is not enough in resolving severe cases of human rights violation.
"It's a matter of responsibility and giving justice to the victims. Besides, despite President Gusmao's statement, the majority of legislators in East Timor have demanded legal action against those responsible," he said.
Asia Times - July 2, 2005
Marwaan Macan-Markar, Bangkok -- Indonesia's hope of emerging as a force for democracy in Southeast Asia faces a reality check in regard to its stance on justice -- especially justice for victims of human-rights violations in East Timor.
A United Nations panel of judges put Jakarta on the spot this week in a report submitted to the UN Security Council. The three-member Commission of Experts says Indonesia's security forces and militia leaders involved in gross human-rights violation in East Timor in 1999 must be put on trial.
The commission has given the Indonesian government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono six months to deliver, prosecuting the perpetrators of crimes against humanity in a special tribunal with "a team of international judicial and legal experts, preferably from the Asian region".
If that were to fail, the UN commission urged the Security Council to create an "international criminal tribunal for Timore-Leste [East Timor] to be located in a third state".
The commission's recommendations come after it found the attempts Indonesia has made to try 21 people charged with war crimes "manifestly inadequate", noting that the trials revealed "scant respect for or conformity to relevant international standards". The commission's scathing critique of Indonesia's attitude toward justice -- or lack thereof -- hardly surprises human-rights groups. Most of the Indonesian governments that followed the fall of president Suharto in 1998 appeared uninterested in going after those military and militia men who terrorized the people of East Timor in 1999.
"Previous presidents have shown little enthusiasm to prosecute those responsible for organizing the violence in 1999," John Miller, spokesman for East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN), a New York-based human rights lobby, told Inter Press Service. He noted that the only exception was former president Abdurrahman Wahid, who apologized for the occupation of East Timor.
The commission, which was set up early this year by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, came after leading human-rights groups began a campaign for the world body to send an international team of jurists in response to Indonesian courts letting key suspects wanted for crimes against humanity get away. Among those who have benefited from Indonesia's cavalier attitude toward justice are Major General Adam Damiri, who was in charge of the country's military operations in East Timor at the time of the 1999 independence referendum, and General Wiranto, the former Indonesian military commander who made an unsuccessful run as a presidential candidate.
The crimes against humanity occurred before and after the people of East Timor voted in a UN-sponsored referendum for independence from Jakarta in August 1999. Thugs and members of the militia, with the blessings of Indonesian troops, went on a rampage and killed close to 1,400 people, destroyed buildings and much of the infrastructure, and forcefully drove out about 250,000 people.
Before the terror, Indonesia had occupied the former Portuguese colony with brutal force since 1975. An estimated 200,000 Timorese, nearly a third of its population, died as a result of bombings, killings and starvation during the Indonesian occupation of the area on the eastern end of this archipelago that Jakarta considered its province.
But the leaders of East Timor's separatist struggle, both on the military and political front, have appeared more keen to mend fences with their former occupier and giant neighbor since the nation gained independence in May 2002. Evidence of this is the weight both Dili and Jakarta are throwing behind a Commission of Truth and Friendship as a way of healing the political wounds.
"This attitude of the East Timorese leaders poses a snag in the call for an international tribunal," said Withaya Sucharithanarugse, an Indonesia expert at the Institute of Asian Studies at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao has said "he is not interested in having a tribunal", Withaya told IPS. "If the president of East Timor is not seeking redress, then that raises questions about how much support there will be for the tribunal."
Gusmao, a former guerrilla leader, has the support of another equally notable personality to go down the road of friendship and stability with Indonesia rather than seek justice for the atrocities of the past. He is Jose Ramos Horta, a Nobel Peace laureate and Indonesia's foreign minister.
It is an attitude that is increasingly at odds with what the people want, said ETAN spokesman Miller. "The East Timorese victims and public would prefer trials. They know the truth already. "We have always believed that a strong relationship with Jakarta must be built on justice," he added. "I think pressure will build over time. Internal critics of the government's stance will certainly feel strengthened in their pursuit of genuine justice."
(Inter Press Service)
| Transition & reconstruction |
The Australian - July 27, 2005
Mark Dodd, John Kerin -- A sobering World Bank report warning East Timor's Government to tackle corruption or face civil conflict has been rejected by a "furious" Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri but warmly welcomed by public advocacy groups in Dili.
The 95-page report, obtained by The Australian, raises serious concerns about the level of expertise available in Dili to manage up to $40million a year in revenue from the oil-and-gas-rich Timor Sea.
The report says peace and stability in East Timor remain fragile, with the population becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the Government, a situation that could trigger civil conflict.
Attending an ASEAN summit in Laos, East Timor Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta, while admitting the situation was fragile, played down the World Bank report card on the world's newest nation, which is struggling to rebuild from the devastation wrought by Indonesian-backed militias in 1999.
"If you read it thoroughly, the World Bank report is very optimistic about East Timor," he said.
"They warn about the dangers but that's all. The Prime Minister is furious.
"We are doing very well, the country is very much at peace. We have a dynamic multi-party system -- 12 parties in the parliament."
Cecilio Freitas, of the Dili-based NGO East Timor Peoples' Action party, which is running a public-awareness campaign warning of the dangers posed by corruption and nepotism, endorsed the report.
"Corruption is becoming a heartache for many in East Timor, especially corruption at Dili port and the Batugade border (with Indonesian West Timor)," he said.
"Senior Fretilin officials are also involved in peddling influence," Mr Freitas told The Australian, referring to the ruling party.
A spokeswoman for the World Bank described the report yesterday as "reasonably frank", saying East Timor was at a crossroads.
Australia, one of East Timor's biggest donors, runs an annual aid program worth $40 million.
Bruce Bilson, Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, agreed East Timor faced serious challenges.
He said Canberra's primary aid focus was to help strengthen the country's institutions, especially public administration and the police. "East Timor is moving from a period of conflict to that of a peaceful, democratic nation," he said.
The Australian - July 26, 2005
Mark Dodd -- East Timor is in danger of imploding into civil conflict, with corruption likely to erode the benefits of the billions of dollars that will flow to the fledgling nation from the development of gas fields in the Timor Sea.
The World Bank, in a brutal and frank report on the prospects for the world's newest country, warns of emerging high-level corruption and of a Government increasingly out of touch with the people.
The restricted report -- dated July 25 and titled The International Development Association: Country Assistance Strategy for the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste -- says East Timor is at a "crossroad" and the establishment of a functioning democracy will probably take decades.
Emerging from the ashes of the bloody 1999 independence referendum, the half-island state of East Timor was a country in ruins.
Under six years of UN stewardship and generous assistance from international donors, the tiny state of almost 1million people has taken huge steps to rebuild.
Australia is a leading donor to East Timor. In May 2000 the federal Government committed $150million for the reconstruction and development of the country -- a commitment it met in full, or even exceeded, last year.
The World Bank report, obtained by The Australian, says East Timor has performed "considerably better than that of other post-conflict countries."
"Yet East Timor is at a crossroad and progress remains fragile," it says. "Establishing a well-functioning state will take years, if not decades."
Among its biggest concerns is the re-emergence of corruption, endemic during the harsh quarter-century rule of Indonesian occupiers.
"Governance and corruption problems are beginning to emerge," the report says. "Communication between the Government and the population is inadequate and often ineffective, resulting in limited mutual understanding.
"Timor Leste is at a juncture where it can consolidate gains and create conditions for sustained growth and poverty reduction, or descend down a path of poor governance, continuously increasing poverty and inequality and possibly renewed conflict."
It warns that over-reliance on earnings from Timor Sea gas and oil could lead to a resource curse the bank calls "Dutch Disease" -- a failure to properly manage the exploitation of natural resources.
A UN study three years ago -- before the oil price spike -- estimated East Timor stood to earn up to $US30billion ($39.5billion) from the oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.
Despite stunning progress in reconstruction, peace and stability in East Timor remain fragile, the current danger posed not by armed anti-independence militias but what the bank called "internal fault lines".
"More significant than external factors are internal fault lines contributing to the risk of renewed violence, including declining income, increased poverty, high unemployment and emerging corruption," it says, noting an ominous increase in the prevalence of youthful martial arts groups.
Corruption is on the increase, particularly in procurement, as detailed in a report in The Australian earlier this month linking the Prime Minister's brother to lucrative ammunition purchasing contracts.
Other areas tainted by corruption include Customs, the justice system and the private sector. Despite the Government referring 10 cases of corruption for prosecution, none so far has proceeded, it says.
South China Morning Post - July 27, 2005
Roger Maynard, Sydney -- A report on the future of East Timor by the World Bank has painted a bleak picture of a nation in danger of imploding as it copes with the twin pressures of poverty and corruption.
The strongly worded assessment of the tiny state's prospects concludes that while it has performed better than other countries in the aftermath of conflict, its progress remains fragile.
"Establishing a well-functioning state will take years, if not decades," the report says.
East Timor, which is the world's newest nation, became independent from Indonesia after decades of fighting and a 1999 referendum.
Australia, its southerly neighbour, helped bring stability to the country by sending a large contingent of peacekeeping troops to establish law and order, and by contributing generously to infrastructure and development projects.
But six years later, major challenges remain, the World Bank concedes, acknowledging that the establishment of a functioning democracy would probably take decades.
"Governance and corruption problems are beginning to emerge," the report observes.
"Communication between the government and the population is inadequate and often ineffective, resulting in limited mutual understanding.
"Timor-Leste is at a juncture where it can consolidate gains and create conditions for sustained growth and poverty reduction, or descend down a path of poor governance, continuously increasing poverty and inequality and possibly renewed conflict," it warns.
Even the billions of dollars expected to be generated by oil and gas reserves beneath the Timor Sea could be at risk.
Commenting on the restricted report, the contents of which were exclusively published in yesterday's The Australian newspaper, the World Bank country manager for East Timor, Elisabeth Huybens, said last night that while the new nation's achievements had been remarkable, it was important to strike a note of caution.
"Timor-Leste is at a crossroads," she said. "It is blessed with rich resources and natural beauty... but it must be vigilant in avoiding the tragic mistakes of some young nations whose wealth has proved to be a liability."
Australian Associated Press - July 26, 2005
East Timor's foreign minister countered claims that his tiny country was riddled with graft and burdened by poverty that could one day lead to civil conflict.
The Australian newspaper quoted a World Bank report as saying that newly independent East Timor was at a "crossroads".
However, East Timor's Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta downplayed some concerns raised in the restricted report entitled: The International Development Association: Country Assistance Strategy for the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste.
"If you read it thoroughly, the World Bank report is very optimistic about Timor," said Ramos-Horta, a Nobel peace prize winner.
"They warn about dangers, but that's all. The Prime Minister (Mari Alkatiri) is furious. We are doing very well, the country is very much at peace. We have a very dynamic multi-party system -- 12 parties in parliament."
Ramos-Horta admitted Timor had problems. But he remained optimistic about the future. "Overall the situation is fragile because we are new, three-years-old. The institutions are fragile," he said.
Ramos-Horta said an April meeting of international donors had ticked off on East Timor's political and economic direction.
"Every single one of them, including World Bank, including the International Monetary Fund, praise my government's performance," said Ramos-Horta, who is Laos for an ASEAN meeting.
"Now we have a surplus, we (are) increasing the budget by 30 per cent because of the windfall from oil and gas." Recently Australia and East Timor agreed to a deal to carve up oil and gas reserves in the waters between the two countries.
Agence France Presse - July 7, 2005
Sydney -- East Timor is in danger of becoming a failed state without outside aid, the fledgling nation's President Xanana Gusmao said on a visit to Australia Thursday.
Gusmao told a function in Sydney that East Timor was struggling three years after its independence from Indonesia and needed Australia to continue providing aid and administrative support.
"We are three years old and we still need assistance not to become a failed state," he said. "As the poorest country in Southeast Asia we still need your help."
Gusmao also said his tiny nation wanted to be a good neighbour to Australia. "A neighbour that can help contribute to regional peace and to world peace as well in a very democratic, consistent way," he said.
His comments come as Australia and East Timor officials finalise negotiations on splitting billions of dollars in revenue from oil and gas reserves that lie under the disputed Timor Sea.
Under the deal, East Timor will receive a larger share of revenues from the Greater Sunrise oil and gas field in return for dropping its Timor Sea maritime boundary dispute with Australia for 50 years.
The Australian newspaper reported that East Timor would receive 13 billion dollars (9.75 billion US) under the deal, five billion dollars more than it had previously stood to gain.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer refused to reveal the terms of the deal, which East Timor Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta expects to be signed in August.
"I'm not going to get into particular figures," Downer told reporters. "They (the East Timorese) will do very well out of it."
Gusmao has previously described the resource revenue as his country's only chance to escape a poverty trap that has left it reliant on overseas aid.
The government of affluent Australia had come under intense pressure from religious groups, war veterans and rights activists pressing Canberra to give its impovershed neighbour a fair deal.
| Security & boarder issues |
Jakarta Post - July 30, 2005
Kupang -- Two Indonesian soldiers stationed at Nunura in Haekesak village, Raihat district, Belu regency, were attacked by Timor Leste residents on Wednesday.
The two soldiers, Second Corp. Heri Saroso and First Corp. Sugito sustained severe injuries to their arms in the attack, the second incident in two months, while conducting a routine patrol on the border between Indonesia and Timor Leste.
Lt. Col. Yul Aviandi, the commander of the border security task force, confirmed the incident on Friday.
"While patrolling, they saw a group of people from Timor Leste carrying two containers of fuel and two boxes of beer, and tried to stop them. But four other Timor Leste residents emerged from the bushes with knives and attacked the two soldiers," Yul said.
He said the attackers also seized the two soldiers' weapons, but these were later recovered by the Timor Leste Border Patrol, which returned them to the Indonesian Military.
| Government/civil service |
Lusa - July 27, 2005
Dili -- Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri unveiled an enlarged government Wednesday in East Timor as part of his drive to improve the performance of the Dili executive and decentralize power in the world's newest nation.
The new government, to be sworn in Thursday by President Xanana Gusmco, has 17 ministers, 15 deputy-ministers and 11 state secretaries giving it a dozen more members than its predecessor, which took office on independence in May 2002.
The main innovations in the new executive are the creation of five state secretaries for each of Timor's future administrative regions and the elevation of defense from a state secretary portfolio to a ministerial one.
The five regional state secretaries will report directly in the new government to Alkatiri, as well as the state secretaries for the council of ministers; youth and sport; and environmental coordination, territorial organization and physical development.
Alkatiri originally outlined plans for Dili's revamped Executive in May, saying the shakeup was part of his government's efforts to decentralize power and streamline the administration of the new nation to meet targets for its National Development Plan.
The five new state secretaries for each of Timor's regions will coordinate grass-roots development, particularly investment programs to be regionally implemented.
Alkatiri himself now combines roles as government chief with duties as minister of natural resources, minerals and energy policy.
Two deputy ministers and a pair of state secretaries have still to be nominated by Alkatiri for his revamped government.
It had been expected that the Timorese leader would announce the first rotation of Dili's overseas diplomatic corps at the same time he made his first cabinet rejig.
However, after giving details of his new government, Alkatiri noted that "it is easier to find ministers and deputy ministers than ambassadors", adding the new diplomatic posting would be announced at a later date.
| Indonesia |
Sydney Morning Herald - July 8, 2005
Tom Allard -- It has to be the most unlikely of alliances, a concord that has defied a bloody history forged in battle. One man, Xanana Gusmao, was leader of a tenacious and elusive East Timorese resistance. The other, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was the first commander of the first battalion of Indonesian troops sent out to destroy them by any means necessary.
Today they are leaders of their countries, and firm friends.
