Timor Gap

Young nation wrestles with its 'black gold'

South China Morning Post - August 30, 2005

In the last of his series on East Timor, Simon Montlake looks at the Thorny topic of oil and gas

His morning catch sold, fisherman Antonio Ximenes folds his homemade nets into the boat resting on the windswept beach.

As the harsh afternoon sun glints off the cobalt waves, he listens to a stranger's question: What does he think about his nation's untapped oil and gas reserves, said to be worth billions?

"I hear them on the radio and television talking about the money, but I never know where the money goes," he says. "Maybe the government can explain it to you. We're out here every day, fishing, selling our catch. The government doesn't give us anything."

Deciding on the future of the petroleum assets that lie off the coast of East Timor is a key political and economic question facing the leaders of the world's newest nation.

If handled correctly, the revenue generated should provide a long-term source of income for East Timor, which gained independence in 2002 after a UN-run referendum in August 1999.

The largest offshore field -- claimed by Australia and East Timor -- is estimated to hold US$50 billion worth of natural gas and oil at today's prices.

That's a huge windfall for a country of 925,000 people with the lowest per capita income in Asia -- just US$366 a year. One in three households depends on subsistence farming, and the country's only export crop is coffee.

But recent history is littered with examples of oil-rich nations that floundered as corruption, waste and conflict turned prosperity into a pipe dream. Economists say developing countries with abundant natural resources often do a worse job of raising living standards than those without them.

Timorese leaders say they are determined not to repeat the mistakes of other developing countries by squandering resources. "Being wealthy is one thing. Being petroleum-wealthy is extremely dangerous because that's more of a curse than a blessing," deputy natural resources minister Jose Teixeira said.

To guard against these pitfalls, East Timor has created a petroleum fund - audited externally -- to manage its oil revenue. All expenditure will go through the national budget and be subject to spending limits. Health, education and social projects will take priority.

Most of the petroleum money, though, will be invested offshore in US government bonds to create a cushion for the future.

Officials say the aim is to rebuild the country's shattered economy, which has depended on foreign aid since the bloody Indonesian pullout in 1999. Without a strong private sector, petroleum dollars are liable to suck in imports, drive up prices and deter exports.

The cautious approach is something of a mystery to ordinary Timorese, who ask why the promised oil riches are not flowing to them.

John Soares counts himself among the lucky ones: he supports his family of five on a monthly turnover of US$1,000 from a stall in Dili selling imported jeans and shirts.

But Mr Soares, 27, doubts oil money will trickle in anytime soon. "If the government has lots of money, it's only going to them, not to the people, so we will never develop this country," he sighs.

Activists in Dili are concerned about the temptation to dip into the oil funds, as well as the government's commitment to transparency. East Timor's new ombudsman has already been given 66 suspected graft cases to investigate. Three of these allegedly originated in the office of the prime minister, who has taken personal charge of the oil sector.

"Without fighting this corruption which is emerging now, it will be difficult to guarantee how the oil and gas money will be spent," said Christopher Samson, director of anti-corruption watchdog Labeh.

While the debate over how to spend the money continues, East Timor is wrangling with Australia over who owns the offshore petroleum.

One joint development area is already pumping gas under a revenue-sharing formula between the two countries. East Timor is believed to have received about US$244 million so far this year from this production area. But a much larger gas project is on hold as the two sides grapple over sea boundaries.

Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri has lobbied hard for East Timor to not only receive a generous share of revenue but also to ensure it is chosen as the location for the downstream processing of the gas.

East Timor touts oil spoils to tantalise explorers

The Australian - August 18, 2005

Nigel Wilson -- East Timor has launched an international campaign to attract explorers to the Timor Sea in areas not in dispute with Australia.

A roadshow will begin next month to sell the results of 6600km of seismic data collected earlier this year that the East Timor Government claimed "revealed the presence of potential petroleum structures over the entire area".

East Timor's Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri said yesterday petroleum companies would be offered access to frontier opportunities "while working with a Government that has a proven track record in administering large-scale petroleum development". East Timor has said previously the petroleum geology of the Timor Sea's undisputed area is "almost identical" to that of Australia's North West Shelf.

The announcement was made as continued haggling between Dili and Canberra has delayed the setting of a date for the formal signing of a revenue-sharing agreement between Australia and East Timor covering Timor Sea developments.

A date for the signing had been expected to be announced last month.

Sources in both countries said yesterday the agreement could see $13 billion in revenue being transferred from Australia to East Timor, if the Greater Sunrise project -- the largest known petroleum resource in the Timor Sea -- went ahead and was not under threat.

"We are still in discussions about the detail," a Canberra official said.

Last week, Dr Alkatiri was quoted in Dili's Timor Post saying his country was waiting for Australia to consider its response to the proposed agreement, saying the delay was caused by "technical problems".

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in May he believed there probably would be no further formal negotiations and that the two countries would be able to move towards signing an agreement.

In Perth yesterday, Don Voelte, managing director of Greater Sunrise operator, Woodside, said he also believed the discussions were about the detail.

Under the proposed government-to-government agreement, Australia and East Timor will split Greater Sunrise revenues 50:50 rather than the 80:20 originally proposed.

Short-changed on oil

By Tom Clarker - August 19, 2005

As details begin to emerge of the proposed deal between East Timor and Australia on how to divvy up the Greater Sunrise gas field located twice as close to East Timor than Australia, it's clear that our impoverished neighbours will be walking away short-changed.

Facing extreme levels of poverty and in desperate need of revenue, East Timor was never in an equitable negotiating position and full blame for the inadequacies of the proposed "stop gap" deal lies squarely with the stonewalling and hard- nosed Australian Government.

The Australian Government has tried to bully the poorest country in Asia out of its rightful entitlement, as a sovereign nation, to have permanent maritime boundaries. Australian negotiators want the proposed deal to hinge on East Timor accepting to postpone claims of sovereignty over the contested areas until such a time when all of the gas and oil has been depleted.

The proposed deal does not create any maritime boundaries. It simply allows for the development of one single gas field that is located in contested waters twice as close to East Timor than Australia. Leaving aside issues of sovereignty and permanent boundaries, even from a purely financial perspective, East Timor has been short-changed of billions of legally-entitled dollars.

Since the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, boundaries based along the median line have been overwhelmingly favoured under International Law in cases when two countries are less than 400 nautical miles apart. Fair borders for East Timor would likely deliver most, if not all, of the Greater Sunrise field estimated to be worth more than $40 billion in government "royalties".

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) have perfected the art of muddying the waters and continue to attempt to baffle the public with complicated, but irrelevant, geological debates about the prolongation of Australia's continental shelf.

Downer's mantra of Australia being "generous" to East Timor with a 90:10 split of revenues from the Joint Petroleum Development Area (JPDA) conveniently ignores the fact that only one third of the contested resources are located within the JPDA.

Since 1999, the Australian Government has taken over $2 billion worth of royalties from the Laminaria-Corallina, which are extremely likely to belong to East Timor under International Law.

Downer and other commentators have suggested that, even if a median line resolution is accepted, it wouldn't actually be established halfway between the two coastlines. While most International Law experts seem to dismiss this "adjusted median line" theory, it's unclear just how significant it would be. The main fields of concern -- Laminaria-Corallina and Greater Sunrise -- are all located twice as close to East Timor as they are to Australia. So even if the Australian Government did successfully tinker with the median line, East Timor would still have ownership of the contested fields.

While the outcome of independent arbitration is not certain, the Australian Government's withdrawal of recognition of the maritime boundary jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice -- just two months before East Timor's independence -- cast serious doubt over the confidence of its own legal arguments.

Maritime law isn't the only water Downer's posse has tried to muddy. It appears the Australian Government uses inflated prices to calculate the revenue East Timor will get from oil and gas deposits and then uses much lower oil and gas prices in calculations for revenue Australia receives.

The $40 billion that East Timor could have enjoyed from Greater Sunrise dwarfed their current annual budget of just $100 million. East Timor can benefit from their legally-entitled gas and oil resources, which can help transform the fledging nation from one struggling to overcome widespread hunger, illiteracy and preventable diseases to one that can stand economically on its own two feet.

Unfortunately the proposed deal is not just a missed opportunity for Australia to lend a true and lasting helping hand but, much worse, it proves that the Howard Government is willing to bully and blackmail poor and tiny neighbours for its own financial gain. Australia's standing in the International community is sure to suffer from this betrayal of the Australian notion of "a fair go".

If the new deal is signed, East Timor will still be without permanent maritime boundaries and the East Timorese people's struggle for self-determination continues. The Australian Government may have once again turned its back on its East Timorese neighbours, but the Australian people as individuals and as various collective groups, will not. We will continue to work to restore Australia's commitment to being a responsible member of the international community and ensure that permanent maritime boundaries are established in accordance with principles of current International Law.

[Tom Clarke is the co-ordinator of the Timor Sea Justice Campaign in Melbourne.]

'Fairness' lacking in Timor Sea negotiations

Green Left Weekly - August 10, 2005

Sibylle Kaczorek, Sydney -- On August 2, Sister Susan Connelly, assistant director of the Mary MacKillop Institute for East Timor Studies, said that "fairness" should be the overarching principle in the David versus Goliath stand-off that characterises the "negotiations" about the gas and oil deposits in the Timor Sea.

Connelly was speaking at a public meeting organised by the Timor Sea Justice Campaign (TSJC). Attended by 35 people, the meeting was also addressed by Father Frank Brennan, associate director of Uniya, the Jesuit Social Justice Centre in Sydney.

Ian Melrose, the Melbourne businessperson who has spent $3 million on television advertisements supporting the Timor Sea Justice Campaign was also due to speak but was unable to attend.

Connelly described as offensive the Howard government's claim that it had been "fair and generous" to East Timor, noting that East Timor is yet to receive any royalties out of the deal, but Australia has already received $2 billion in revenues from a single oil field. This field, Laminaria/Corallina, would be 100% within East Timor's maritime jurisdiction if international law was applied.

The demand for the application of international law to the Timor Sea oil and gas fields is an "issue of justice, not charity", Connelly said.

Brennan described the results of the latest round of negotiations between Canberra and Dili. He explained that the 50/50 deal on revenue from the Greater Sunrise field included the postponement of further discussion on maritime boundaries between Australia and East Timor.

From Darwin, Jon Lamb reports that 70 people attended a meeting on August 4 organised by the TSJC. Melbourne-based TSJC coordinator Tommy Clarke told the meeting "when you've got children dying of preventable diseases, you just can't play the kind of waiting game the Australian government is forcing on East Timor".

He urged those at the meeting to get involved in the campaign in support of East Timor's sovereign rights. A number of the banned TSJC television advertisements were screened, as well as a satirical speech by John Clarke, impersonating Alexander Downer.

Justice & reconciliation

Australia must help Timor find justice

Melbourne Age - August 26, 2005

Robin Perry and Eleanor Taylor-Nicholson -- On August 11, the governments of Indonesia and East Timor formally launched the joint Truth and Friendship Commission at its headquarters on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. The five Indonesian and five Timorese members of the commission will, according to Timorese Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta, "resolve once and for all the events of 1999".

South Africa's famous truth and reconciliation commission has been cited by foreign observers when describing the TFC but this is a misrepresentation.

The South African commission was founded on the noble goals of community reconciliation and redemption, whereas the TFC is nothing more than the latest in a series of attempts to avoid holding Indonesian military suspects and militia accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The events of 1999, to which Ramos Horta referred, encompassed wanton, widespread violence in the territory of East Timor, including the killing of more than 1500 people, the rape and torture of thousands of others, the mass deportation of a quarter of the population and the wide-scale destruction of everything that Indonesia had ever contributed to the country. This included power lines, irrigation systems, public and private buildings, all crops and livestock and all public records.

Although much of this destruction was carried out by Timorese militias, it has since become clear that these militias were formed and armed by the Indonesian military to intimidate the population into rejecting the option of independence at the UN- run referendum in August 1999, and to punish them when the result of the vote was announced.

Despite statements of outrage and demands for justice from the international community and the UN, the architects of the violence of 1999 continue to enjoy impunity in Indonesia. An international tribunal was rejected in 2000 on the proviso that Indonesia would try the perpetrators.

These trials are now universally regarded as a sham and resulted in only one conviction, of notorious Timorese militia leader Eurico Guterres, who is free pending appeal; no Indonesian military officers were convicted.

At the same time, a parallel process in East Timor was rendered impotent by the Indonesian Government's refusal to extradite indicted suspects, more than three-quarters of whom reside in Indonesia.

The victims of the violence and the international community are now inevitably cynical about Indonesia's statements about human rights and justice. In July 2004, a UN-appointed Commission of Experts found attempts to achieve justice to date to be inadequate and flawed.

The TFC will not, and cannot, repair this situation. The Commission of Experts acknowledged that much. The TFC will deny justice to victims of the violence for all time by granting lifelong amnesties to suspects who "co-operate fully in revealing the truth", in violation of international law. The possibility of the TFC finding the "truth" is highly questionable, given its extremely limited powers. For example, it has no power to examine military records, and it is unlikely senior members of the military will divulge the TNI's part in the violence in good faith. Without any threat of prosecution, there is little incentive for individuals to come forward.