"All the [Indonesian] generals, we are now friends," President Gusmao said last night. "Before, we were enemies looking at each other and fighting one another, killing each other. Now, these same human beings can be friends. For me, it is amazing."
This is a man who spent more than 15 years as a guerilla, enduring extreme deprivation and witnessing terrible crimes against his people. He also spent time in Jakarta's notorious Cipinang jail.
"Seven years was not a short time but they were seven years when I could understand the suffering of the Indonesian people, the bad side of the [Soeharto] regime. It is why now we are so close."
Mr Gusmao said he has a "very good personal relationship" with Mr Yudhoyono. It was Mr Yudhoyono, then Indonesia's security minister, who urged the former freedom fighter to become East Timor's first head of state at a time when he was most disinclined to do so. More recently, Mr Yudhoyono has asked, and received, Mr Gusmao's in-principle approval for autonomy, but not independence, for Aceh province.
Mr Gusmao's conciliatory approach to East Timor's former brutal overseers has rankled some in his country still haunted by vivid memories of war crimes and angry that their perpetrators have gone unpunished. But the dividend has been a cessation of militia activity and a relatively stable East Timor.
And, to be sure, the resistance hero can still express his anger with force, and get results. It was Mr Gusmao's lashing of Australia's approach to the Timor Sea oil and gas talks that captured the imagination and publicity, and led to a multibillion-dollar backdown by the Federal Government.
Now the challenge is to use those billions to rebuild a country with a wrecked economy, battling incessant drought and suffering endemic poverty.
Only 10 per cent of the oil revenues will be used in the next five years on the people of East Timor. The remainder will be invested in US Treasury bonds.
| News & issues |
Sydney Morning Herald - July 25, 2005
Tom Allard -- A vital intelligence database shut down during the East Timor conflict was restored only on the condition army intelligence officers ceased reporting on Indonesian-backed militia activities in West Timor, Lieutenant-Colonel Lance Collins has revealed.
In his first newspaper interview, Colonel Collins, the head of intelligence operations in East Timor, described the condition -- enforced by the Defence Intelligence Organisation -- as "perplexing and of concern".
The edict coincided with a fresh upsurge of violence as militias regrouped and atrocities were being reported in refugee camps housing more than 100,000 East Timorese.
Colonel Collins added to the weight of evidence that Australia withheld information on East Timor from the US, saying the newly fielded intelligence network allowed Canberra to exercise more control over the intelligence.
In an extraordinary act, the Defence Intelligence Organisation deliberately cut off access to the intelligence database in December 1999, leaving troops in combat without an important source of information on their enemy.
After what they thought was a routine technical hitch, Interfet intelligence officers searched for about 24 hours to find the cause of the problem.
Colonel Collins said he and his staff were dismayed when they learnt the service had been knowingly severed, and were equally concerned by the conditions put on its restoration.
After it was established that it was intentional, Colonel Collins was forwarded an email from Canberra with a letter attached.
"I was told I had to show it to [then major-general Peter] Cosgrove and after that they would turn on full functionality," he said. "My recollection of the letter was that it specified that we could report on East Timor and we should report just on East Timor. This was somewhat reckless in a war-like situation because the lines of command to the militia went back through West Timor." General Cosgrove -- he was later promoted to chief of Defence Force, retiring last month -- was commander of the Interfet forces in East Timor.
In December 1999, General Cosgrove wrote to Indonesian military commanders expressing his alarm at the deteriorating security situation on the border between East and West Timor.
At the same time, 100 troop reinforcements were helicoptered to the border.
Colonel Collins gained public attention last year following the leaking of a report by Navy barrister Captain Martin Toohey, which backed his claims of a pro-Jakarta lobby within Defence and Foreign Affairs. Australian intelligence agencies produced reporting that underplayed Indonesia's involvement in the militia activities in East Timor, which eventually led to thousands of deaths, Captain Toohey found. He also found the intelligence link had been shut down.
"It's important to remember that this was an international force undertaking what was termed a war-like operation," Colonel Collins said. "The significance of the database was that it was a key element of our capability to undertake analytical work. It was crucial to our task."
Last year, General Cosgrove -- who worked closely with Colonel Collins -- denied a deliberate shutdown had occurred.
However, a subsequent investigation by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, Ian Carnell, found the cut-off had been intentional, although he absolved the head of the the Defence Intelligence Organisation, Frank Lewincamp, of responsibility. Mr Carnell's report has yet to be released, even though it has been with the Defence Minister, Robert Hill, for months.
Senator Hill has said legal and administrative action, as well as privacy issues, have prevented the release of Mr Carnell's report.
It is understood the delay relates to a finding that several public servants made false statements to an earlier investigation into the intelligence link being cut.
Colonel Collins said the intelligence system that was shut down was a prototype and was AUSTEO, or Australian Eyes Only.
Until then, all intelligence reporting had been on a shared network that could be accessed by key Australian allies, including the US. "It meant Canberra could control what was reported." he said.
While the US had no forces in East Timor, it had been providing crucial intelligence and communications back-up. Moreover, there had been deep tensions between Australia and the US over the intelligence Washington was getting from Australia on the situation in East Timor in 1998 and 1999, when violence was escalating, along with agitation for independence by activists.
These tensions had tragic consequences when the Defence Intelligence Organisation and Foreign Affairs launched an investigation into the organisation's chief liaison officer in Washington, Merv Jenkins, after he was accused of handing the Americans AUSTEO documents on East Timor. Mr Jenkins believed he had authority to pass on the material, saying the former Office of National Assessments chief Richard Smith had given approval.
DIO rejected this and, under intense pressure as the investigation escalated, Mr Jenkins committed suicide.
The Australian - July 8, 2005
Trudy Harris, Mark Dodd -- East Timor president Xanana Gusmao yesterday defended a lucrative weapons deal between his Government and the Prime Minister's brother.
A spokesman for Mr Gusmao rejected opposition concerns the deal lacked transparency, saying a public tendering process existed for procurements such as sophisticated military equipment.
However, the spokesman said he did not know the details of the tendering process for the weapons deal revealed in The Australian.
The deal involves granting Dr Mari Alkatiri's younger brother a monopoly to sell weapons to the East Timor Government with a licence to broker sophisticated military equipment including tanks, patrol boats and attack helicopters.
"I don't think the brother is an issue. There are transparency processes in place. If the bidders have the right expertise then they can compete.
And it's up to the procurement department to respond to whether it was the best bid or not," the spokesman said in Sydney where Mr Gumsao held meetings with Alexander Downer.
"I understand that the opposition has some concerns about this but the opposition should debate this in the parliament... where they can raise legitimate issues," the spokesman, Agio Pereira, said.
He also rejected concerns about the role of the paramilitary police in East Timor that will use the weapons. He said the police units had always used sophisticated guns -- such as high- powered military assault weapons -- for maintaining law and order.
"Our constitution is very clear, the police deal only with law and order matters. And only the military deal with external attacks," he said.
In addition to 2700 Glock 9mm service pistols for ordinary police, other weapons recently obtained include Steyr assault rifles, F2000 machine guns, MP5 A3 machine guns, and Heckler and Koch 33 assault rifles.
Senior East Timorese government officials who asked not to be named said yesterday there was little transparency involved in weapons purchases.
The Australian - July 7, 2005
Mark Dodd -- The East Timorese Prime Minister's brother has been granted a lucrative monopoly to sell weapons to the country's Government, with a licence to broker sophisticated military equipment including tanks, patrol boats and attack helicopters.
Bader Bin Hamut Alkatiri, the younger brother of Dr Mari Alkatiri, has already secured a deal to purchase 257,000 rounds of 5.56mm assault rifle ammunition for the impoverished country's police force -- a deal worth $US108,000 ($145,000), documents obtained by The Australian reveal.
The contract with Mr Alkatiri's Dili-registered company Caval Bravo Pty Ltd has raised serious concerns about government transparency and the role of paramilitary police units in East Timor.
The ammunition is designed for use in high-powered military assault weapons more commonly used by the Special Air Service and would be considered highly unusual for normal policing.
Interior Minister Rogerio Lobato confirmed the order last night, telling The Australian the massive ammunition purchase was to ensure special police units were able to train with the latest weapons.
"We are not buying the ammunition to make another war," he said. "We (police) don't have cannons, we don't have grenade launchers. In Timor Leste the police have to be trained to fire their rifles with skill."
Western security analysts contacted by The Australian were concerned at the proliferation of paramilitary-style police units in a country facing no present external threat.
"The Government has a sovereign right to purchase arms to provide for external defence and police operations; however, there are so few public indicators as to what these weapons are really for, and that is confusing at best, sinister at worst," said one analyst.
East Timor's opposition parties say they are frustrated at the Government's lack of transparency on weapons purchases and security issues.
"I can't get any information from the central Government on how much they spend to obtain weapons for the police," the Democratic Party's Fernando Araujo said.
"This should be an open tender process but it is is not. We should be able to debate this in parliament but when the opposition raises questions about this we're told it's an internal security matter. I think that is ridiculous."
Since the final handover from the UN to the East Timor Government of responsibility for external defence and internal security in May last year, the Interior Ministry has obtained a large arsenal of modern assault weapons ranging from Steyr rifles to Heckler and Koch sub-machineguns.
Mr Lobato said the weapons were needed for units such as the bodyguard unit that protects senior ministers and officials; border police; a counter-insurgency response force; and riot police -- a battalion-sized force of more than 600 men.
Attempts to contact Bader Bin Hamut Alkatiri were unsuccessful. However, a spokesman for the Prime Minister described him as a businessman and not a civil servant.
Mr Lobato defended the size of the ammunition order, saying it would be used for training and as a reserve in case of renewed border tensions -- a reference to possible incursions by diehard pro-Jakarta militia who, along with their Indonesian army backers, were responsible for the conflict in East Timor in 1999 that claimed more than 1500 lives.
He said the money for the ammunition would be paid out of the national police budget.
"We are still waiting for it to arrive," he said. "Mr Alkatiri's company was the only one authorised by the Government to provide weaponry to the security services."
The Australian - July 7, 2005
Mark Dod -- East Timor is Asia's poorest country. Its President, former guerilla fighter and national resistance hero Xanana Gusmao, says money is urgently needed to build hospitals, schools and stamp out endemic poverty.
It raises questions about why the need for so many guns and who is paying for them. Since its founding in 2000, the national police force (PNTL) has obtained a wide variety of weaponry, including 2700 Glock 9mm pistols, for its ordinary police officers.
Under Interior Minister Rogerio Lobato, no friend of President Gusmao, who enjoys close relations with the army (F-FDTL), the police service has been expanded to include several special units.
They include a 250-strong border police force, a 200-strong counter-insurgency police reserve force and 180 riot police, in addition to a special bodyguard unit.
The Australian has learnt that in 2002, the PNTL obtained an undisclosed number of sophisticated and expensive MP5 A3 sub- machineguns.
This was followed by an additional order in May last year for seven state-of-the-art F2000 machineguns for close-protection officers and 66 FNC assault rifles for riot police, the latter bought from Belgium.
In the same month, Mr Lobato ordered 180 Heckler and Koch 33 assault rifles for an elite police counter-insurgency force, supplied free of charge by the Malaysian Government.
And finally, in September last year another order was made for 200 Steyr assault rifles in a deal with Austria worth more than $200,000. In addition, Mr Lobato said the US had supplied an unspecified number of tactical shotguns to the police.
The PNTL has acquired more than 450 modern assault weapons for its paramilitary forces. "In the absence of (militia) border incursions, will the UPR (counter-insurgency police) have an internal security or policing role armed with military weapons?" asked one Western security analyst.
Based in Dili, the analyst said there had been no debate in parliament about the role of special police units and little public scrutiny so far.
Meanwhile, a special presidential report into East Timor's 3000- strong army has warned of rising tensions between police and soldiers aggravated by much better pay and conditions enjoyed by the police.
Dated August 2004, the report signed by President Gusmao warns: "Relations between the F-FDTL, the police and civil population are marked by feelings of marginalisation and abandonment experienced by military personnel.
Members of the police notoriously enjoy the best conditions in terms of equipment, uniform and salary. "At the top of the hierarchy there is a ministry (Mr Lobato's Interior Ministry) that formulates, co-ordinates and implements the internal security policy."
Australia has a major assistance program with the F-FDTL focusing on English language training, NCO training and radio communications.
| Business & investment |
Lusa - July 21, 2005
Washington -- East Timor's future development depends on "effective administration of its new petroleum wealth" and the attraction of investment into the non-oil sector of the new nation's economy, the International Monetary Fund says in a report.
In a report released Wednesday and based on contacts with Timorese leaders last month, the IMF Executive Board notes that although Timor has made "modest" progress in bolstering its non- oil economy, stronger performance in this sector is crucial to alleviate poverty and create jobs.
Dili's budget plans for 2005/2006 are described as "ambitious" by the IMF, given the present limited administrative capacity in Timor and reduced absorption levels of the national economy. The creation of Timor's Petroleum Fund, designed to ensure transparent management of oil revenues, is welcomed in the IMF document, but the Dili authorities are cautioned to "carefully consider" the pros and cons of setting up a state oil company.
In the non-hydrocarbon sector, "strengthening of the tax and excise duty systems" are needed, as well as care in devising an incentive system in future laws governing investment, says the report.
The IMF praises Dili's "maintaining of liberalized trade and investment systems", but calls for speedy implementation of pending legislation in this area, as well as new laws on bankruptcy.
Technical assistance from the international community remains essential for the establishment of strong institutions and effective management of Timor's economy, adds the IMF.
Separately, Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta arrived Thursday in Rangoon for talks with Burmese officials aimed at establishing formal bilateral diplomatic ties, official sources told Lusa.
Diplomatic sources told Lusa that the Timorese diplomat will try and contact Burmese opposition leader Auung San Suu Kyi, being kept under house arrest by Rangoon's military rulers.
Ramos Horta will stay in Burma until Sunday before traveling to a ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional Form (ARF) in Laos, where Timor will formally join the ARF.
The ARF groups the 10 members of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) with other nations in the Pacific-Asia region, including China, the United States, Japan and Russia.
| People |
Australian Broadcasting Corporation - July 18, 2005
He was a rebel, a guerrilla leader, the symbol of his country. She was A foreigner, a teacher, a spy. They fell in love though they'd never met.
This is a story, a pair of stories, as big as a nation and as small as A kiss. I know it sounds like a movie promo, but it's true. Please Welcome the President and First Lady of East Timor, Xanana and Kirsty Sword Gusmao.
Andrew Denton: Welcome, Kirsty. Mr President. You may sit there, Kirsty. Applause
Andrew Denton: Welcome to you both. May I be informal and call you Xanana, Mr President? And may I call you Kirsty, Kirsty?
Kirsty Sword Gusmao: You certainly may.
Andrew Denton: Thank you so much. Kirsty, do you get back to your homeland very often?
Kirsty Sword Gusmao: A couple of times a year.
Andrew Denton: Yeah?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: Very rarely just for pleasure and catching up with family, but for other purposes.
Andrew Denton: Is it like a Princess Mary visit? Are the streets of Bendigo lined 100-deep with people waving?
Xanana Gusmao: "Don't quote me, please."
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: No, it's quite a different story.
Andrew Denton: Yeah. Can you actually, because you have security guards here and so on, I mean, do you actually get to hang out with your old friends?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: Very rarely, in fact it's a source of regret. I don't get to catch up with many friends, we're so busy rushing from one official engagement to the next. Or, you know, busy talking about Timor. I mean, Timor is what consumes us, it's our passion, it's our life and that Leaves us very little time, really, for old friends.
Andrew Denton: As indeed it should consume you. It's an extraordinary story. Xanana, you were actually christened Jose Alexandre. How did you get the name Xanana?