The concept of "friendship", in the context of broad criticism of the TFC by Timorese and Indonesian civil society, is also blatantly political.

In an era of bold posturing on human rights, it is incumbent on Australia and the international community to actively resist any attempt to grant amnesty for war criminals. To allow the perpetrators to escape punishment would be to endorse continued violations by the military in the turbulent provinces of Aceh and West Papua, not to mention the rest of Indonesia.

It should not be forgotten that the Security Council has issued many bold resolutions condemning the violence in East Timor in 1999 and calling for justice -- which Indonesia has continued to ignore. Giving any support to the TFC now, in direct contradiction to the UN's own expert opinion, will further weaken the legitimacy of the UN in international justice.

In the aftermath of September 1999, there was a palpable sense that, finally, something would be done about the long history of violence suffered by the East Timorese. These expectations have yet again been frustrated. The East Timorese people are incapable of trying war criminals protected by a neighbour more than 200 times its size.

Australia, a nation that played a leading role in East Timor gaining independence, and the international community as a whole have a moral and legal duty to assist East Timor in its search for justice. This should not be sacrificed at the altar of political convenience.

[Robin Perry and Eleanor Taylor-Nicholson are international lawyers at the Judicial System Monitoring Program, a monitoring, advocacy and law-reform organisation based in Dili, East Timor.]

Getting away with murder

SBS Dateline - August 24, 2005

Six years ago this month the Indonesian military unleashed its militia killers on East Timor, creating carnage that shocked the world and saw Australia intervene to drive them out. Dateline's John Martinkus, in East Timor during those awful days, recently returned to find that the dreaded militia are still around, seemingly beyond prosecution, including their ruthless leader Eurico Guterres. Not only that, there is the implicit threat of renewed violence if the international community tries to bring them to justice.

Reporter: John Martinkus

Six years after assisting the Indonesian military in burning East Timor to the ground and butchering thousands of people, East Timor's militia are gathering again, this time in Indonesian- controlled West Timor. Still at their head is man who led the militia in the killing, Eurico Guterres.

Sentenced by Jakarta to 10 years in prison for inciting murder and indicted for crimes against humanity by the United Nations, he's still free on appeal. Honoured and protected by the Indonesian military that created him, he knows he won't spend a day in jail.

Eurico Guterres (Translation): When I got 10 years I was glad. I was happy and I laughed, I thought that the decision was extremely unfair.

This ceremony marks what's known as Integration Day, marking the lost dream of Indonesia's takeover of East Timor. It's the first time the militia have come together since 1999. Then Integration Day was used to incite them to violence. Now they say they've gathered to commemorate their dead.

There's no doubt who the star attraction is. And Guterres is happy to stand by his role as militia leader -- and the killers he commanded.

Eurico Guterres (Translation): As their friend, if I'm given the opportunity to live, I'll take full responsibility for what they did.

This mass meeting is a latent show of force by the militia to warn the East Timorese leadership. Many of the 339 men indicted by the UN serious crimes unit are here in this hall, charged with multiple murders, rapes and the forced deportation of thousands of East Timorese civilians. At the meeting I couldn't help reflecting on the terror these people had caused in 1999 and how they are now immune from prosecution. Here in West Timor, while his militia partners receive communion, Guterres, the man who orchestrated mass murder across the border is now, it seems, preaching law and order.

Eurico Guterres (Translation): I ask you not to cause problems. I ask you not to question this because we are doing it to ensure security and order. So I've been cooperating with security forces.

After the massacres in '99, the East Timorese were promised justice. 18 people were charged in Jakarta. All but two were acquitted. Those two are now free. In Dili, low-ranking militia have been convicted but none of the leaders have been tried. The UN serious crimes unit in East Timor closed this year. It reported to the security council, that the process had failed. The UN security council is currently considering setting up an international tribunal to bring the perpetrators to justice. That would threaten the impunity of these people here, and the Indonesian military who still command them. In early '99 I was one of the first two foreign journalists to speak to Guterres. Back then the military introduced us to him -- he was their creation. Now he's agreed to talk again, confident that he is above prosecution and will never face an international tribunal.

Eurico Guterres (Translation): I just want to say if that is what the UN wants, and that includes Xanana... as a pro integration leader, I am ready to be tried. If the UN does that, I agree in principle. Actually as pro integrationists that's what we want. But if only we are tried the UN has created a time bomb that will explode one day. I want to ask, when that happens, who will take responsibility?

Guterres says he doesn't care that he was sentenced to 10 years and the Indonesian officers in charge of the militia were acquitted.

Eurico Guterres (Translation): I don't feel angry and I don't feel vengeful. I don't hate anybody including people in East Timor. It wasn't just me killing their families, they killed my family. Actually, they were the ones doing the killing. I was just retaliating. If anyone's guilty it's not just me. Xanana's guilty too. He has to be tried too.

Reporter: And who should be punished for the 1,500 people killed after the ballot was announced in September '99?

Eurico Guterres (Translation): If we want to be fair and honest then those responsible are Indonesia, Portugal and the UN because Indonesia and Portugal signed the 5th May treaty and held the referendum. That's why the incident happened.

At this salubrious Kupang Hotel I found another key leader -- Meko Soares. He once led the pro-integration movement and their militia in the enclave of Oecussi, and has since worked for Indonesia's General Wiranto. He mocks the idea of an international tribunal.

Meko Soares (Translation): If there's an international tribunal pro integrationists will be more militant. Go ahead. Tell him the spirit to fight will grow.

Reporter: Do you think the TNI are so confident of their own position at the moment that it's not concerned about international pressure or prosecution?

Meko Soares (Translation): As an institution the TNI doesn't really care. Those being tried for human rights violations can go to hell for all they care.

The men Meko and Eurico claim to represent are languishing in refugee camps like here in Noelbaki. The militia here used to attack foreigners who tried to enter but now they and their families, 20,000 of them, are the only ones left -- unable to return to East Timor because of the crimes they committed at the behest of their leaders.

Refugees (Translation): We are like scapegoats. We take the punishment, right? Although they're the guilty ones, none of the leaders get responsibility, we get it. The leaders don't take responsibility. It's the little people who take responsibility. They make fathers and mothers kill each other. It's difficult here. They take no notice. Who will take on our troubles? The people who brought us here or the UN aren't going to take on our problems. They're glad to see East Timorese suffering.

We're now heading back towards East Timor, right up to the border. This Indonesian soldier punishing a militia member shows who still control the militia here. On the East Timor side there's now only 30 police at this crossing, replacing a battalion of Australians. Infiltration of the border by militia or Indonesian military would be easy if the order was given, if, for instance, their leaders were on trial in an international court.

Jose Ramos Horta, Foreign Minister, East Timor: Well let me tell you there is not one single member of the Security Council that is going to agree with that. And I as Foreign Minister of East Timor, I am not going to agree with that. There are other priorities, other urgent tasks ahead of us in East Timor. We want justice, but to achieve justice we are not going to go through an international tribunal, we are going to work with Indonesians, as we are doing now on the truth and friendship, so that together we find the truth of what happened in 1999, so that Indonesian military officers and those involved in the violence, they can cooperate, step forward and apologise to the victims.

The pragmatic position taken by Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta and President Xanana Gusmao is unpopular in East Timor. In April this year 10,000 people demonstrated for a week in Dili. The Catholic Church was blamed for organising the rally, one of the main issues was the lack of justice for past crimes. East Timor's Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri is returning to Dili. He initially supported a tribunal but pressure from President Xanana Gusmao and Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta forced him to change his stance, something he's reluctant to concede publicly.

Reporter: So does your government support the establishment of an international tribunal?

President Xanana Gusmao: I am telling you we are for justice this why. This is the reason why we fought for 24 years to free this country from occupation, and at that time many people really did support us and we did it by ourselves. And now is the time for the international responsibility.

Reporter: But the East Timorese government continues to say that...

President Xanana Gusmao: There is no government in the world that is looking for justice as the East Timorese government. No government in the world.

Reporter: So do you support the establishment of an international tribunal?

President Xanana Gusmao: Maybe I am not speaking good English that is why you are not understanding me, OK.

But Xanana and his key people aren't supported in Parliament on this issue. Opposition leader Leandro Isaacs led a vote in parliament against Horta and the President -- calling on them to stop declaring East Timor's opposition to an international tribunal.

Leandro Isaacs (Translation): I want to convince 100%, 100%, SBS Television, that 100% of the East Timorese support, really, really support East Timor's parliament in saying that there should be an international tribunal for East Timor and justice must be upheld by all political players. It's not just people from Kosovo. I'm sorry to say it, who have a right to justice because they are whit. It's not just Yugoslavs who have rights. We here also have the same level of humanity as the rest of the world.

Out here in Becora jail in Dili's eastern suburbs are 70 militia. The only ones tried and convicted by the East Timorese. Two years ago Marcelino Soares was sentenced to 15 years in prison for crimes against humanity including murder carried out after this rally in 1999. This footage shows Eurico Guterres ordering his militia, including Marcelino, to attack the house of pro- independence leader Manuel Carrascalao and kill pro-independence supporters.

Eurico Guterres (Translation): I take this opportunity to order all militia, both ordinary soldiers and commanders, from April 17 onwards, to seek them out, capture them, if they resist, shoot them dead.

Reporter: How do you feel now that Eurico Guterres, the man who ordered you to do this, is still free and is still in Kupang and still enjoying a very comfortable life?

Marcelino Soares (Translation): They've been freed. Governor Abilio went to jail but now he is out, the same with Eurico Guterres. Are the UN regulations correct or not? Those guys were the foundations we're just the building blocks. Why? The UN applies to all countries. Why doesn't the UN arrest him in Indonesia and jail him? Why are we, the small fry, jailed for fifteen years? Why? Who is he?

With no international pressure the tribunal will not go ahead and those responsible for the killing in '99 will remain free to threaten East Timor's fragile independence.

Indonesian, Timorese presidents launch truth commission

Agence France Presse - August 11, 2005

Denpasar -- The leaders of Indonesia and East Timor launched a truth commission into the violence that marred the push for independence in what is now the world's youngest nation.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a former army general, and the Timorese ex-guerrilla fighter Xanana Gusmao witnessed the signing of documents appointing the 10 members of the Commission for Truth and Friendship.

The ceremony took place at the governor's office in Bali, the resort island halfway between Jakarta and East Timor.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hasan Wirayuda signed on behalf of his government while East Timor was represented by Vice Foreign Minister Antoninho Bianco.

"This is a historical moment in the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Timor Leste," Gusmao said in his speech.

He said setting up the commission was "a creative step forward between the two states about not-so-pleasant history." Yudhoyono said it was "a sign of maturity in the relations between our two countries." "We need to find a closure to the tragic events that happened in East Timor after the popular consultation in 1999," he said.

The commission convened in Bali last week to prepare for operations, but Thursday's ceremony was its official launch.

Modelled along lines similar to South Africa's post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the body aims at reconciliation rather than recrimination over deadly violence by pro-Jakarta militias during East Timor's 1999 drive for independence.

Yudhoyono told journalists after the ceremony that the commission was seeking truth rather than justice.

"Justice is not the framework of this commission. We are the one with the problems and we will settle this with the future in view," he said.

Gusmao said both leaders were convinced that the establishment of the body was "a credible decision," adding it was not prompted by realpolitik.

"We will live side by side forever and therefore we need friendship and cooperation in the future," Yudhoyono said.

The commission plans to hold talks with former East Timorese rebel leaders, Indonesian top military brass and their former militia supporters.

Benyamin Mangkudilaga, the Indonesian chairman of the commission, has said the body had a tough job ahead and likened his task of dealing with the former foes to that of a peacemaker.

Militia gangs, which the United Nations has said were recruited and directed by Indonesia's military, went on an arson and killing spree before and after the East Timorese voted for independence in a UN-sponsored ballot in August 1999.

They killed about 1,400 independence supporters and laid waste to much of the infrastructure in the half-island what was a Portuguese colony before Indonesia annexed and invaded it in the mid-1970s.

An Indonesian tribunal set up to try military officers and officials for atrocities in East Timor has drawn international criticism for failing to jail any Indonesians.

The Roman Catholic church in East Timor, which is overwhelmingly Catholic, has also expressed outrage over Dili's move to drop trials for militia atrocities.

The neighbours, however, have rejected prosecutions, in favour of looking toward the future between tiny East Timor and the population giant Indonesia.

The commission's task was to unveil the truth behind human rights violations but would not prosecute anyone, Wirayuda has said.

East Timor gained full independence in May 2002 after more than two years of UN stewardship.

Indonesia-Timor truth commission sees tough task ahead

Agence France Presse - August 5, 2005

Kuta -- The truth commission looking into Jakarta's bloody handling of East Timor's push for independence has a tough job ahead of it, the chairman of the newly established body said Friday after its first meeting.