Xanana Gusmao: I was a journalist before the war. And in the articles That I criticise people, I try to hide myself just to be acceptable for... by everybody, and I chose the name Xanana.
Andrew Denton: Where did that name come from? Where did you choose that from? Xanana Gusmao: At the time in '60s that, in the early '70s, the... (Sings) Sha-na-na...
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: It was a pop song.
Andrew Denton: Oh, really? You got it from that?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: We still actually can't work out whether it was The Carpenters or another.
Andrew Denton: Oh, really? Just trying to think. Thank goodness you didn't take, because this was the early '70s, wasn't it? You could've taken a disco name. You could've been known as Captain Boogie. That would not be good. You could've been known as Shaft. Well, it's a very cool name, I have to say, and if I ever have another life I'm going to call myself that.
Xanana Gusmao: But not Banana.
Andrew Denton: Oh, right.
Xanana Gusmao: Meaning the Republic of Xanana.
Andrew Denton: Xanana Republic, yes. It's such a cruel game, politics, isn't it?
Andrew Denton: I want to go back to the time of the Indonesian invasion Or in fact a couple of years after that. Indonesia invaded in 1975, you Fled from Dili. You left behind a wife and two children, who you didn't see For 20 years, and within a few years there was a very brutal invasion. An estimated 200,000 East Timorese were killed, a quarter of your country's population. Most of the leadership of Fretilin, the independence movement, were captured or dead and you became the leader of the resistance movement and you describe that time as the worst moment of your life. Why was that?
Xanana Gusmao: Well, you know, in the first three years we were all the population together trying to resist, and in the end of '77-'78, we were destroyed. And from almost 50,000 guerrillas, we were reduced to 700.
They said, "How can we resist? How can we win?"
Andrew Denton: Kirsty, you're now the First Lady of East Timor but it's almost as if all your life you've been tied up with this region. You, at your parents' example, spoke your first words of Indonesian at four, you majored in it at university. In your 20s you started to travel there, what you called a love/hate relationship. What's at the heart of that fascination?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: I think the language really. I began studying Indonesian in Bendigo in Central Victoria which was something of a Centre for learning on Indonesian language and culture, and it was really Through my interest in Indonesia that I came to know about East Timor, of course, which is rather different from the journey of most East Timor activists and sympathisers who come to know something about Indonesia on the side as a result of learning about East Timor, but for me it was the opposite. I loved the country, I loved the people. I travelled there for the first time in about 1984, 1985. Was absolutely enchanted with the place and still am in many ways.
Andrew Denton: So you decided to move to Jakarta as a foreign aid worker, but you were actually leading a double life weren't you? You were, you became involved with the resistance movement as a spy and a networker, a money launderer and you took a different name didn't you?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: Yeah. That makes it all sound as if it was all sort of a bit deliberate and that I was in the employ and pay of the Timorese resistance which, of course, is not quite the case.
Andrew Denton: You stumbled into it.
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: I went there without an idea of what I was going to do other than I wanted to work more intensively for Timor. I got work as an English teacher because I trained as a teacher. That's basically what helped me to support my work for the resistance, which started off in the beginning really as helping young students that were involved in the pro-independence movement in Jakarta to translate documents, to draft petitions, to visiting members of human rights delegations and the like. That was the extent of it. I mean, human rights activist is actually a far more apt term than spy but I know it makes better story, of course.
Andrew Denton: You took another name, didn't you? What was your name?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: Well, everybody that was involved in the Clandestine movement had a pseudonym. Mine was Ruby Blade initially and later Xanana changed it to Mukia. But we all adopted a name basically to protect our identities and protect the other members of the clandestine movement.
Andrew Denton: It was slightly more than just human rights work. I mean, as you said, it was clandestine, and there is a fairly famous incident where you helped smuggle 11 East Timorese men to safety in a foreign consulate in the middle of Jakarta. How do you do that?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: Basically these seven young men, actually, came to Me and explained to me how they were on the run from the Indonesian Military and feared for their lives because of their pro-independence Activities. And I helped them to get into the Finnish and the Swedish embassies Which were in a block of, you know, company buildings in the centre of Jakarta. I and some friends of mine, you know, cased the place out for a couple of weeks beforehand to work out how we were actually going to perform this feat.
Andrew Denton: As any humanitarian worker would.
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: Yeah. And basically managed to get them in. I had to sort of dress up to look like an executive who belonged in that kind of environment and, you know, walked in with four of them up to one level where the Finnish embassy was and the other three went with my friend and colleague.
Andrew Denton: How did you explain who the four men were?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: Well, we were actually stopped as we were going up On to the third floor by one of the security guards on the ground floor and because I'd done my homework I actually had the name card of one of the companies, I think it was Revlon, up on, you know, the fifth floor and I managed to flash that to explain why it was that we were going up in The lift, and that seemed to satisfy the security guard.
Andrew Denton: What, you said these four men needed Revlon cosmetics?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: I can't remember how I explained it.
Andrew Denton: Was that a nervous moment?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: It certainly was, yeah, yeah, extremely nervous.
But I felt that I had a duty to help these young men. There weren't too many other foreigners resident in Jakarta at the time, who were prepared to really take the risks involved, to, you know, guarantee these guys a safe passage out of the country.
Andrew Denton: And it was risk. Jose Ramos-Horta, your foreign minister, has said that the risk to you shouldn't be underestimated. That had you been caught you would almost certainly have been murdered. How aware were you of that risk?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: I continue to think that is somewhat of an exaggeration. I think probably Indonesia wouldn't have wanted a diplomatic incident with Australia and I think probably the worst thing that could've happened would've been I would've been deported. Which would've been a terrible tragedy for me, not only because it would've curtailed my activities for the Timorese, but because of my ongoing love of Indonesia. I enjoyed living there. I had many friendships with lots of Indonesian people and it would've been incredibly distressing for me not to have continued to have access.
Andrew Denton: And you may never have met this man?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: That's right.
Andrew Denton: Let's not forget that.
Andrew Denton: You fought until 1992 when you were eventually captured.
And you were tortured and you were put on trial. You weren't even allowed To speak at your trial and you were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Considering you had been such a thorn in the side of the Indonesians You have been so strong as a resistance leader, why didn't they just kill you?
Xanana Gusmao: I think that it is for two reasons. When during six months of cease fire, we were treating them very well. They used to come to our bases and nothing happened to them. If we wanted we could kill them, but we didn't.
Andrew Denton: I'm amazed that considering the brutality of what the Indonesian army did in East Timor to your people that you could have restrained yourself from killing their soldiers when you had the opportunity. How can you do that?
Xanana Gusmao: We didn't fight against the soldiers. We were fighting against the regime. The regime that sent the soldiers to kill us, to fight us. In many, many other occasions, even in the operations... we captured weapons, captured Indonesian soldiers alive and we sent back. You surrendered, go back home and tell the Indonesian people that you are not our enemy. Our enemy is the policy of coming here, staying here and being our colonisers.
Andrew Denton: That's a remarkable thing to do. When you were sent to prison, did you feel that you had failed in your job as the resistance leader?
Xanana Gusmao: Not at all. I was still in jungle. And I already had connection with people in the prison. It could take advantage of these facilities there, to continue to have links with the resistance.
Andrew Denton: Well, you talk about the facilities in prison, and Kirsty, that's where you come in, and this is where your stories start to come together. You were already working in your role as a humanitarian worker, smuggling documents in and out of the prison and you started to give Xanana English lessons via correspondence and you also bought him materials That were passed on to him for his artwork. And in 1994 for your birthday You sent Xanana a picture of yourself. Can you tell us about that?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: Yeah, I sent him a photograph. We'd been Corresponding for some time and it seemed to make sense to actually get to know one another physically as well as, you know, emotionally and so I sent a photograph. But I chose one which showed only the back of my head because I was a little bit concerned that the letter might be intercepted and my identity might be revealed through the photograph. So it was actually a photograph of me overlooking some rice fields in West Java. And to my surprise and my delight, some months later, I received from him a painting which was done of that photograph.
Andrew Denton: Nonetheless, Kirsty, even though you had never met or Even spoken to each other, you, through your letters, could feel a bond growing, couldn't you, between you?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: Yes. Um...
Xanana Gusmao: Ladies first.
Andrew Denton: What was that?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: I suppose first and foremost it was the shared... shared values. Goal of working towards Timor's... independence.
That's what had brought us together in the first place. And I think Over time it extended to other parts of our lives, including our personal passions and hobbies such as an interest in art, and in literature.
Andrew Denton: You went away for a holiday for 25 days and when you got back, what was waiting for you?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: A huge plastic bag full of many weeks of correspondence. Yeah. And I think it was probably at that moment that I realised that there was something very special that had developed between us.
Andrew Denton: Had you seen any more of Kirsty than the back of her head by this time?
Xanana Gusmao: No.
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: Not terribly much more, I don't think.
Xanana Gusmao: No. Until December '94. December 1994.
Andrew Denton: Which is when you first met after all this time, you Managed to bluff your way into the prison almost. Tell me about that meeting, Kirsty.
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: OK. Quite by chance, there was an Australian who Was in prison with Xanana on charges of fraud. Anyway, we decided to make John Edwards into Uncle John. Uncle John. Your Uncle John. Christmas time I turned up at the prison, looking just like Little Red Riding Hood with my basket of goodies for Uncle John and extremely innocent and managed to smuggle my way into the prison with a group of Indonesian well-wishers including some fellow human rights activists. And we managed to spend probably about three or four hours together during this Christmas ceremony which was quite remarkable.
Andrew Denton: Come on, you're skipping the details here. What was the first moment of meeting like? What was that moment like?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: Well... I think I describe it in my book about how strange it was to have to sort of run into the arms of Uncle John, who I didn't know from a bar of soap. And then turn to Xanana very formally And shake his hands as if it was a completely casual meeting.
Andrew Denton: It must have been a wonderful torture, in a way, to be together, but not really be together.
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: I remember the worst moment was having to leave Again because throughout that three hours there was just such a feeling that Was meant to be and it was awful realising that I had to leave again and That it would be an unknown number of years before we would actually be able To repeat that moment.
Andrew Denton: Rosalie, Kirsty's mum. Welcome. Everyone wants their daughter to fall in love, but seldom with a man in prison with a country to liberate. At this time, how was it for Kirsty? Rosalie Sword: Well, it was a very difficult time for Kirsty and a very difficult time for us too probably. I remember when she came back after that visit to the prison and she had some photographs that had been taken and we had a holiday where Xanana wrote to her every day. My husband and I had travelled with her for about three weeks. And during that time, she had read many of the letters, much of the homework which Xanana had done for her in English lessons.
Andrew Denton: Homework, was it?
Rosalie Sword: Yes. And I thought at the time, there's much more Interest in this than a teacher to her pupil. And so I also thought so when she brought the photos from having met Xanana in prison. And soon after that, Xanana wrote to me a very nice letter which was brought out and Kirsty had posted on, saying to me that he understood how difficult it must be for us to have her fall in love with somebody who had 20 years imprisonment sentence. But he's such a wonderful man and such a wonderful leader and Kirsty was so devoted to both him and the Timor liberation movement.
Andrew Denton: Xanana, East Timor got its independence in 2002, you Became its first president, but it wasn't really a job you wanted, was it?
Xanana Gusmao: Even now.
Andrew Denton: Even now? But you get limousines and security guards.
You get to meet John Howard.
Xanana Gusmao: My limousine... It's a good argument, it's a good argument, yes!
Andrew Denton: Why didn't you want the job?
Xanana Gusmao: Because of the guerrillas, because of all the sacrifices that it... I tried to tell, during the struggle to the guerrillas, to the people, "We are not fighting for ourselves, we are fighting for an ideal. Ideal is to liberate our country, our people." I asked them not to occupy state houses, not to ask for jobs and I regret... because of not fulfilling my, my promise...
Andrew Denton: Kirsty, you have a T-shirt which says, "It's harder Living with a saint than being one." What's it like living with a national icon?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: It's certainly not... Yeah. It's more grueling Living with a saint than being one, yeah.
Andrew Denton: Did you not know about this T-shirt?
Xanana Gusmao: Pardon?
Andrew Denton: Did you not know she had this T-shirt?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: I can't remember who gave it to me, but, yeah, it certainly seems quite apt. Um, yeah, it's not easy. I think not easy because, ah, it's... Because um...
Xanana Gusmao: At night I don't wake up to take care of the baby.
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: Saints don't wake up in the middle of the night to change nappies.
Andrew Denton: Saints need their sleep, do they?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: I think, hard because it's a role that's not Largely acknowledged. It's a role that comes with a lot of public attention, a Lot of public duties and responsibilities. He's someone who is looked to as A father of the nation. He has to fulfil that that duty he does, and he Does it very well. But it comes with an extraordinary number of pressures And burdens for those that are closest to him.
Andrew Denton: Sometimes Mrs Saint is a little less than patient about it, a little less than happy. What do you hope the future holds for you both?
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: I guess a little more normality than we presently enjoy. I guess for him, I'd like to see him have a bit more calm to be able to indulge some of those hobbies that I mentioned earlier that perhaps ironically since he's been released from prison he's not been able to take up again. He hasn't painted a painting, written a poem since he's been released from prison.
Andrew Denton: You need to break the law and be back in prison quickly.
Kirsty Sward Gusmao: In fact, we often think back somewhat Nostalgically about those days.
Andrew Denton: Is that right?
Xanana Gusmao: I would prefer to be pumpkin farmer...
Andrew Denton: A pumpkin farmer? Well, I look forward to the day for Both you when you're raising pumpkins, painting paintings and watching your children run around. Xanana, Kirsty, thank you very much.
"Your help is urgently needed to train the East Timorese in eye surgery"
On the 8th July 2005, the President of East Timor, Xanana Gusmao, visited Australia to draw awareness and help raise funds towards the training of eye surgeons in East Timor. The goal of the East Timor Project is to improve the health status of the East Timorese people requiring general and specialist surgical treatment. It is estimated that 10,000 eye operations need to be performed in East Timor and money raised through the East Timor Eye Program will assist in the long-term goal of making East Timor self-sufficient in eye care by 2007.
To make a tax-deductible donation towards this most worthwhile cause, please call The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons on 1800 051 033.
Cheques can be made payable to the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
For further information please contact Kathryn Austin at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons on 02 9249 1262.
| Daily media reviews |
UNOTIL - July 1-29, 2005
New Government Sworn-in
The members of the new government were sworn in on Thursday by the President of the Republic at his new official residence in Dili.
Prime Minister Alkatiri was the first to take the oath as the Minister of Natural Resources, oil and power policy. SRSG Hasegawa, diplomatic corps, representatives of UN Agencies, the church and civil society, attended the ceremony. In a separate article, Prime Minister Alkatiri was quoted as saying that the diplomatic corps do not have anything to do with the decision of the government reshuffle. Alkatiri was referring to rumours that some diplomatic corps were not happy with the new changes as the Minister of Interior Minister Rogirio Lobato continues to be in charge of the Police Service. "The diplomatic corps here are like diplomats.
This is our country," Alkatiri added. (TVTL, RTL, TP, STL)
TNI Confronts Timorese at Border
The STL Lead Story reports that illegal trader Lucas da Costa from Maliana was beaten by TNI officers at the border point of Nunura near Maliana.
According to the report, four TNI soldiers in civilian clothes carrying firearms stopped Lucas da Costa and demanded money to allow him to carry petrol and beer, which he had purchased in the Indonesian territory.
When da Costa refused one of the TNI officers cut his hand forcing him to seek help from his friends nearby who came with machetes and started fighting with the Indonesian officers injuring two of them, reported STL.
The newspaper also reported that one of the Timorese involved in the fight stole the firearm of one TNI soldier (STL)
Timorese Workers Threatened in Bayu Udan It has been reported that 27 Timorese presently working in the Bayu Udan field have been threatened with lower salaries or their return to Dili.