Benyamin Mangkudilaga, Indonesian chairman of the Commission of Truth and Friendship, said it planned to hold talks with former East Timorese rebel leaders, Indonesian top military brass and their former militia supporters.

Modelled along lines similar to South Africa's post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the body aims at reconciliation rather than recrimination over deadly violence by pro-Jakarta militias during East Timor's 1999 drive for independence.

Mangkudilaga gave no further details but likened his task of dealing with the former foes to that of a peacemaker.

"Our job, you can say, is similar to handling two quarrelling people so they can be side-by-side and friendly to each other," he said after closing the commission's inaugural two-day meeting on the resort island of Bali, halfway between Jakarta and East Timor.

"The situation is difficult but we are sticking to the agreement made by (East Timorese President) Xanana Gusmao and (Indonesian President) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono," he said.

He admitted there had been some "resistance" to the commission but downplayed it. "We have reached a consensus as to how we are going to work."

Militia gangs, which the United Nations has said were recruited and directed by Indonesia's military, went on a rampage of killing 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.

An Indonesian tribunal set up to try military officers and officials for atrocities in East Timor has drawn international criticism for failing to jail any Indonesians. The neighbours, however, have rejected prosecutions, in favour of looking towards the future.

The commission's task was to unveil the truth behind human rights violations before and during East Timor's independence ballot but would not prosecute anyone, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said Thursday at the opening of the meeting.

A former Indonesian supreme court judge, Mangkudilaga said "cooperation and trust-building" would be the foundation of his commission's work.

East Timor gained full independence in May 2002 after more than two years of UN stewardship.

Truth commission will not prosecute guilty

Radio Australia - August 5, 2005

Indonesia and East Timor have formally opened a truth commission to look into Jakarta's bloody handling of Timor's independence vote in 1999.

Horta: We're dealing with it with one goal and that is to investigate the truth about what happened in '99 before, during and after the referendum so that at least the victims of violence in '99 feel that there has been some sense of justice.

Lopresti: And how will the commission do that? Are you going to call witnesses?

Horta: Yes, they will be able to interview people who they deem necessary to clarify their individual responsibilities in the violence in '99.

Lopresti: This Commission, however, will not punish those responsible for the atrocities of 1999. Why not?

Horta: The Truth Commission is to be an alternative to the persecutorial system (which) have failed in regard to the ad hoc tribunal in Indonesia. It has failed in regard to serious crime in Timor in the sense that military people, who might be involved, who allegedly have been involved in the ballot, they have not spoken. So because they believe that the Truth and Friendship Commission will not lead to persecution, they might step forward and be honest, cooperate fully by telling the truth on their actions in the violence in '99.

Lopresti: You're saying that those military officers responsible might come forward and say what they did in 1999, because they know they will not be punished?

Horta: If we are going to have a Truth Commission that will lead to prosecution, well then we might not as well establish the Truth Commission, then we stay with the prosecutorial system. But I've said the prosecutorial system didn't work in Indonesia, does not work, is not working in East Timor. So we hope that through this process, those individuals who are responsible at least they admit their guilt, they cooperate, share with all the information, as to the violence in '99.

Lopresti: And then they walk free? So why not allow a United Nations backed international tribunal to do the prosecuting?

Horta: Well, the United Nations published a so-called Serious Crimes panel in East Timor. Not one single Indonesian officer was brought to trial. The Security Council of the UN will not agree to the establishment of an international tribunal. I do not know of one single member of Privy Council that would agree with the establishment of the international tribunal and even if they did, the end result will be the same. Indonesia would not cooperate, so the tribunal will be sitting empty somewhere in the Hague without anyone to be tried and maybe repeating (what) was done in East Timor and that is to try all the East Timorese (only).

Lopresti: And Mr Ramos Horta, you honestly believe that those people who committed atrocities will come forward and will admit what they did?

Horta: All I can say is that this is our last chance, the Truth Commission as we have established. There is the name of our two presidents, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia and Xanana Gusmao of East Timor. So I hope that those involved in the violence in East Timor in '99 will remember that and will cooperate so that we can move on and put the past where it belongs.

Horta: Security Council will reject rights court

Tempo Interactive - August 3, 2005

Dili -- East Timorese Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta has said he is convinced that none of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) members would accept the presence of an International Human Rights Court for human rights violation cases in East Timor.

Currently, the world is facing problems in many countries, including Iraq, the Sudan and Afghanistan as well as African countries.

"With this number of international problems like that, I'm convinced that none of the UNSC members will bother establishing an International Tribunal for human rights violation cases in East Timor," insisted Horta.

He said he was also convinced that the UNSC members were not willing to accept any recommendation regarding the establishment of an International Tribunal in East Timor.

If they are willing to accept the presence of an International Tribunal, Horta said, all parties will state their support. "So, do not just force Indonesia to arrest criminals to be tried in East Timor," he continued.

Because of this, Horta said he only considered the establishment of an International Tribunal to be an academic discourse. "But, this is not a brilliant idea," he said.

Therefore, Horta added, the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKP) was only an option to seek the truth and provide a good example for the international community.

"The establishment of the KKP Commission is a good idea and will be able to help other countries carry out reconciliation. This could be a good basis for East Timor and Indonesia to establish the Commission," he said. (Alexandre Assis-Tempo News Room)

Rights groups oppose Truth and Friendship Commission

Kompas - August 3, 2005

Jakarta -- A number of non-government organisations (NGOs) have declared their opposition to the formation of the Indonesia-East Timor Truth and Friendship Commission (KPP). Aside from being little more than a political tool for the perpetrators of crimes can evade justice, the NGOs believe that the commission will become a political bargaining tool for Indonesia and East Timor.

This was conveyed in a joint statement presented by Rafendi Djamin (Human Rights Working Group), Usman Hamid (Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, Kontras) and Agung Yudha (Institute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy, Elsham) on Tuesday August 2.

The government has already announced the names of 10 commission members, comprising five people from Indonesia and five people from East Timor. The members from Indonesia are Benjamin Mangkoedilaga, Achmad Ali, Mgr Petrus Turang, Wisber Loeis and Agus Widjojo. The members from East Timor are Jacinto Alves, Diorinicio Babo, Aniceto Guterres, Felicidade Guterres and Cirilio Varadales. The commission will meet in Bali on August 4- 5.

The NGOs believe that formation of the commission, which was announced by the Department of Foreign Affairs last Monday, is evidence that it will be difficult to create justice and uphold human rights in Indonesia. This view has been further strengthened by the lack of substantial changes in the commission's terms of reference. The fact is that there has been criticism of the terms of reference since it was signing by the presidents of the two countries.

They believe that the terms of reference which have been agreed to have many weaknesses. For example, it does not differentiate between perpetrators and witnesses, it confuses those people who are responsible for serious and ordinary crimes and does not have any mechanisms to act on serious crimes. Amnesty can even be granted to perpetrators of crimes who would not be allowed such amnesty under international legal standards.

The formation of the commission is loaded with political interests. The human rights NGOs therefore oppose the formation of the commission unless there are amendments to its terms of reference. (SON)

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Indonesia, Timor unveil truth commission

Australian Associated Press - August 1, 2005

The Catholic Church is demanding that an international tribunal investigate human rights abuses during East Timor's bloody breakaway from Indonesia six years ago.

Instead the two governments have announced the makeup of a largely toothless joint truth commission.

More than 1,000 people were killed in the 1999 violence. Hundreds of thousands of Timorese fled their homes in terror when pro- Jakarta militiamen, backed by the Indonesian military, went on a destructive rampage just days after the population voted for independence in a UN ballot. The mayhem ended only after an Australian-led multinational force arrived and Indonesian troops left.

Since then Indonesia has prosecuted a number of Indonesians accused of leading the violence, but all 18 military and civilian officers charged with human rights abuses have been acquitted.

Recently a UN group called for an international tribunal to be set up to prosecute offenders.

East Timor's two influential Catholic bishops said justice would be best served through such a tribunal. "The Catholic Church requests the continued intervention of the United Nations to achieve justice for the people of East Timor," Bishops Basilio do Nascimento and Alberto Ricardo da Silva said in a statement.

"We hope that the voice of the East Timorese people, who have suffered from impunity, will be heard." But East Timor's foreign minister repeated his opposition to an international tribunal.

"We do not believe the establishment of an international tribunal is the only way to find truth or justice," Jose Ramos Horta said.

In Jakarta, Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Yuri Thamrin told a news conference that 10 panellists -- five from East Timor and five from Indonesia -- have been selected.

The commission has been tasked with establishing a "conclusive truth of events" to promote reconciliation and friendship and to ensure that such tragic events will not be repeated.

"The members of the commission have free access to all documents related to the human rights abuses that can be used to reveal the truth, including on the reasons behind the abuses," Thamrin said.

The commission is modelled on South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, but will have few powers.

Thamrin said the commission would issue recommendations to heal "past wounds" but would not seek to prosecute human rights offenders.

The commission has a one-year mandate that can be extended for another year.

It was established based on an agreement between Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao last December.

Thamrin said the commission, which is based in the Bali provincial capital Denpasar, will begin work as soon as possible.

Preliminary consultations will take place in Denpasar on Thursday and Friday.

Indonesian has picked Achmad Ali, a legal expert; Wisber Loeis, former director-general of international economic relationship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Benjamin Mangkudilaga, a former Supreme Court justice; Petrus Turang, a West Timor bishop; and Agus Widjojo, a military expert.

The East Timor members are Jacinto Alves, Diorinicio Babo, Aniceto Guterres, Felicidade Guterres and Cirilio Varadales.

News & issues

Corruption not so rife: Ramos Horta

The Australian - August 16, 2005

Michael McKenna -- Allegations of corruption against East Timor's Government were largely unfounded and based on rumour, according to its Foreign Minister, Jose Ramos Horta.

Speaking yesterday at a UN-sponsored conference in Brisbane, Mr Ramos Horta dismissed concerns raised in a World Bank report last month about "governance and corruption problems" in the higher echelons of the fledgling nation.

Mr Ramos Horta said that while bribes were still demanded in the private sector of the developing economy, a similar culture in government was impossible because of safeguards introduced since independence in May 2002.

More than 100 independent investigations were launched in the past year into allegations of government corruption, he said, but evidence of criminal activity was found in only three cases. They were now being prosecuted in the courts.

"What happens in East Timor, there is a lot of rumours, innuendos and allegations thrown around by individuals with no basis," he said.

"At the highest level of government, the system is foolproof against corruption because we are scrutinised every six months by the World Bank, the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the donor countries.

"Every year we also have a donors conference and every dollar is accounted (for)."

Since the bloody 1999 independence referendum, the nation of 1 million people has received generous international assistance, including a $150million commitment from the Howard Government.

In the 95-page report, the World Bank warned that corruption was likely to erode the benefits of the billions of dollars that would flow from East Timor's oil and gas fields.

Mr Ramos Horta, who addressed the four-day Engaging Communities conference yesterday, said the biggest hurdle in tackling corruption was staffing the judicial system.

Australian spy was a traitor - Collins

Sydney Morning Herald - August 31, 2005

Tom Allard -- Indonesia's intelligence services recruited a senior, long-serving Australian spy whose role as a double agent was eventually unearthed but did not lead to prosecution, a new book alleges.

The claim is made in Plunging Point, a book by the army intelligence whistleblower Lance Collins and a former Australian Security and Intelligence Service agent, Warren Reed.

The book, published tomorrow, argues that Australia's intelligence services have been fatally compromised, with strategic analysis driven by political imperatives and inordinate resources devoted to hounding out those officers who hold dissenting views.

Mr Collins, who this month left the army, where he served as head of intelligence operations during the East Timor conflict -- came to prominence after he alleged there was a pro-Jakarta lobby in the foreign affairs and defence departments. His book adds some flesh to those assertions, saying that "Indonesian intelligence services have certainly penetrated the Australian intelligence system", notably in the Australian Security and Intelligence Service.

The alleged traitor, whose name is not given, was recruited in the 1970s and later "came to be placed in charge of very sensitive matters" inthe Security and Intelligence Service.

"During this officer's long service, irreparable and lasting damage was done to Australia's [human intelligence] assets in Indonesia," the book says.

Another senior Security and Intelligence Service officer was, in light of the traitor's activities, forced to "release an entire stable of valuable agents in order to save their lives", the book says.

When the betrayal became "so blatant that it could no longer be ignored", the officer was allowed to quietly leave the service without being publicly exposed or prosecuted.

The account of the treachery is slim on further detail.

Neither the director-general of the Security and Intelligence Service, David Irvine, nor the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, would comment on the book's accusations yesterday.

More electoral gains for socialists

Green Left Weekly - August 3, 2005

Max Lane -- East Timor's local elections are now in their eighth month. In Aileu, close to Dili, the Socialist Party of Timor (PST) achieved second place after Fretilin, pushing the Democrat Party into third place. Overall, in the districts contested so far, the PST has been averaging third position, up from the sixth place it achieved in the 2001 elections.

The PST has won a total of 27 positions, including three suco (village) chiefs and 10 aldeia (sub-village) chiefs. The other positions were on village councils.