According to MP Manuel Tilman (KOTA) who raised the issue at Parliament, Conoco Philips reduced the salaries of 27 workers from US$900 to $500 with a warning that if they did not accept the allocated salary they would have to return to Timor-Leste. (TP)
July 28, 2005
New Government Structures
Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri on Wednesday announced the new government restructure saying that the new structure is one of inclusion not composed only of Fretilin members. Alkatiri also said the changes within the government are required to attend to the needs of the people and to advance government programmes. In separate articles, MP Rui Menezes (PD) said the increase in the government is more a political than economic issue. MP Lucia Lobato (PSD) said the change in the government is a political strategy to prepare the grounds for 2007 elections. Salvador Saldanha, Director of Timor Institution Development Studies said that the bigger government structures would mean more corruption. (TP, DT, STL,TVTL)
TL Government Hopes the UN Will Not Support an International Tribunal
The Timor-Leste government wants to focus on the Truth and Friendship Commission (TFC) as a means of resolving the 1999 human rights violations and hopes members of the UN Security Council will not support the recommendations presented by the Commission of Experts to establish an international tribunal. "Personally, I have met with members of the Security Council and explained our commitment to cooperate with Indonesia regarding this matter through the TFC," Timor-Leste Ambassador to the United Nations, Josi Lums Guterres said on Wednesday. Guterres said that the establishment of an international tribunal would not be an effective solution and Indonesia would also not accept the establishment of an international tribunal. He added that the UN Secretary-General has presented the CoE recommendations to the UN Security Council pending discussion. (DT)
President Gusmco Receives Four New Credentials
On Wednesday, President Gusmco received letters of credentials from Ambassador Griffiths Memela of the Republic South Africa, Ambassador Achilleas Antoniedas of Cyprus, Ambassador Mohamad Buba Ahmed of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Ambassador Leiatua Kilifoti Eleneati from the Independent State of Samoa. While the two latter ambassadors reside in Jakarta and are accredited to Timor-Leste, Ambassador Achilleas Antoniedas of Cyprus resides in Canberra, Australia. (TP, STL, TVTL)
Retrial of RTTM Case
Four men accused of trying to establish a new nation called Republika Timor Tasi Mane (RTTM) have reappeared in Dili District Tribunal. They were detained in April 9 for hoisting their own flag saying there have been no changes in Timor-Leste since the restoration of independence. (TP)
July 27, 2005
Member of Police Intelligence Shoots Youth
A youth escaped a shot fired by a member of PNTL intelligence force on Monday night in Comoro Dili after he demanded more money for his work from the owner of a gambling center, reported the media on Wednesday. MP Osorio Florindo reported the incident to the Parliament plenary session on Tuesday. According to Florindo, the policeman with the initials AJ also worked in the center as a security guard. He called other police on his radio soon after the shooting, falsely reporting that some people were destroying about five cars belonging to Makikit iha Kampung Baru, Comoro.
He also said that according to the victim Henrique Nonato, the same police officer has been using the pistol to provide security to the gambling center, adding that he is prepared to testify in the case as he witnessed it. Minister of Interior Rogirio Lobato told the media that if the report of the incident is true then he will expel the officer. (TP, DN, DT, STL)
Consultative Group Meeting on PNTL Member of Police Intelligence Shoots Youth
A youth escaped a shot fired by a member of PNTL intelligence force on Monday night in Comoro Dili after he demanded more money for his work from the owner of a gambling center, reported the media on Wednesday. MP Osorio Florindo reported the incident to the Parliament plenary session on Tuesday. According to Florindo, the policeman with the initials AJ also worked in the center as a security guard. He called other police on his radio soon after the shooting, falsely reporting that some people were destroying about five cars belonging to Makikit iha Kampung Baru, Comoro.
He also said that according to the victim Henrique Nonato, the same police officer has been using the pistol to provide security to the gambling center, adding that he is prepared to testify in the case as he witnessed it. Minister of Interior Rogirio Lobato told the media that if the report of the incident is true then he will expel the officer. (TP, DN, DT, STL)
Consultative Group Meeting on PNTL
All the local media reported on the 2nd Consultative Group Meeting on PTNL held in the UN Headquarters in Dili. Diario National reported the Prime Minister as saying that PNTL still needed to improve its internal management. Timor Post quoted the Minister of Interior as saying that trust is required between the PNTL and the Indonesian National Police to establish good relation at the border. This daily also published UNOTIL's press release at the conclusion of the meeting. Diario Tempo reported that the success of PNTL is a result of donors' assistance and that UNOTIL and the Government are finding ways to improve the capacity of the National Police. (DT, DN, TP, TVTL)
Border Police Without Food
Member of Parliament Lucia Lobato on Tuesday raised her concerns about food for the police at the border. Lobato said according to information received since July 15 police working in the border areas have not received any food and their living conditions are poor, forcing them to perform their work improperly. She said the police have been depending on customs police for food. (DT)
Parliament Approves Bill on Public Ministry
The National Parliament on Monday approved the legislation on the Public Ministry. The legislation would clearly define the Prosecutor-General's tasks in Timor-Leste and well as training for the staff of the Prosecutor-General's office. (TP)
July 26, 2005
New Cabinet Announcement
Prime Minister Alkatiri said the new government structures will be announced on Wednesday. Alkatiri said he is consulting President Gusmao on those selected before making the announcement public. "I have to present it to the President to hear his opinion on those people that I have selected and then make it public on July 27", Alkatiri told the media on Monday, denying rumours of shifting of Ministers from their current posts. (TP, DN)
Support Foundation No Longer Exists: Alkatiri
Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri has affirmed that the police will resolve any case about the existence of any group with the intention of establishing the Support Foundation in the territory. Alkatiri was referring to the information about the existence of the Support Foundation in Liquica District, organized by a group led by Commander Labarik. He added that the police will react if something emerges. (DN, TP, STL)
Definition of Partnership is Important: Gusmao
President Gusmao has recommended to the Vice-Minister of Development and Environment, Abel Ximenes to meet with local and international NGO's with the aim of defining partnership with the Government, reported the media on Tuesday. (DN, TP, STL)
Former Combatants and Falintil Veterans to be Honoured Upon his arrival from the United States of America, President Gusmao told the media that in August 2006 the State will recognize former combatants and Falintil Veterans. "This is the deadline the State has decided.
The Parliament and the Government is now working on the legislation, therefore only in May 2006 they will be officially recognized," President Gusmao said. (DN)
Indonesian Naval Officers Visited F-FDTL Headquarters
A delegation of the Indonesian Naval Forces on Monday paid a visit to F-FDTL Headquarters in Tasi Tolu and met with Brigadier General Taur Matan Ruak. Matan Ruak said it is the first meeting between the military institutions, adding that the meeting was important for future cooperation between the two Armed Forces. (TP, DN, STL)
President and Prime Minister Unware of Candidates for TFC President Gusmao and Prime Minister Alkatiri have affirmed they do not have any knowledge yet of the candidates for the Truth and Friendship Commission, reported the media on Tuesday. President Gusmao said the names would be made public after consulting with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, noting that prior to that it is necessary to know about the list of candidates from Indonesia. (DN)
ASDT First District Level Congress Associacao Democratica Timorence (ASDT) held its first Congress at the District level in Lautem, Lospalos sub-district last Saturday. The Congress was led by the Party's President, Francisco Xavier do Amaral, who said the people of that region had shown political maturity during the gathering. This is the first ASDT Congress in that region. (STL)
July 25, 2005
PNTL Officers Conclude Training
About 48 PNTL officers concluded a Train the Trainers raining in the Police Academy in Dili on Friday. The training covered areas such as administration, finance human rights, police legislation and investigation and supported by the Governments of Australia and United Kingdom. The second phase training is scheduled for August 25 until November and will be focusing in specialized areas. (TP, DN)
Threats of Food Shortages in Maubisse
The Administrator of Maubisse Sub-District Josi Mendonsa said due to the short rainfall in that region there is a threat of food shortages as most of the crops planted by the population have all dried up. Meanwhile four NGO's namely NCBA, AMKA, Moris Rasik and PARK have been working with the community in that area in different areas like coffee and health clinics, agriculture, forest and train the local community how to grow better vegetablesDiario Tempo reported that the Commission established by the Secretary of State for Labor and Solidarity has already received a listing of the areas affected and is looking into the problem. (TP, DT)
CAVR Documents Will be Archived
A technical secretariat will be established to ensure that all the data collected by CAVR during the 24 years of human rights violation will be archived as the State patrimony. Jacinto Alves, member of CAVR said the secretariat would work closely with the executive director to disseminate the Commission's final report in the country as well as internationally. (TP)
Community Excavates Falintil Remains
The population in Bui-Bau, Baucau sub-district on Sunday held a ceremony to excavate the remains of 107 Falintil members killed between 1980 and 1990 during the Indonesian occupation. Present at the event were two Members of Parliament from Fretilin, local authorities and a priest. The remains will be buried in Bui-Bau cemetery. (TP)
Indonesian War Ship Docks in Dili
A press released by the Indonesian Embassy last Friday stated that the Indonesian ship KRI "Teluk Ende" will anchor in Dili Port on 24 July and depart on 26 July. The visit of the ship is to strengthen the friendship between Timor-Leste and Indonesia and the two countries' marine units.
The ship carries 114 crew members, including 94 marine cadets plus 14 officials. While anchoring in Dili the officers would pay a state visit to the Timorese authorities and the ship will be open to the public.. (TP, DT)
Preparing Timorese to Work Overseas
The Government, through the Secretariat for Labour and Solidarity is preparing 10,000 Timorese workers within the next five years to work overseas. The Head of the Department, Arsenio Bano, said the Government is making all efforts to enter into an agreement with countries still requiring workers in order to prepare Timorese workers. Bano said the first phase would be to send 200 people to South Korea this year. He added that the purpose of this program, which is between one to three years, is to reduce unemployment, to gain more knowledge and change the mentality of the workers when they return to Timor-Leste. (DP)
Non-Christians Unable to Get Certificates
A comment in Diario Tempo focuses on the high demand for RDTL identification certificates noting that the registry office is constantly full of people. This daily also reported that only those people with baptism certificates are issued the document, leaving out the atheists without RDTL identification certificates. (DT)
July 22, 2005
Difficulties Faced By TL
Upon his arrival from Portugal on Thursday Prime Minister Alkatiri told the media that during his speech organized by 'Fundagao Oriente' he focused primarily on the difficulties faced by Timor-Leste during the last five years. Alkatiri said it's important to focus on the negative aspect in order to help the international community as well as the UN to better their work in the future in a similar case like Timor-Leste's. He also said that during his visit, the Portuguese company GALP, showed interest in investing in oil. On the issue of government restructuring, the Prime Minister affirmed that the reshuffle would not mean total decentralization and the new candidates have not been selected yet, although some media have already reported the names. The Prime Minister also emphasized that the tender won by Cavalo Branco Company was through legal competition and not through corruption, collusion and nepotism. (DN, TP, STL)
Australian Parliamentarians Visit TL
Two Members of Parliament from NSW met with the President of Timor-Leste National Parliament, Francisco Guterres on Thursday, reported the media. MPs Jeff Hunter and Paul Lynch visited the Timorese Parliament and met the National Parliament Secretariat as well. (TP, DN, DT)
Dialogue Continues in the Enclave
To finalized a clearly and understandable agreement, about 20 representatives from West Timor and Oecussi Enclave met last Friday to discuss among other issues the border issues between Pasabe-Oecussi and Haumeni-Ana (neutral zone). The group also discussed issues which had already been agreed upn during the first dialogue, reported Timor Post on Friday. The dialogue program is expected to continue with another four dialogues to be concluded by the month of September. (TP)
Budget for Provedor's Office Insufficient: Ximenes
The Provedor for Human Rights and Justice, Sebastiao Diaz Ximenes lamented that the budget allocated to his office is insufficient to carry out the work of the office. He said $53,000 had been allocated for salaries of 20 staff including the three, and 30,000 for maintenance. $83,000 was the part of the State budget allocated for the fiscal year 2005/6 to the Provedor's Office. (STL)
Police Detained Five People in Baucau
PNTL Officers detained five suspects in Baucau on Wednesday for pelting two cars between Laga and Baucau, PNTL Commander Paulo Fatima Martins told the media on Thursday. Martins affirmed that despite the incident the situation in that District remains calm. (DN, DT)
Timorese Youth Participates in International Competition
An eleven-year-old boy from Suai is representing Timor-Leste in the Asia-Pacific drawing competition in Tokyo, Japan, sponsored by Japan National Federal Association, UNESCO and Mitsubishi. Drawings from 334 Timorese children were submitted but only 10 were selected and sent to the Steering Committee in Japan for further selection. Almeida Gusmao's drawings of landscape, the massacre in Suai Church in 1999 plus other drawings were all selected. He is representing Timor-Lese in Tokyo from 24 to 30 July. (DN, DT, STL)
July 21, 2005
Municipalities Will Lessen Bureaucracy: Torrezao
The National Director of the territory administration Lino Torrezao said a technical team from the government is currently studying how to lessen the bureaucracy through the establishing of municipalities within the country. Torrezao said the study would focus on the reduction of 65 sub-districts into 35 municipalities. He added that some sub-districts would be integrated into municipalities. According to Diario Tempo the government is currently having difficulties implementing the decentralization of administrative power. The Council of Ministers decided the on the decentralization of power in October 2004. (TP, DP) Dili Election a Challenge to STAE: Martins
STAE Vice-Director Edgar Sequeira Martins said the upcoming Village Chief [and Village Council] elections in September in Dili would be a big challenge for STAE because it would be different from the last elections. Martins pointed out that the elections in Dili will be attended by a larger number of voters as well more observers and STAE would be putting all efforts to ensure that the work is carried out properly. (TP) Preparations to Welcome Especial Autonomy
The population in Oecussi have formed an Organising Committee to welcome the especial autonomy status from the government, reported Timor Post Thursday. According to Timor Post Prime Minister Alkatiri and his entourage are scheduled to arrive in Oecussi on Friday with the aim of handing over the region. Deputy Administrator of the enclave Francisco Bano said the local government will invite neighboring friends from Indonesia like Kefamenanu, Soe and Kupang to participate in the event. (TP, DP) New Police Recruits For Immigration Department
The Head of the Immigration Police, Carlos Jeronimo said his department is recruiting 19 officers to cover areas currently without immigration officer. Jeronimo pointed to areas such as Oecussi, Atazro and Com that presently do not have immigration police.
Training for Better Child Protection
The Government's Division for Solidarity Work held a two day workshop with district components such as chief of villages, heads of government departments, schools, local businessmen and NGOs about the protection of children as well as measures to prevent children entering into conflict with the laws. (TP) Visit to Bayu Udan Oil Field
Commission C of the National Parliament would pay a visit to Bayu Udan area on July 24. According to the Secretary of State for Tourism and Investment and Environment, Jose Teixeira, the visit will allow Members of Parliament to personally see the operations and investments currently in Bayu Undan. Teixeira said the trip will cost lots of money but it is Philips Conoco company that it's paying for it to enable the parliamentarians as representatives of the people to get more information on Timor oil. (TP, DT, DN) East Timor politics: Government struggles to remain popular
On May 20th East Timor celebrated its third anniversary of independence. However, the anniversary was a relatively sombre affair compared with the celebrations that marked the granting of independence in 2002. In a national speech the president, Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao, stated that the future was "fraught with many challenges" and referred to the "sacrifices" that needed to make as the nation developed. Coinciding with the anniversary celebrations, the ruling party, the Frente Revolucionaria do Timor-Leste Independente (Fretilin, Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor), led by the Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, celebrated its 31st anniversary, with around 57,000 supporters reportedly travelling to the capital, Dili, to mark the occasion. In a speech to his supporters Mr Alkatiri called for political tolerance, and he used the occasion to refute suggestions that his party was losing grassroots support.