On July 24, the PST also established a new regional committee covering the districts of Manatuto, Baucau, Lospalos and Viqueque. Its office was established in the village of Caibada, in the district of Baucau. Caibada has been a main base of Fretilin since 1975.

Speaking by phone from Dili, PST general secretary Avelino da Silva told Green Left Weekly that it was initially very difficult to organise PST branches in Baucau. In the local elections, the party nominated only candidates in Caibada and Tirilolo, but did not win any positions.

Da Silva said the PST is confident of doing well in Liquica. "We will be attending the community meetings in the Liquica area to present our candidates and are preparing around 500 candidates to stand for local government positions in Dili." The vote in Dili will take place in September.

In the suco of Kairu in Manatuto, da Silva said, the PST had started with 80 members in 1999 and has 450 members. It won 550 votes there in the local elections. "We had built an office and had several activities there, including an agricultural cooperative", said da Silva. "One activity we had carried out was a demonstration outside the office of the camat [district administrator] to demand the building of a road. Our local party secretary had led the demonstration. The camat was aligned towards Fretilin.

"When it was clear that our secretary would be nominated as a candidate, the camat accused him and other PST activists of being members of the Assosiasi Halibur Kultura Maubere, a mystical group that was supposed to have illegal weapons. Nine people were arrested, including all the PST election candidates.

"Later, when the community meeting was organised, the camat said that our secretary and his comrades could not stand because they were criminals. In fact, the case against them had all been dismissed in the court in Baucau!" In the end, the PST's local secretary won the position of suco chief. Four of the six aldeia were won by the PST and two by Fretilin.

Da Silva emphasised that agricultural issues would remain high in the Liquica campaign.

"During the Indonesian period, there were some advances in building irrigation works in East Timor", he said. "There was some surplus and farmers began selling product to Bulog [logistics agency]. This collapsed in 1999 and now agriculture has returned to a subsistence level. "Almost all rice is now imported from Indonesia and it is virtually impossible for Timorese farmers to compete.

"Getting agricultural production going again will be a key issue in the Liquica campaign. The government must guarantee it will buy the farmers' rice. Assistance to enterprises must be directed to agriculture instead of giving it to all the enterprises in the town, which have all failed anyway."

The truth will out

Green Left Weekly - August 3, 2005

Jon Lamb -- On July 25, Lieutenant Colonel Lance Collins, a leading intelligence expert on East Timor and Indonesia, blew the whistle on the Australian Defence Force's intelligence manipulation and cover-ups in East Timor in 1999.

Collins has also quit the military because, he said, intelligence information was being skewed to defend government policy. Speaking on the ABC's Australian Story on July 25, Collins said, "The problem with our intelligence system is it's the politicians that choose, or approve the choosing of, the bureaucrats that run it. The system is very heavily weighted to produce a certain answer that is acceptable to a certain political party and its agenda, rather than the nation and its wellbeing." As part of the Interfet operation, Collins was part of the ADF's intelligence gathering on the pro-Jakarta militia gangs that terrorised the East Timorese during 1999.

Collins' understanding of the links between the militia and the Indonesian military was extensive. It contrasted sharply with the Howard government's line from late 1998 and throughout 1999 that the TNI (Indonesian military) and the Indonesian police were attempting to control the militia gangs and providing security for the independence ballot.

"In 1998, there was increasing instability and violence in East Timor and a renewed momentum behind the independence movement", Collins stated. "There was a regional crisis unfolding, as I and others perceived it. We did what's called a 'formal intelligence estimate' and we pointed out that up until now Australian foreign policy had been driven by what we called the 'Jakarta lobby'." Collins became increasingly critical of the Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO) and the International Policy Division bulletins. "I thought the intelligence reporting was too equivocal and quite vague. And so, I and others attempted to draw their attention to errors of fact, which wasn't appreciated." In response to his criticisms, the DIO sent a letter to Collins' superiors requesting he stop openly questioning DIO reports. Collins (along with solidarity and human rights organisations) continued to forewarn that the TNI would not accept a vote in favour of independence and would unleash a wave of militia terror and reprisal.

According to Collins, as the situation in East Timor deteriorated, "there was a lot of conflict in the intelligence system at the time".

One example was the treatment of Merv Jenkins, a senior DIO liaison officer, based in Washington. Jenkins provided classified information about East Timor to his counterparts in the United States, believing they needed to know.

Jenkins was investigated by the Defence Security Agency and led to believe he would face imprisonment for his actions. He later committed suicide.

Collins and other intelligence associates were shocked by Jenkins' death. "It certainly registers as something very wrong in the system when you have people inside the military and intelligence system for all their working lives, and they suddenly commit suicide.

"When the news came out that the death had occurred after being visited by people from the Defence Security Agency and Foreign Affairs, there was a clear message: if you step out of line, there will be consequences", Collins said.

After nationwide protests forced the Howard government to send troops to protect the East Timorese in 1999, Collins acted as a senior intelligence adviser to the Interfet command. His observations would have provided more evidence of the TNI links to the militia gangs, including their activity in West Timor.

Collins believes that because of his previous criticisms, senior DIO figures ramped up the pressure while he was serving in East Timor.

He told Australian Story: "I was involved in a conversation with a fellow from the Defence Intelligence Organisation. We finished the phone call and then what was called the GIS link went down and I had my signals officer spend the rest of that day looking for what we assumed was a technical problem. We didn't find out until the next morning that it had been turned off." The DIO also sought to close down intelligence gathering from West Timor, where 150,000 East Timorese were being kept captive in camps run by the militia gangs, with the support of the TNI. On his return to Australia, Collins was warned to keep his head down. Later in 2000, Collins was one of several investigated by the federal police about embarrassing intelligence leaks which proved the Howard government lied about what it knew about militia and TNI links. It was the beginning of the end of Collins' intelligence career.

In an effort to clear his name and defend his criticisms of the intelligence hierachy, Collins requested an independent inquiry, which was eventually conducted by a long-time serving naval officer Captain Martin Toohey.

Toohey found in favour of Collins, stating in his report, released last year that: "I find as a fact that a pro-Jakarta lobby exists within DIO which distorts intelligence estimates to the extent that those estimates are heavily driven by government policy. In other words, DIO reports what the government wants to hear." The treatment of Collins and others within defence and intelligence organisations who dared question government policy -- on East Timor or the war in Iraq -- reflects this government's determination.