Since taking office, the public's support for the Alkatiri administration has slowly been eroded, in part because of the administration's failure to live up to the electorate's high expectations, but also because of growing accusations of corruption and nepotism within the ranks of the ruling party. In the recently held local elections (which commenced in late 2004 and have been staggered across districts) Fretilin's performance was relatively poor compared with the results of the Constituent Assembly elections in 2002.
The government has also come into conflict with the country's popular and powerful Catholic Church. Peaceful demonstrations were held in Dili in llat April and early May by members of the church in protest against the government's proposal to make religion an optional subject in government schools rather than compulsory. The episode developed into general anti- government demonstrations with protestors (at times numbering around 5,000, according to press reports) calling for Mr Alkatiri to step down. Although an agreement was reached to settle the dispute in early May, the incident highlighted the growing sense of public antipathy towards Mr Alkatiri's administration. (EIU ViewsWire)
July 20, 2005
Establishment of IT May Not Affect Ties
Member of Parliament Clementino Amaral (KOTA) said there are no reasons to say that the ties between Timor-Leste and Indonesia would be affected if an international tribunal were established to look into the violence of 1999, adding it all depends on the diplomacy standards of both countries. (TP)
Authorities Detained Illegal Migrants
Secretary of State for Labor and Solidarity, Arsenio Bano said his department together with the immigration department detained around 163 illegal immigrants, from countries like Indonesia, China, Philippines and Thailand. Bano said in the last years his department received about 3, 137 requests for working visas and out of this number 992 are women. In a separate article, Timor Post reported the head of the Immigration Department, Carlos Geronimo, as saying that in 2005 over 43,000 people applied for visas to Timor-Leste. In a separate article Geronimo was reported as saying that one of the difficulties faced by his department to carry out the work effectively is the lack of transport. (TP)
Police Behaviour Not Humane: Cipriana Pereira
Cipriana Pereira (Fretilin) raised the concern by some Members of Parliament in regards to the police and the street vendors. Pereira said police behaviour is not humane in dealing with vendors trying to sell their goods from areas indicated by the government as not trading places. She added that the vendors should be warned by police in advance about being relocated rather than arriving on the same day and forcing the vendors to move without giving any explanation. (TP, DN)
Parliament Approves Official Holidays
The National Parliament on Tuesday passed the bill on Timor-Leste national holidays and official commemorative days. The following days were approved as the national holidays: 1st January, New Popular Consultation Day; 12 November as the National Youth Day; 28 November as Independence Proclamation; 7 December as the Heroes Day; 8 December as Our Lady of Padrueira of Timor-Leste; 25 December Christmas Day and also Idul Fitri Day and Ash Wednesday. The Parliament also approved on Tuesday the UN Convention on Privileges and Immunities for the UN. (TP, STL)
NGO Demands Justification from Procurement
The NGO, Timor-Leste Network for Transparency and Economic Justice, demands the Director of the National Procurement, Gregorio da Silva to publicly justify the private companies that applied for tender in 2002, complete with the proposed budgets. In a separate article the spokesperson for the organization said the government policy to buy weapons is not consistent with peace, although adding that they are not against the government decision. (TP)
UNOTIL Complaint Procedure
All the local newspapers except for STL reported on the information UNOTIL disseminated yesterday, Tuesday in regards to complaint procedures as follows:
19 July 2005: The United Nations is dedicated to upholding the highest standard of conduct for its staff members. UNOTIL staff members are expected to behave respectfully and responsibly in carrying out their duties and in their private lives.
The people of Timor-Leste can assist UNOTIL in ensuring that its staff members are adhering to the UN standard of conduct by reporting any instances of misconduct.
Some examples of behaviours that the UN does not condone are: reckless driving, driving over the speed limit, driving while drunk, using their position of employment with the UN for their own personal gain or to intimidate others; failing to honour local laws or private legal obligations; hiring prostitutes; having sexual relations with persons of less than 18 years of age; and trading goods, money or promises of employment for sex.
Reports of misconduct can be made verbally or in writing by addressing them to Thomas Shannon and presenting them at the main gate of Obrigado Barracks, Caicoli, Dili or at any of the UNOTIL Regional Offices.
All complaints will be dealt with on a fully confidential basis and will protect the rights of the complainant, the victim and the individual alleged to have committed the misconduct.
July 19, 2005
Military Police Assaults Youth
Laurentino Bernardo Guterres, a resident of Fatuhada was badly beaten by a F-FDTL military police officer on Monday and had to seek medical treatment in the national hospital, reported the media on Tuesday. According to Guterres, the problem started with the military police's son last Monday night during a brawl between youths of that area, who later told his father and identified him as one of the person involved in the fight. On Tuesday Captain Marcos Tilman together with a group of people including military police went to Guterres house and just as he was leaving to begin his work as taxi driver, the Captain grabbed him and starting beating him using the riffle butt. The military police then put him in the military vehicle then drove him to Caicoli District Police Station and he was put in a cell. As his condition deteriorated the police telephoned his family to take him to the hospital. Members of Parliament raised the issued at the National Parliament on Monday based on a letter sent by the victim's family.
According to one of the relatives, Rozalina Marques Martins after the incident on 12 July, military police officers in uniforms and armed went to the same place. She added that the complaint was presented to Comoro police station but they were told that Dili District Police would solve the case.
In the meantime the head of F-FDTL military police, Abel Xavier Belo said the problem was not between military police and the population but between Captain MT who was dressed in military uniform and a youth from Fatuhada area. He added that youths beat up Captain MT first although he is the superior commander of the military police. That is why he called for other members to arrest the youths and try to solve the problem in a friendly way. (TP, STL, DN)
Population Concerned with Group's Activities
The population in Liquiga is feeling uneasy with the request by the former Falintil member, Labarik Maia, to the local authorities to conduct some activities, which were not specified, reported the media on Tuesday.
The group used RDTL's Government logo in their letter to Liquiga authorities, which according to MP Francisco Geronimo is illegal. The residents of that area have requested the Government to pay attention to this group. (STL, DN)
Parliament Commission to Follow Elections
President of the National Parliament, Francisco Lu'Olo Guterres said the Parliament does not have the jurisdiction to establish a commission to follow the sub-village Chief (Village Council) elections. During a plenary session of Parliament, he was asked to establish an independent commission to follow the elections, and he is now looking into the possibilities. (TP)
Final Report on Former Veterans
The Standing Committee on the Former Combatants and Falintil veterans has presented its final report to the President of the National Parliament yesterday, Monday. The President of the Commission, Joaquim Santos, said that once the MPs present the document as a proposed bill, the competent commission would hold an audience with the public. Meanwhile, Parliament's Commission C in charge of finance and economy, plans to hold socialization activities with the communities to inform about the latest laws passed on petrol, investments and on the budget to the community especially in 3 Districts where there is plenty of petroleum. (TP)
PNTL Training in Defusing Bomb
PNTL officers are receiving training from a Japanese NGO on how to defuse bombs, Minister of Interior Rogirio Lobato told the media on Monday.
Lobato also said it is also important for PNTL officers to undergo anti-terrorism training as terrorists groups are on the rise noting that it needs time and a highly specialized unit. (TP)
July 18, 2005
President Gusmao Working Visit to USA
President Gusmao departed Timor-Leste on Sunday to the United States of America for a working visit, reported the media Monday. According to the media the President is scheduled to speak at a conference organized by the Organising Committee of the United Nations Global Associations Federation.
Speaking to the media after the handing over ceremony of soccer equipment to the Timorese Soccer Federation on Friday, President Gusmao said, "that's correct I'm participating in this conference in the United Nations itself but organized by the international organizations where I'll speak about reconciliation and solutions for post conflict". President Gusmao is scheduled back in Dili on July 25. (STL, TP, DN, DP)
Police Officers Requires Extensive Training in Shooting: Lobato
Minister of Interior Rogirio Lobato said PNTL officers requires extensive shooting training for security maintenance also because the ammunition cost is around $100 million to purchase. Lobato said the government has to buy ammunition every year in order to enable the police officers to practice shootings. "The security development is necessary to maintain stability in order for the investors to come to this country, otherwise we maintain the same," he added. (DN)
Provedor Presents Working Plan
The Provedor for Human Rights and Justice, Sebastiao Ximenes and his deputies, on Friday presented their working plan to President Xanana Gusmao. According to Ximenes the meeting was part of the normal procedure and courtesy call on the Head of State after their swearing-in. (TP, STL)
National Parliament Delays Recess
The National Parliament voted on Friday to extend its session by another two weeks due to the time required to analyze important documents such the ones vetoed by the President of the Republic and approve important bills that have been pending for sometime now, STL reported Monday The Parliament was schedule to start recess on 16 July until September 15. (STL)
Human Rights Training for PNTL Officers
About 25 PNTL officers in Bobonaro-Maliana District participated in human rights training. The participants came from the sub- districts of Bobonaro, Balibs, Atabae, Kailako and Maliana. Rogirio Vicente of the Rights Foundation said during two days, officers received training on human rights and the laws currently applicable in Timor-Leste. Vicente said his organization together with Fokupers would follow up the training by monitoring and discussion with PNTL officers in order to change the mentality of each individual according to their capacity in order for them to perform their work as trustees of the community. (TP)
Many Cadres Still Not Registered
It has been reported that many cadres of the resistance still have not registered due to lack of information. According to Diario Tempo the last registration for cadres of the resistance held for the area of Cristo Rei was too crowded and many people could not bear to stand in the queue till very late in the afternoon. The head of Cristo Rei sub-village said he is really concerned with the numbers of people that have not registered. He hoped a decision would be made on this matter. (DN)
Former Militias Holds Requiem Mass
The thirtieth anniversary of those who have given their lives for integration with Indonesia have been remembered by the former militias in Kupang, West Timor on Sunday with a requiem mass, reported STL quoting Antara news agency. West Timor police and military commanders stated that the reason for holding the anniversary in Kupang was to facilitate the provision of security. (STL)
Youth Sentenced to 4 Years Imprisonment
Dili District Tribunal sentenced a 17-year old boy on Friday for killing one of his best friend. He was originally sentenced to 15 years but judge Emiliano Nossolini dos Reis reduced it to 4 years stating that the youth had acknowledged the killing was not intentional. In another case the same judge also sentenced a man to 10 months community service rather than 6 months imprisonment for beating up a person during a land dispute in Comoro in May 2004, reported TP on Monday. (TP, DN)
July 15, 2005
Development Should Not Be Done in a Hurry
Prime Minister Alkatiri said development should be done in a hurry but slowly to enable the Timorese to reach what they want adding that although it is a small government, it has cadres at the medium and low level with capacity to carry the work forward. Alkatiri said the Government wants to implement the development according to the national development plans.
The Prime Minister added, "I want to stress that accusations that development is not taking place, this is not correct. This is a way of trying to force the government to collapse, in order for them to win".
Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Environment, Estanislau da Silva said although the budget for his Ministry had increased it should be higher as it needs capacity to implement it moderately. Minister for Telecommunications, Transport and Public Works, Ovidio de Jesus said US$19 million of the budget is allocated to road repairs in the rural areas and the national roads. (TP, DN, TVTL)
Indonesia Wants to Settle Pending Borders Problems The head of the Bilateral Division of the Foreign Ministry, Emanuel Tilman said Indonesia wants to settle the unresolved pending border issues, reported Timor Post Friday. A meeting took place in Dili yesterday, Thursday, as a follow up to the Joint Ministerial Commission meeting in Jakarta. "This meeting, today, is to discuss again the points we have agreed with Indonesia, based on the recent meeting and to resolve points which up until now has not been agreed by Indonesia," Tilman told the media. According to Tilman 4% of the remaining pending border issues are two areas in Oecussi. (TP)
Border Officers Equipped with Heavy Weapons
Minister of Interior, Rogirio Lobato said the police officers currently stationed in Oecussi are now using heavy weapons to maintain security. Lobato said the Border Patrol Unit is now using AGA Kapa 33 which a good quality of weapon made in Germany but donated to Timor-Leste by the Malaysian Government. He pointed that the BPU needs this kind of weapon because Oecussi has a huge border line and there are a few isolated sub-villages and sandalwood which need to be protected. (TP)
Cuban Delegation Meets President Gusmao
A delegation composed of four Cubans on Thursday paid a courtesy visit to President Gusmao and also to discuss about the scholarships provided to the Timorese currently studying in Cuba. The delegation's visit is also to see the work of the 16 Cubans doctors working with the Ministry of Health in various Districts including Dili. (STL, DN)
TL's Ambassador Mission to Malaysia Completed
Jaffar Alkatiri told the media on Thursday after meeting with President Gusmao that as of yesterday, Thursday he's no longer Timor-Leste's Ambassador to Malaysia. Alkatiri said he wanted to resign from his post last year but continued as Ambassador for one more year on the request of President Gusmao. He said he returned to Dili upon completion of his full term of service. With regards to the success or not of his mission, Alkatiri told the media to ask the Director of the Foreign Affairs Ministry which has the to documents every ambassador and their performances. (DN, STL)
July 14, 2005
Xanana Denies Australian Media Report
President Xanana Gusmco has denied information by the Australian media that during his official visit to Australia he agreed on Timor Sea negotiations to share 50-50 the revenues, Timor Post reported Thursday. "During my visit, I heard there were reports here (TL) that I had given my blessings to the Timor Sea negotiations, that's not correct," President Gusmco told the media upon his arrival from Darwin on Wednesday. (TP, DN)
Opposition Comments on the Budget
MP Rui Menezes (PD) said Prime Minister Alkatiri did not answer his question on the budget at the Parliament regarding poverty reduction.
The Prime Minister had stated that he would not reduce poverty by begging in response to which Menezes said, "the government is really begging" through Timor Sea negotiations. MP Manuel Tilman (KOTA) said the budget debate on Wednesday should have resulted in alterations to the budget, according to article 1 of the budget legislation but his proposal for alterations was voted against by the majority. He noted that Members of Parliament should really represent the aspirations of the people and not obey whatever the Prime Minister says. Joco Carrascalco (UDT) said he totally agreed with the government budget, adding that although it is high, in reality it is insufficient to cover the people's needs. MP Joco Gongalves (PSD) and Eusebio Guterres (PD) were of the same opinion that the budget is insignificant as 60 per cent is for the bureaucracy and this will not be reduced (TP, DN)
PM Participates in Seminar in Portugal Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri departed today, Thursday to Portugal where he will participate in a conference organized by Fundagco Oriente with the theme "Timor, Five Years After".
The Prime Minister said that " this colloquim is important for the Portuguese to understand better the process of the democratic construction of Timor-Leste, since UNTAET until now: the efforts developed by the Timorese administration and the inheritance we received. It is an experience worth sharing so that it can be used in future missions of the United Nations." (Press Release, TP)
Government Promotes Investment
Timor-Leste's Foreign Minister Josi Ramos-Horta said now that the investment legislation has been adopted, the Government will start promoting investment overseas, although noting that he has been doing it during his overseas trips. Ramos-Horta said his Ministry will continue to organize seminars in other countries on investment. He said he has held seminars on Timor-Leste coffee and tourism as it is the work of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which is not only confined to diplomacy. (TP)
Crime Prevention Workshop for PNTL
Members of PNTL's Police Community Unit on Tuesday participated on a Workshop on crime prevention supported by the Japanese Agency for International Cooperation (JICA). According to Joao Belo, Commander of the Unit, the aim of the Workshop is to gather as many suggestions as possible from the participants in order for the Community Police to implement them..
According to Belo the long-term plan of the Police Community Unit once it is well equipped, is to establish police stations in every sub-village (suco). (TP)
PD Against Purchase of Ammunition
Members of Partido Democratico (PD) are against the decision by the Government to purchase ammunition without transparency, reported STL Thursday. "We are talking about ammunition which is directly connected to the security of this nation. That's why the National Parliament has the right to control and check it but in reality it doesn't know about the contract for the purchase of ammunition," Eusebio Guterres said. (STL)
Population Must Have Courage to Criticize the Church
The coordinator of Fretilin Political Commission and the District Administrator of Covalima, Inacio Pires da Silva, told the population not to be scared to criticize the Church. According to STL, da Silva made these comments during a meeting with Partido Democratico militants who have shifted to Fretilin on July 2. "As a democratic nation we are all free to criticize each other including the Catholic Church. The people must have the courage to criticize the Church, especially the priests who are preaching politics during church service," da Silva told the population. He added that the population must confront priests whose preaching does not follow the Bible. According to reports, Inacio da Silva received information prior to the Suco Chief elections that the priest of Suai had asked Christian followers not to vote for Fretilin. (STL)
July 13, 2005
Budget Generally Approved
The budget for the fiscal year 2005/6 was generally approved on Tuesday with 72 votes in favor and 12 against. MP Manuel Tilman (KOTA) stated the position of his party as against the budget due to there being no new mechanisms or political programmes to implement the budget. MP Joco Gongalves (PSD) reportedly said that his party sees the budget as not responding to the needs and economic reality of Timor-Leste, adding that the budget benefits only the state and the government structures.
Members of Parliament for the Democratic Party did not comment in the Parliament on the approval of the budget and their vote against it.
Many issues were raised during the discussions in Parliament including Prime Minister Alkatiri response on the electricity issue that the government would intervene to ensure the proper functioning of the electricity system. On the question of poverty reduction and economic growth raised by MP Rui Menezes (PD), Alkatiri said that he wanted to reduce poverty not by begging [...] but with what "we have" indicating that it would be wrong to use the oil revenues for the budget. Regarding the jurists and lawyers who have recently failed their evaluations the Prime Minister said that it was the responsibility of the Superior Council of the Judiciary to provide information to Finance Ministry. He added that should he (Alkatiri) have to make a decision, that those who failed evaluations would not be entitled to salaries, telephones or cars. (TP, STL)
Timor Sea Negotiations 90% Resolved
Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Ramos-Horta reportedly said that almost 90% of the Timor Sea negotiations were concluded. Ramos- Horta said that in two or three weeks time the agreement will be signed. He added that in the meantime if an agreement is not reached between the two countries then there must be a creative solution such as commercial exploration rather than border negotiation. Such creative solutions apply to the Greater Sunrise and not the whole Timor Sea. (TP)
National Electoral Commission Informs Parliament
The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has formally written to the Parliament with notification that two members have left the Commission and asking whether the Parliament has any plans to replace them.
Meanwhile Josi Luis Oliveira, of NEC said STAE has not been able to mobilise the population to participate in the local elections due to a lack of enthusiasm. Oliveira pointed out that some members of the community are more concerned with cock-fighting than voting. According to members of the commission the overall process of the recent elections were better than the first phase, Despite some miscommunications between the Ministry of State Administration and STAE, it was reported that many electoral officials still lack the capacity to perform their work leading to problems such as violation of voter secrecy by helping voters to decide on who to vote.
The interference of some government officials during the election process was also due to a lack of understanding by officials as to their functions in supporting STAE without political interference. (TP, DT)
TL's New Website
Timor-Leste has now its own website with Internet domain "tl" as the newest in the world. The Government information technology section together with Sydney operations center put together the website. It has servers in Australia, New Zealand, USA and APNIC. (TP, DT)
Xanana and Susilo Are Not Looking for "Nobel Peace"
Timor-Leste's Foreign Affairs Minister, Josi Ramos-Horta has reportedly said that the initiative by President Gusmco and President of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to establish the Truth and Friendship Commission (TFC) is not a bid for the "Nobel Peace". Ramos-Horta pointed out that the two Presidents are not concerned with being awarded the "Nobel Peace Prize" but are concerned with how relations between the two nations can move forward.
"Timor-Leste still requires Indonesia help to find peace and stability in our borders as well as within Timor-Leste. He added that the two Presidents want to find ways to resolve the problems of 1999". According to Ramos-Horta, the establishment of an international tribunal will not be a viable as Indonesia has stated that it will not accept an International Tribunal neither does the UN Security Council as there too many problems around the world. Ramos-Horta stressed that the government of Timor- Leste has not forgotten 1999 but intelligence is required in order to find justice for the 1999 cases. Timor-Leste has already chosen five people to be part of the TFC. (TP, STL)
PNTL Investigation into Homemade Spirits
The Health ministry is working together with PNTL to investigate the sale of locally-produced spirits, which have allegedly killed several people in recent months, reported the media today. The Health ministry has appealed to the community not to consume locally-produced spirits until the results of the investigation are made public. The Head of PNTL investigation unit, Marcos Neves said families of the victims who allegedly died from consumption of the spirits had not allowed an autopsy which had caused difficulties for the investigation. (TVTL, TP, STL)
Prison Guards Detained for Failing to Meet MPs
It is reported that two prison guards by the name of Rui Gongalves and Ismael da Cruz were detained in Caicoli Police Station for 72 hours for failing to meet a team of Parliamentarians on 7 July. According to the media, a group of MPs visited a house in relation to a land and property issue which belonged to one of the guards. Two guards arrived at the house and were reportedly drunk when they asked whether the gathered group were anti or pro government. It is reported that an MP called the Police to have them arrested. (TP, STL, DT)
July 12, 2005
Alkatiri Opening Statement on State Budget Discussion
In his opening statement for State Budget discussion for the fiscal year 2005/6 Prime Minister Alkatiri said the budget would create incentives for economic activities in the private sector and job opportunities outside the capital Dili with a focus on the regions which so far have received less attention. PM Alkatiri said it would be a budget which would aim for justice and fairness, regional balance and the economic development of the women and men of Timor-Leste. He pointed out that the new fiscal year began without a budget but with many experiences gained through each day, noting that, like a school, those who did not learn will not move to the following phase in the way those who have demonstrated better actions would be placed to better serve the people.
The Prime Minister pointed to the approval of the Petroleum Fund and the swearing in of the Provedor of Human Rights and Justice, fulfilling the constitutional imperatives, which took two years. On Defence and Security Prime Minister said there were significant steps taken, noting that the disturbance of 4 December 2002 and its consequences called for attention to be paid for interventions in such circumstances and the necessity to provide the security agencies with technical competence, professionalism and ethics to deliver good services to the people. The Prime Minister cited the behaviour of the national security agencies during the 19- day Church demonstrations protest as a good example.
PM Alkatiri said that the Development Partners approved the budget based on government policies but some Development Partners were concerned about the capacity of the government to execute the budget. In response, the Prime Minister said that such concerns do not reflect the present reality, with hitherto efforts already having further developed 'our' capacity. (TP, DT, DN, TVTL, RTL)
Government Structure is Not a Priority: Alkatiri (STL)
Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri reportedly told the media that to focus on plans for government restructure is not an immediate priority, adding that he would rather focus on the debate on the budget for the fiscal year 2005/6. Alkatiri stressed that once the budget is finalised then all such matters can be addressed. (STL)
Church Support Natural Family Planning Program
The Church position on family planning has not been an issue until recently as stated in a letter from Bishop Basilio do Nascimento as discussed in the media. The letter reportedly says that the Church supports family planning programmes provided that such programmes follow natural methods and are not obligatory. The Church is also of the opinion that before proceeding with the program there should be education regarding the advantages and disadvantages of such programmes. According to Domingos Sousa, Director General of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, the family planning programme could be part of the school curriculum provided that this is first agreed with the Ministry of Health and the Church due to the prospect for sensitivities. (TP, DN, STL, TVTL)
Solution for Indonesian Assets in TL Pending Technical Aspects
Indonesian Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Ahmed Sofyan stated that the Joint Commission meeting between Indonesia and Timor-Leste last week in Jakarta, aside from discussing cooperation on the land border, also discussed the assets of Indonesian individuals [left behind during 1999]. In addition, Sofyan reportedly said that politically the matter had been addressed and that the Indonesian side is awaiting a technical solution. (TP)
Indonesia Ambassador to TL Disappointed with SRSG
Indonesian Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Ahmed Sofyan was reported as saying that he is disappointed with SRSG Hasegawa for instructing UN staff not to utilise Merpati airlines. According to Sofyan, SRSG Hasegawa does not have the authority for such a ban and it is instead a matter for the Governments of Timor-Leste or Indonesia. In relation to the ban, Sofyan reportedly suggested that "imagine of someday Hasegawa would also ban the taxis operating in Dili which is under the authority of the Dili District Administrator [...] as UNOTIL only deals with Capacity Building and not with flights, borders or police matters". He added that UNOTIL apparently governs the administration in Timor-Leste stressing that he only recognises the Government under Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri who has the right to issue such bans rather than Hasegawa.
The Indonesian Ambassador in Timor-Leste noted that the Head of UNOTIL should have presented any comments to the Indonesian Government if there were any problems or present advice to the Government of Timor-Leste not to fly with Merpati rather than ban UN staff to fly Merpati. He hopes that the UN can soon clarify the ban because from his point of view, even though the ban has been issued, until now no one has experience any accident.
Sofyan admitted that the ban was raised during the talks between Timor-Leste's Foreign Minister Ramos-Horta and his Indonesian counterpart, Hassan Wirajuda in Jakarta last week. (TP)
Fretilin Suspends Two Members of Central Committee
Reiskadalak and Vicente 'Maubusi' Ximenes have been suspended from Fretilin Central Committee and as members of the Permanent Secretariat, the media reported on Tuesday. The suspension followed a meeting on Sunday attended by the Party President Francisco Lu'Olo and Secretary General, Mari Alkatiri. According to the media, Deputy Secretary General Jose Reis reportedly said on Monday that a letter had been presented to the Fretilin National Jurisdiction Commission to expel them for lack of discipline.
Meanwhile, Reiskadalak is reported as saying that both himself and Vicente 'Maubusi' Ximenes cannot be accused of indiscipline and no one has the power to expel them from the Fretilin Party unless it is through the Congress. (TP, STL, DN, DP)
Judicial Officers Participate in Training Program
About 40 judicial staffs from the Court, the Office of the Prosecutor-General on Tuesday began a four-month training programme, which was officially open by the Chief Justice Claudio Ximenes. He reportedly said that training plans for the future would include assistance to public defenders staff. It was also reported that Ximenes said that the government also has plans to provide better training to private lawyers. STL reported that the number of participants as being 30. (TP, DN, DT)
STL Editorial
STL editorial today focusses on the planned new government structure noting that there are pro and cons. Those in favor comment that the changes will help the government to implement government plans. But those against, see restructuring as simply an attempt by the government under Alkatiri to share position with allies in order to strengthen power before the 2007 general elections. (STL)
July 11, 2005
TL-Indonesia Rejects COE Recommendations
The Joint Ministerial Commission meeting ended in Jakarta on Friday with a joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of Timor- Leste and Indonesian rejecting the recommendations by UN Commission of Experts on the establishment of an international tribunal regarding the 1999 cases.
During the joint statement it was also stated that the ties between the two nations have improved since the Indonesian occupation of Timor-Leste. (TP)
PM: Religious Unity in TL an Model for Other Countries
Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri stated during the 17th anniversary of the Timor-Leste Protestant Church that 'religious unity in Timor-Leste is strong and can be a model for countries around the world'. Alkatiri added that this was demonstrated by the high tolerance shown by the followers of the religions in Timor-Leste. "Even though the majority of the Timorese are Catholic, the followers of small religious such Protestantism, Islam and other religions in Timor-Leste feel that they live in tranquility and peace due to the culture of tolerance and respect among the population. (STL)
Police Weakness Results in Unfair Legal Decisions
Member of Parliament Eusebio Guterres of the Democratic Party noted that Court decisions sometimes create unhappiness and frustration for victims' families as the evidence gathered by police is insufficient. Guterres cited the cases of the attack on the bus in Makadade in Baucau District, the case of the killing of a man in Dili Stadium and an allegation of sexual abuse against Camilio Barreto. (STL)
Food Crisis in Uatu-Carbau and Uatu-Lari
It is reported that since 2004 the population in Uatu-Carbau, Uatu-Lari and UaniUma in Viqueque District have not been able to plant crops and rice due to lack of rain. According to the Timor Post, the population in that area have lost hope of finding food for this year and 2006. (TP)
Editorial Timor Post
In Saturday's editorial, Timor Post indicated that even though the Joint Ministerial Commission Meeting has been held for the third time, the public is still unaware of what has transpired. It demands that the results of the meeting should be made available to the public in order for the Timorese people to know how far the agreements have been reached. Monday's editorial was critical of the current Timor-Leste national policy regarding the relationship with Indonesia characterizing the policy as forcing the Timorese who have been crying for justice to understand that justice will not be delivered. This was shown in the joint declaration by Timor-Leste Foreign Minister and his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirayuda in rejecting the recommendations of the COE to establish an international tribunal for the cases from 1999. (TP)
July 8, 2005
Reports of weapons purchases and procurement allegations
National radio and most national daily print media reported the article published yesterday in The Australian (see UNOTIL Daily Media Review of 7 July) regarding the purchase of weapons by the Ministry of Interior and allegations in relation to procurement procedures. Timor Post, however, published only the response of the Office of the Prime Minister to the report as included in yesterday's Daily Media Review. Another such article published today's edition of The Australian by the same journalist is included below. (STL, Diario, DT, TP, RTL)
Call to publish results of joint ministerial meeting: Lobato
MPs Lucia Lobato (PSD) and Rui Menezes (PD) said that the Joint Ministerial Commission meeting in Jakarta is positive as, for the third time, issues would be discussed such as borders, finance, assets, laws, and education which would strengthen the ties between Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Both are of the opinion that the results of the meeting should be made public. (TP, TVTL, DN)
Reshuffle must remove incompetent ministers: Ximenes
Human Rights and Justice Provedor Sebastico Diaz Ximenes reportedly said that the Prime Minister Alkatiri must remove those ministers and secretaries of state lacking the capacity to perform their duties in the last three years in the government reshuffle which will soon take place.
Ximenes said the changes in government should not be exaggerated but seen as an effective step in improving government performance. (TP)
Elections: PD-Fretilin different ideas
MP Joao Gongalves reportedly said that in the evaluation of the results of the Village elections in Aileu, Ainaro and Manufahi, there are differences in the results for Partido Social Democrata (PSD) and Fretilin due to "threats, intimidation and terror" by Fretilin during the election. He added that although Fretilin has rejected the accusations, as a party with the majority of seats in the Parliament, it should set an example by not behaving in such a manner and adhere to the democratic principles of the Constitution. Gongalves said that should Fretilin continue to behave in such a manner that they would lose the forthcoming national elections in 2007.
In an article in Timor Post, the Director of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) James Oliver said that he respects the decision made by STAE to remove NDI national observers from an Ainaro polling station for not obeying the rules. Oliver stressed that the election process can, in fact, be assessed as better than in some other countries. He said that the work carried out by STAE was transparent and involved the participation of all the population, women, youth and the traditional elders. (TVTL, TP)
Village chiefs ready to commence work
Timor Post today reports that 3 newly-elected village chiefs in Venilale sub-district are ready to commence work. A ceremony has been held in each of the villages with the participation of Venilale Administrator and members of PNTL and UIR. The ceremonies were concluded on 13 June with the theme "To Give, To Recognize and To Carry the Task Forward". In the meantime the President of Court of Appeal, Claudio Ximenes stated that the Village Chiefs who were sworn in by the local community are not yet official because the Court of Appeal has not announced the official results. In a separate article, Diario Tempo reported STAE Director, Tomas Cabral as saying that polling staff were not recruited by District Administrators (TVTL, TP)
Court of appeal applies oppressive laws
The Judicial System Monitoring Program, through its monthly bulleting, period 20 May -30 June stated that the decision by the Court of Appeal to extend the detention of those who committed crimes based on Indonesian criminal code sections 106 and 107 are considered oppressive. (TP)
Editorial: Joint Ministerial Commission Meeting
Today's Timor Post editorial focuses on the Joint Minister Commission meeting in Jakarta. It says that the results of previous meetings were never made public but hopefully the public will be able to have access to the Foreign Ministry and find out the outcome of the meeting. The editorial points to the technical directorate of the Ministry to be well prepared issues such as assets during the talks with Indonesia. It says that hopefully the third Joint Ministerial Commission will be able to find some positive ways forward for the future. In conclusion, it is suggested that should Indonesia request compensation for its assets, then the Timorese delegations should respond by maintaining that Timor-Leste also has the right for war compensation in accordance with the international conventions. (TP)
COE Recommendations to Improve Indonesia Legal System
In response to Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda's recent comments that the best solution for addressing cases from 1999 as being the Truth and Friendship Commission, Coordinator of the Indonesian Kontras Human Rights Group, Usman Hamid, told the media that there was no need for the Indonesian government to refuse the UN Commission of Experts recommendations. This, he said, was due to some of the recommendations presented by the COE actually providing an opportunity to improve the Indonesian legal and judicial system. (Antara in TP)
July 7, 2005
Joint Ministerial Meeting in Jakarta
Timor-Leste's Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta led the Timorese delegation to Jakarta for the third Joint Ministerial Commission meeting scheduled for 6-9 July 2005 reported Timor Post. According to the newspaper, both nations will discuss among other issues, borders, finance, trading, education, culture, transport and telecommunications. The Joint Ministerial Commission was established in 2002.
Ramos-Horta said "Timor-Leste remembers that since the violence of 1999, our border is calm which demonstrates the willingness of the Indonesian military leadership to disarm the former militias and prevent their territory being used as a base to destabilise Timor-Leste." The Minister added that critics of the political reconciliation, which has been active and dynamic between the Governments of Timor-Leste and Indonesia, should not forget that the peace achieved by the Timorese today is due to the role of Indonesia in the political reconciliation process with Timor- Leste. (TP)
Timor Telecom and BNU Officially Open Branches in Bobonaro
The Minister of Telecommunications and Public Transport officially inaugurated Timor Telecom and BNU branches in Maliana on Tuesday.
During the ceremony, the Director of Timor Telecom stated "In the future, Timor Telecom will try as much possible to progressively extend its network throughout the country. In a separate article in Timor Post, it was reported that Timor Telecom will soon sell 10 dollars telephone credit cards. (TP, DN)
Observers Must Follows the Rules
The Director of the Election Administrative Technical Secretariat (STAE), Tomas Cabral said that STAE has told some groups of independent observers during the recent village elections not to be part of the process due to their refusal to obey the rules. Cabral clarified that STAE had refused to allow some observers from political parties to participate in the recent elections in Ainaro, Same and Aileu.
In Diaro Tempo, Member of Parliament Joao Gongalves (PSD) requested an investigation into a case in Fahihian in Manufahi when a STAE staff member refused to allow a prospective PSD candidate to run for village chief or the village council as he did not have the required documents which, Goncalves contends, was not correct. (TP, DT)
Fretilin Won in Ainaro
Member of Parliament Francisco Branco (Fretilin) reportedly said his party had won 33 percent of the Ainaro village chief and village council positions, adding that 33 percent of elected independent candidates belonged to Fretilin. Branco dismissed rumours that his party had lost in Ainaro as untrue. MP Eusebio Guterres (PD) said that his party had won by 5 seats though Ainaro is not their area of base support. (TP) Petrol Fund Must Be Independent
President of Social Democrat Party (PSD) Mario Carrascalao said that he would like to see Timor-Leste's Petroleum Fund independent from the Government. STL reported Carrascalao as saying, "we can see that Alkatiri is strongly controlling this fund through the Ministry of Finance. In my opinion, it is better that this fund is independent, that means it should be independently controlled or under the Parliament, not the Government". Carrascalao added that if the Government continues to control the fund and invest overseas without transparency to the population it clearly opens the fund to corruption. " I cannot see transparency in the Petroleum Fund through PM Alkatiri's Government. People are talking about corruption, and the Government keeps on saying there must facts. I consider the Government of Alkatiri is not capable of abolishing corruption," stressed Mario Carrascalao. (STL)
JSMP Is Not a Political Party
All daily national print media reported on a press conference held by "The Justice System Monitoring Programme" to respond to accusations made by the President of the Court of Appeals, Claudio Ximenes as reported in the media.
JSMP Director, Tiago Sarmento, stressed that his organization is not a political party and does not work under a political party mandate, adding it is an independent organization established to conduct monitoring and research in the area of justice. Sarmento went on to say that JSMP has no objective in creating confusion and problems for the public, noting that there is a need to continue helping government policy in order to develop the justice system, identify problems and disseminate information to civil society. Sarmento pointed out that JSMP had recently attempted several times to meet with the President of Court of Appeal by writing four letters, making many phone calls and also providing reports written by JSMP, aiming at discussing all such challenges, but President of Court of Appeal did not respond to the letters sent.
Tiago Sarmento noted that the President of Court of Appeal had said that the data and information released by JSMP through its reports was inaccurate. However, JSMP kindly requested the President of Court of Appeal to indicate where the inaccuracies are, adding that JSMP always closely checks data including through comments from court actors before publication. He concluded that JSMP hopes to be able to collaborate [with Ximenes] in the future. (TP, DT, DN, STL)
Minister of Interior Warns PNTL Investigation Unit
Minister of Interior Rogerio Lobato and his deputy, Alcino Barris met with the PNTL Investigation Unit to encourage the traffic and criminal investigation units to perform properly. Alcino Barris told the media that some police officers are performing well but one or two have failed in their performance. In the meantime, PNTL held a workshop in the Police Academy on how to deal with children and young people affected by broken homes and unemployment. (TP, STL, DT)
Extension of CAVR Mandate
President of CAVR, Aniceto Guterres has requested the National Parliament to extend the organizations' mandate for another 3 months to enable the completion of the CAVR report. According to Diaro Tempo, the National Parliament rejected the extension and approved a 3-week extension only.
Guterres said the report is in English and Indonesian languages and the Portuguese language version is expected to be completed in the month of September in order to enable President Gusmao to present it to the Parliament. (DT)
Dili District Court Cases Reduced By 61
Dili District Court has processed 54 criminal and civil cases in 2005, reported Timor Post on Thursday. The interim head of the court, Antonio do Carmo said a total of 33 criminal cases were processed since January 2005, noting that 7 cases of habeus corpus were decided in 2005 and another request was made on Wednesday. Carmo said the court still used the applicable Indonesian civil code while the decision format remains different. (TP) Government Must Clarify the Borders
MP Antonio Leland (Independent) said the Government, particularly the Foreign Ministry must clarify policy regarding the borders and the agreements signed by the Government to the people of Oecussi, Maliana and Suai. Leland said that he has raised this question in the past but has not received a response. (DT)
Ximenes: UDC and PDC Will Try to Merge as One Party
MP Antonio Ximenes (PDC) said members of his party and UDC will discuss the merging of both parties. He said that at the leadership level there had already been discussion on how to turn the two parties into one.
Ximenes added that once the parties' national structures are concluded then there will be a concentration on unification. (TP)
July 6, 2005
Xanana welcomed by demonstration
A crowd of demonstrators in Melbourne on Tuesday welcomed President Xanana Gusmco, reported STL. About 20,000 demonstrators reportedly composed of veterans of Interfet troops, the Timor Sea Justice Committee and the Melbourne Stop the War Coalition, held demonstrations against the government of Australia. According to the demonstrators, Australia has annexed and stolen the wealth of Timor referring to the oil and gas in the Timor Sea. Speaking to the media on Monday, President Xanana said that, as President, in accordance with the constitution of RDTL, he was not involved in the negotiation process regarding the Timor Sea boundaries but hoped that the two countries can reach an agreement as the best solution for both. (STL)
Workers without visas in Timor-Leste
The Secretary of State for Labor and Solidarity, Arsenio Bano said his department has been working with the Timor-Leste immigration authorities in the last three weeks to identify around 200 foreigners in the country without working visas. Bano said his department has annulled the visas for many people including those with working visas because they were not working. (TP)
Fate of Former Indonesian Employees Should Be Resolved: Paixco
Speaking at the National plenary session on Tuesday, MP Maria Paixco (PSD) urged the Government to tackle the pending problems of former Indonesian employees. She added that the payment of pensions for former employees has stopped for the time being because the Indonesian government has not received reports of previous payments. She suggested that the Government of Timor- Leste should provide the reports so that pension payments will resume. (STL, DN, TVTL)
TFC Disadvantages the People
The Truth and Friendship Commission (TFC) has received lots of criticism from local and international NGOs as well as other institutions, reported Timor Post on Wednesday. Timor Post quoted Manuel Tilman MP (KOTA) as saying that the establishment of the TFCis a disadvantage to the Timorese people, especially as the victims will see no justice at all according to its terms of reference as received by the Parliament. "I am not criticising but I would like to comment that to "Re-establish the Truth" would not achieve anything. It would mean that criminals would be given amnesty and criminals such as former Indonesian military General Wiranto, if they are falsely accused, we would have to apologise," said Tilman. He added that the terms of reference do not include the word "justice," therefore 90% of the TFC is in the interest of Indonesia and 10% for the people of Timor-Leste. The MP also said the agreement on the TFC should have been made public through the Government Gazette. (TP, DT, TVTL)
Amaral Protests the Decision on the CAVR Extension
Member of Parliament Clementino dos Reis Amaral (KOTA) has protested that the extension of CAVR mandate is only for another six months, saying it would not be long enough to translate the 10,000 or more documents.
Amaral said initially the Parliament had foreseen the work to be concluded in 8 months but decided for 6 months instead. (TP)
Cuban Scholarships For F-FDTL Members
The Ministry of Heath, Rui Araujo said some of the 200 students selected to study in Cuba applied for the scholarships in 2004 and the interviews will soon commence. Araujo said his Ministry still does not know the final result of the number of applicants last year.
Timor Post also reported on Wednesday that about 30 members of F-FDTL will sit tests for the scholarships to Cuba. The Head of F-FDTL Marine, Antonio Sargento said all the candidates come from different units within the defence force. (TP)
F-FDTL Military Police Face Problems
In a separate article, Timor Post reported F-FDTL Defence Force Military Police commander, Captain Alfredo Alves Reinaldo as saying that one of the problems faced by the Military Police is the constant break down of equipment and a lack of transport, pointing that the vehicles currently used by the Military Police are too old and cannot travel outside Dili.
According to reports some members of the Defence Force are planning to quit their jobs with F-FDTL Chief of Staff Lere Anan Timor commenting that the institution is waiting for the decree law on this issue. Anan Timor said that he is looking into the cases of officials that will soon be expelled due to undisciplined actions and some for their participation in the recent protests organized by the church. (TP)
Defence Lawyer Claims Illegal Detention of Client
PNTL National Police detained a man for 24 hours for allegedly stealing 10 bags of cement. According to Timor Post, the detainee's lawyer, Mario Santos Lay, argued that the Police did not have a detention warrant from the court and also referred to the time gap between the event and the complaint saying "Arifin (the complainant) should have filed a complaint at the time of the event on 24 June instead of 2 July".(TP, TVTL)
Rising Intimidation and Terror Due to Lack of Democractic Values
The lack of understanding of democracy leads to terror and intimidation as recently experienced by some political party during the Village elections, election observer Zacarias da Costa told STL. Da Costa said these kind of problems arise because the party members receive little information from their leaders regarding democracy and how far can democracy go. He added that voters participating in the election still lack political education.
In a separate article Timor Post reported Francisco Soares, a lecturer in Political Science at the National University as saying that the intimidation and terror that occurred during the village election will continue in the 2007 elections. Soares said the intimidation and terror that arose during the elections at the grass-roots level came from Political Party leaderships. He appealed to all political party leaders to provide better political education for the people to avoid confusion. He added that most of the conflict occurred as a result of statements made by political leaders which instead of calming, aggravated the situation. (STL,TP)
Debate Mechanism in Parliament Not Transparent
Member of Parliament Maria Paixco (PSD) said the debate mechanism in the National Parliament regarding the budget is not transparent, reported STL.
Paixco said there is no transparency because the debate is not following the legal procedures currently in place. (STL)
Timor-Post Editorial America-Australia the Same
The TP editorial today says the history of Timor-Leste to independence against the Indonesian invaders has left damaged memories and scars which are difficult to cure. It says that on 4 July each year, the USA commemorates its independence. In Timor- Leste the commemoration was held at the USA Ambassador's residence. Like previous commemorations, last Monday commemorations coincided with a demonstrations by the Timorese civil society demanding US to be responsible for the suffering of Timorese people during the Indonesian occupation, noting that there are strong indications that the USA backed the Indonesian troops and strongly supported Suharto regime in invading Timor- Leste which has left sadness and suffering of the Timorese people who continue to demand for justice. The US sold many weapons from tanks to warplanes and also provided diplomatic support and media propaganda through the radio programme, the Voice of America, which in turn made the Indonesians more courageous by telling the resistance people that the idea of the independence was a mere dream.
In regard to the Australian government the editorial says that when the political map in Indonesian changed, Australia also changed its political foreign policy by saying that Jakarta should give the rights for independence to the Timorese people. [...] What the Timorese want is that these learning processes which the Timorese are now undertaking can move forward in the eyes of the international community without submitting itself to the influence of other countries, like USA and Australia.
What the Timorese demand is that both USA and Australia recognizes that they have contributed to the dark pages of the history of Timor-Leste.
What is now needed is to compensate the dark history of the past with good behavior in future.
Indonesian Rights Commission to Investigate Past Violations
One of the Indonesian Human Rights Commission members, Zoemrotin K Soesilo told the Indonesian media on Tuesday that the commission can investigate past human rights violations. "Until now the Reconciliation Commission has not functioned properly. In order to fill the gap, the human rights commission has demanded to investigate past violations, if not the suspects, particularly as the victims will be forgotten," said Soesilo.
He cited examples of human rights violations such as East Timor and Tanjung Priok cases and cases of missing persons. (Antara in STL)
July 5, 2005
Demands for an International Tribunal
Around 100 University students staged a peaceful protest in Dili on Monday, demanding the establishment of an International Tribunal for crimes committed in 1999. The demonstration organised by the Frente Estudantes Universitariu de Timor-Leste marched from Dili University campus to the residence of the US Ambassador demanding that the United States establish an international tribunal for justice for the victims of the Indonesian invasion and occupation of Timor-Leste. The spokesperson of the group, Xisto dos Santos said, "the demonstration coincided with the commemoration of US independence on Monday because we wanted to remind the US to remember that our demands for justice for the victims derives from US involvement in the Indonesian invasion of Timor-Leste". All local media covered the protest. (DN, TP, STL, DT, TVTL)
Timor-Leste Tourism Successful
The media reported that the promotion of Timor-Leste tourism has been successful overseas. Based on a CD-Rom promotion of the best tourist attractions, the New York Times published an excellent article about tourism. Prime Minister Alkatiri reportedly said yesterday, "the Government is undertaking hard efforts to enable tourism in the country to become a major financial resource for the economy of Timor-Leste". (DT, TP, TVTL)
New Cabinet To Be Sworn-in
It is reported that Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri has announced that the new Cabinet of the Government will be officially sworn- in on 13 July.
STL reported that all ministers stopped their work on Monday awaiting information on the new changes. The Minister for Public Works and Telecommunication Ovmdio do Amaral reportedly took the time to make himself available to swear-in 23 new employees for his office (STL)
Carrascalco: Fretilin Won Due to Intimidation
President of the Social Democrat Party (PSD) Mario Carrascalco said that the Fretilin party won the Village Chief [and Village Council] elections based on a campaign of political terror, intimidation and threats. "PSD also won as individuals in the past elections in Bobonaro and Oecussi, however, in the recent elections, this was not possible because Fretilin launched a campaign of threats, terror and intimidation towards PSD candidates and the general population to not elect members of other parties or they would suffer the consequences". He stressed that this was one of the reasons the population had decided to elect independent candidates, hoping that the elections in Dili will be better because the population is not frightened by intimidation. Timor Post reported that individual candidates were predominantly elected in the Village Chief [and Village Council] elections in the district of Aileu. (STL, TP)
National Parliament Uses A Centralised System
Member of Parliament Rui Menezes of Democrat Party (PD) said the system of the National Parliament is centralised because the first and the second Deputy Presidents lack the ability and competence in presiding debates on the proposed Government budget. Menezes said that this is one of the reasons the Parliament has to wait for the return of the President of the National Parliament from overseas. (TP)
Food Shortages In Sukus (villages)
Secretary of State for Labor and Solidarity, Arsenio Bano said he received information from the Ministry of Agriculture identifying food shortages in about 139 sukus (villages). Bano said a commission has been established and one of their first tasks was to gather information on the identified areas and coordinate the distribution of food. He added that the lowland sea areas in the east and west are the most affected, noting that in most parts of Atazro island the population is heading towards hunger, as there is no food at all. Arsenio Bano thanks those international organisations like Oxfam and GTZ for coordinating the donation and distribution of food. (DN, TP)
PNTL Patrols In Bobonaro Paralysed
National Police (PNTL) in Bobonaro sub-district has stopped patrolling for the past month due to the lack of facilities like vehicles.
According to STL, the PNTL officer responsible for that area said that the only car they have, a Tata Sumo is no longer operational. " We stopped patrolling one month ago in the sub- villages along the road because we have a lack of vehicles and parts of the vehicles are damaged," said Atanasio Barreto. (STL)
Timor Post Editorial on Judge Ximenes' Statement
The Timor Post editorial criticises a statement by the President of the Court of Appeal Claudio Ximenes against the JSMP NGO as reported yesterday which attacked JSMP for creating confusion among the population and affecting Court processes. The editorial considers the statement disappointing and described the Court of Appeal as being 'tightly closed' to the media, adding that the Court of Appeal is a public and not a private institution where one can hide secrets of internal management.
The editorial continues that the Court of Appeal being a public institution, like any other, must have transparency according to the ethics of public institutions therefore there should be no debate at all.
The editorial also says that the statement is disappointing as it is the responsibility of civil society to contribute to the judicial process, which now has to face a thick 'wall'. The editorial says that these kind of initiatives from civil society is what is needed to develop this nation in order for society to have the courage to contribute to the improvements in the system. The editorial goes on to say that it is hoped that the type of pressure on Judge Claudio Ximenes will spread to other authorities so that in the end all the public institutions will be transparent and follow the orders of the 'commandant' (TP).
Hesri Setiwan: Don't Hurt the Feelings of the Timorese
After the launch of the Indonesian translation of the book entitled "Addicted to War" on US Government politics at the NGO Forum Office on Monday 4 July, former Indonesian political prisoner Hesri Setiwan, reportedly stated that the most important thing is not to hurt the feelings of the Timorese people by establishing a Truth and Friendship Commission.
According to the newspaper, Setiwan said that the realization of the Truth and Friendship Commission would damage principles of justice. (STL)
July 4, 2005
Village Chief Elections
It is reported that the Village Chief [and Village Council] elections held in Aileu, Ainaro and Maunfahi on Saturday 2 July were democratic and peaceful. The provisional results of the elections indicate that Fretilin and individuals candidates received highest numbers of elected positions.
It is reported that voters were very enthusiastic to participate in the democratic process. (TP, STL) Timor Sea Negotiations with Woodside Difficult: Ramos-Horta (TP, DN)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Ramos-Horta has reportedly said that the difficulties regarding the Timor Sea negotiations are not with the Australian Government but with the Woodside company. Ramos-Horta reportedly told the media that the negotiations between Australia and Timor-Leste are almost concluded and that the problem is now with the Woodside Company in relation to the pipeline.
Government Reshuffle Plans
A new and enlarged government in East Timor and the first rotation of Dili's overseas diplomatic corps will be announced "within days", says Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri.
In comments to Lusa Thursday, Alkatiri said he was still holding contacts over the creation of the new executive, due to be unveiled this month with the main aim of decentralizing power in the new nation.
Alkatiri said he would prefer the announcement of the new Government - with a state secretary for each of Timor's five regions -- to be made after the vote in the Dili Parliament July 11 on his government's budget plans.
However, he said that he still needed to discuss with the Dili Finance Ministry the cost implications of announcing the new Government either before or after the budget vote.
Alkatiri originally outlined plans for Dili's revamped Executive in May, saying the shakeup was part of his government's efforts to decentralize power and streamline the administration of the new nation to meet targets for its National Development Plan.
Dili's Prime Minister told Lusa recently that it was proving "very difficult" to decentralize Timor's administration. The five new state secretaries for each of Timor's regions will coordinate grass-roots development, particularly investment programs to be regionally implemented, Alkatiri said.
Dili's Government rejig will also be accompanied by the first rotation of Timor's foreign-based diplomats since independence in 2002. As part of the reinforcement of Timor's overseas diplomatic presence, new Embassies are being opened in Japan and Thailand. New Consulate Generals will also be created in Macau, Sydney and Manila.
STL and Timor Post reported that Olimpio Branco, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs will take up the position as Ambassador to China as Minister Ramos-Horta reportedly told the media. (Lusa, STL, TP)
Ximenes: JSMP Creates Confusion
The President of the Court of Appeal, Claudio Ximenes, reportedly said the information disseminated to the public by the Justice and Monitoring System Program, JSMP is creating confusion among the community, creating problems and affecting the work of institutions in Timor-Leste. According to Timor Post on Monday, Ximenes has said that such concerns have been presented to the Head of UNOTIL, SRSG Hasegawa, President Gusmco, President of the National Parliament and Prime Minister Alkatiri. (TP)
General Situation Good
PNTL Commander Paulo Martins has told the media that the border situation is generally good. He added that on 14 June, the PNTL Border Patrol Unit met with TNI officers in Atambua. During the meeting, the Indonesian authorities agreed that PNTL stationed at the border should maintain good relations with them. Another meeting had been held in Oecussi on 15 June, and an Indonesian official from Jakarta had also participated in the meeting to discuss the border situation between the two countries.
In a separate article in Timor Post on Saturday, Martins said two PNTL officers had been identified as being allegedly involved in beating up members of the Aituri Laran community. According to the PNTL Commander, another two suspects had been detained in relation to Becora case and PNTL have received orders to arrest another four currently in hiding. (TP)
Government Sends Food to Atazro Island
The Government has sent food to some sub-districts of Atazro to relieve those affected by food shortages. The Secretary of State for Labor and Solidarity, Arsenio Bano said the Government plans to send another 10 tonnes of food. He said an assessment had been conducted and the Commission looking at food shortages will coordinate with international NGOs and donor countries for assistance. (TP)
F-FDTL to Design New Uniform
Lere Anan Timor, F-FDTL Chief of Staff told the media that he has requested a Timorese expert presently living in Indonesia to design a new uniform for the Defence Force. Anan Timor said that the uniform issue has been a great concern to the National Defence Force for a long time now, adding that it would be manufactured in Indonesia to expedite the manufacture process. (TP)
East Timorese President arrives in Australia for five-day visit
East Timorese President Xanana Gusmco began a five-day visit to Australia Sunday that is expected to focus on carving up billions of dollars in potential revenue from oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.
Gusmco arrived at the southern Australian city of Hobart accompanied by his Australian-born wife, Kirsty Sword Gusmco.
During his visit, Gusmco is expected to meet with Prime Minister John Howard, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Governor- General Michael Jeffery, the British Queen's representative in Australia.
Government officials say they are on the verge of finalizing a deal that will allow Australia and East Timor to share revenue from the undersea oil and gas deposits, despite failing to resolve a long-running argument about where a common maritime border should lie.
Under the deal, East Timor will postpone for 50 years its claim to a greater share of the Timor Sea bed in return for an increased share of the oil and gas revenues.
The value of the deal has been estimated at between US$2 billion (AUS$1.67 billion) and US$5 billion (B Timor, depending on oil price movements.
TL Waiting on Indonesian Position on International Tribunal: Gusmco
Before leaving for an official visit to Australia on Sunday, President Gusmco said that Timor-Leste will wait for the Indonesian Government position on the UN recommendation for the establishment of an International Tribunal (sic). "We will still hold a meeting scheduled for 8-9 July in Jakarta. When Indonesia responds then the Government of Timor-Leste will make its position public". President Gusmco stressed that he will ask the Governments of Timor-Leste and Indonesia to focus on the Truth and Friendship Commission, adding "My interest is to ask the Government to request the teams of the Governments of Indonesia and Timor-Leste to continue to amend what is missing in order to find a good solution." (STL)
Indonesian Republic Unable to Prosecute Human Rights Violators
Timorese Human rights lawyer, Aderito de Jesus has reportedly stated that the Indonesian legal system has no capacity to try those who committed crimes against humanity in Timor-Leste. "This was demonstrated by the fact that the UN through the Commission of Experts demanded the establishment of an International Tribunal for the mayhem of 1999".
July 1, 2005
Establishment of IT Is Not a Burden For TL
Responding to the media, regarding the UN Commission of Experts recommendations to Indonesian government to re-open the investigation on the serious crimes committed in Timor-Leste, Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri said, "It is not the government of TL that does not want justice. For the want of justice was the reason why there was a 24 year struggle to find justice which cost the lives of many Timorese". He added that "the Serious Crimes Unit was established in Timor-Leste in the past five years to find justice but that the work to find justice remains incomplete," noting that from now onwards the international community has the obligation to continue with the work of the Serious Crimes Unit. Referring to the impact of an international tribunal, PM Alkatiri reportedly said "I will not be going to prison yet, therefore there is no problem".
With regard to the demands by the Timorese Women Forum to establish legislation against abortion, PM Alkatiri said the joint declaration between the Government and the Catholic Church hierarchy will facilitate the organisation of public debates and listen to opinions. He said that many countries like Portugal gained their independence years ago and today are still debating about abortion, adding that it was up to the Parliament to decide whether abortion was a crime. (STL)
UN Pressure Will Not Disrupt TL-Indonesia Relations
According to Fretilin Parliamentary leader, Francisco Branco MP, UN pressure on Indonesia in relation to the serious human rights violations in TL and the demand for the establishment of an international tribunal will not disrupt the relations of the two countries, because both countries are committed to strengthen their relations through the Truth and Friendship Commission. (STL) L7: Government Abusing Power
Former Falintil commander, Cornelio Gama who is also known as L7 said the Government must identify those who were responsible for crimes against humanity in 1999 to the families of victims, adding that that if the Government fails to do so then it is abusing the power of the victims and the veterans in their quest for justice. Gama added that the Government must address the demands of the victims or face consequences from the population. He is of the opinion that to avoid problems between the population and the Government that it would be better to establish an international tribunal to find justice for the victims as the Jakarta Ad Hoc tribunal had failed. (DT)
Xanana Sad About Fights Between Groups
Speaking during the ceremony of the sign joint declaration by Fokmatil (Martial Arts Communication Forum) President Gusmco said he is disappointed by the continuing conflict and killings between groups. He hopes that the declaration will put an end to the tensions.
Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri said the signing of the document would help the Government to carry out its work. PM Alkatiri said that if there is no stability and peace there will not be development noting that the youth were raised during a period of violence and that they had established the institutions during this time in order to protect themselves.
MP Mariano Sabino of Democrat Party, said the signing of the joint declaration is very important to establish peace in the country. MP Maria Paixco of Social Democratic Party said the signing is important but a decree law must be set up to manage groups. MP Cipriana Pereira of Fretilin said that the youths are the future of Timor-Leste so they should be preparing themselves to contribute to the development of the country.
On Thursday various martial arts groups including three groups constantly in conflict namely Kera Sakti, KORKA and Setia Hati signed a joint declaration, promising to stop the violence in Timor-Leste. According to the document, if a group should break the rules they will be taken to court. (STL, TP, DT, TVTL)
Plans to Station F-FDTL in the Border
Infrastructure is required to station F-FDTL at the border, Chief of State Lere Anan Timor told the media on Wednesday. Anan Timor said there are plans to put members of the Defence Force at the borders, in Atazro and Oecussi but it is as yet unclear when this will happen. (TP)
Free Sex Is Not Timorese Culture
Diario Tempo today focussed on the concept of "free sex" [pre- marital sex] as a new phenomenon in Timor-Leste. According to the article, "free-sex" is an issue often discussed among the younger generation after the country gained its independence. It is reported that prior to independence the word "free-sex" was not heard in Timor-Leste society. It is considered as immoral and not part of Timorese culture but foreign culture as based on foreign laws where the age of consent is 17. This is considered immoral and wrong if applied in Timor-Leste in daily life where only those people who have left their families and the church perform the immoral act also known as "free sex". (DT)
| Opinion & analysis |
The Australian - July 7, 2005
All of East Timor's fledgling dreams, and all of the threats to those dreams, are on display in The Australian today. First the good news. After a long negotiation, agreement is near on the mechanism for distributing tax and royalties on $30 billion worth of gas and oil under the Timor Sea.
Details are scant, but by agreeing to put aside the renegotiation of the maritime boundary between the two nations, probably for 50 years, East Timor will gain upwards of $5 billion from the Greater Sunrise gas field, which lies almost entirely within Australian territory. Given the Timorese are already getting a 90:10 split on royalties from the adjacent joint development area that straddles the maritime boundary, this is a good outcome for East Timor, and a generous gesture by Australia.
But there are manifold dangers for a developing country that suddenly gains access to buckets of resource-driven profits, and Timor needs only to look at neighbours such as Nauru and PNG to see what they are. Whilever the institutions of civil society are not yet sufficiently robust to control it, corruption will haunt the distribution of resource rents. That is why the exclusive report in The Australian today, that the younger brother of East Timorese Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri has been given the country's only arms import licence, is so disturbing. It not only raises questions about whether East Timor's political elite is prepared to act in the national interest, rather than its own; it also raises the question of what a nation that is wallowing at the bottom of world economic tables, and has a fifth of its workforce unemployed, is doing buying fancy rifles and bullets. While no orders have been placed for tanks or heavy weaponry, why do Timorese police need the kind of sophisticated firepower normally associated with an SAS?
This bizarre $US108,000 budget item makes a mockery of attempts to morally shame Australia over the Greater Sunrise deal. We would greatly like to be comforted by the plan, also reported today, under which East Timor will sequester its royalties in a dedicated fund with a special architecture to guarantee transparency. If the $15 billion or so in tax and royalties that will gradually arrive in Timor's treasury coffers, independent of any productive effort on the part of its people, could be properly locked away from the clutches of the corrupt, greedy and incompetent, and the interest used exclusively for national infrastructure, Timor would truly be a winner from the Greater Sunrise deal.
But the machinations of Bader Bin Hamut Alkatiri give us great cause for concern.