Daily media reviews

East Timor daily media review

UNOTIL - August 1-29, 2005

TNI and BPU Information on Illegal Smuggling Different

The Indonesian Embassy for Timor-Leste stated that the TNI and BPU versions of the report of the fight between Timorese smugglers and TNI soldiers in the border are different. While the Indonesian side stated that illegal merchants attacked TNI as they conducted patrols at the border, the BPU commander and PNTL commander stated that TNI entered Timorese territory when chasing the illegal merchants. (STL)

BPU Suspected of Receiving Bribes

Dili-based Indonesian Embassy Liaison Officer, High Police Commissioner Minton Mariaty S stated that Border Patrol Unit [of PNTL] deployed in the border area of Batugade was suspected of receiving bribes for smuggling illegal goods from Indonesia. She also gave the example of bribery practised by Julio Maia, a resident of Maliana District who once smuggled illegal goods such as fuel to Timor-Leste. "Julio has acknowledged this to Indonesian Police", Minton said. According to Minton, Julio last bribed Batugade-based BPU on 16 May 2005. At the time Julio smuggled 600 litres of fuel and 10 boxes of beer with the label "Tiger". "According to the confession by Julio, BPU usually receives bribes of $20 for each smuggled drum of fuel" she said.

Meanwhile, even though Julio himself was caught red-handed by TNI when smuggling illegal goods to Timor-Leste, he was not processed legally.

"That is because TNI respects the request by BPU to release Julio da Costa even though he was caught red-handed when smuggling," Minton explained. She also explained that Indonesian Embassy could not take any actions.

The Indonesian Embassy did not announce this in the media because it considered the case as an informal confession from the suspect, Julio. " We have not been aware of whether it was true that the BPU received bribery as the TNI had no authority to question BPU on the matter, " Minton stated.

Minton also informed of another bribery case of Francisco Bori Guterres on 28 May 2005. Fransico, she said, conducted the smuggling on a big scale by bringing in 110 boxes of "Tiger" beer, and TNI also managed to arrest him. (STL Lead Article)

I'm Ready to be Sentenced, Xanana Must Answer: Guterres

Eurico Guterres, the former militia commander of Pro-Integration Forces (Pasukan Pejuang Integrasi or PPI) said he is prepared to go to jail.

"It doesn't have to be tomorrow. I'm ready right now, I have been since the beginning. That's why I have been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

But I would like to ask the UN to also try Xanana Gusmco as involved in crime and the killing of members of my group so that justice can be implemented," Guterres told a local newspaper during a requiem mass for the pro-integration heroes in Kupang [West Timor] on 17 July. He added that if the UN is only going to try those pro-Indonesian like him, the UN is creating a time-bomb which would explode, therefore he wants the UN to be responsible [?] Responding to Eurico Guterres' statement, President Gusmco said that he is prepared to answer to any investigation on crimes that Eurico can come up with. (DT)

CAVR Mandate Extended

CAVR mandate has been extended until 31 October, the media reported on Monday. The President of the Commission, Aniceto Guterres said in a press conference that the decision for the extension is to allow time to finalise the work which is a document of huge responsibility that will be sent to the President of the Republic and the UN. He added that 40 employees will continue in their current job to finalise the work. This is the third time the commission has extended its mandate and requires another US$40-60 million to complete the work. (DN, STL, DT)

FRETILIN Members Increase

Around 3000 people joined FRETILIN in a ceremony presided by the party's Secretary-General Mari Alkatiri in Hatolia, Ermera District last Saturday.

According to Diario Nacional newspaper, the new members are from ASDT, PD, PSD and PL parties and the reason they decided to join Fretilin is due to the good work the government has been carrying in development. In his welcoming remarks to the new members, Mari Alkatiri said Fretilin is a party open to all Timorese that want to join adding that it is the people's party and homeland liberator. (DN)

Increase in Justice Ministry Budget

The Minister of Justice, Domingos Sarmento said the budget for his ministry for 2006 increased to $5.6 million, triple the budget of the last fiscal year, which was only $1.8 million. Sarmento said that he had promised this money would be channelled to all the Ministry Directorates and for the purpose of rehabilitating three buildings of the Prosecutor General, Land and Property as well as the Registry. (DN)

CPD-RDTL Protest in Baucau

Around 400 members of CPD-RDTL protested in Baucau today against PNTL behaviour, reported Radio Timor-Leste on midday national news.

According to RTL, the coordinator of the protest, Custodio Freitas said the protest was against PNTL members who beat up CPD-RDTL members for refusing to lower the RDTL flag. Freitas said the protest would continue if the government refuses to take action against those PNTL officers. (RTL)

Government Announces Names for Commission

The composition of the Truth and Friendship Commission (TFC) was presented today by the Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Ramos-Horta. The five members are President of CAVR Aniceto Guterres, former politicial prisoner Jacinto Alves, jurist and anthropologist Dionisio Babo, CNRT activist Felicidade Guterres and Judge Cirmlio Valadares. The commission will commence work on 8 August with its first meeting scheduled to take place in Denpasar, Bali.

It is reported that the mandate of the commission is for one year or longer if needed with a budget of $1 million from Indonesia and $500,000 from Timor-Leste. (DN)

August 2, 2005

Horta Appeals to Victims to Trust The Commission

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Jose Ramos-Horta appealed to the Timorese community, especially the victims, to trust the work of the Truth and Friendship Commission which has a task of great responsibility.

Ramos-Horta said that the people elected to be part of the TFC are academics, intellectuals and politicians with moral experience and credibility to conduct their work and are dedicated to defend human rights and justice for Timor-Leste. He also considered the arguments about the creation of an international tribunal as academic and not intelligent. (DN, TP)

Indonesian Ambassador Appeals To Ignore Border Incident

The Indonesian Ambassador to Timor-Leste Ahmed Bey Sofwan has asked the Minister of Interior, Rogerio Lobato not to make a big issue out of the recent border incident. Lobato said he has spoken to the Indonesian authorities and it agreed that it would not become a problematic issue. (TP)

CPD-RDTL Members in Possession of the Red and White Flag: Lobato

Minister of Interior Rogerio Lobato said that CPD-RDTL members in possession the Indonesian (red-and-white) flag which PNTL officers found during a search operation at their compound STL reported today.

Members of the group had been reportedly threatening the population. "We have already taken measures against those CPD- RDTL members who have been intimidating the population. During the operation, we found a red and white Indonesian flag. I'm not against Indonesia, the ties between the two countries are presently good but the reason that they possessed this flag is that someone is likely using CPD-RDTL to create instability in Timor-Leste," Lobato said.

He also said that claims by members of this group that they will takeover the police and defence forces are nothing but lies. He added that there is only one State and the government tolerance of CPD-RDTL has gone on too long. He announced, "We have taken measures against CPD-RDTL members who have been using military uniforms to intimidate the population, and seized items such as bayonets, waist knives and the red and white Indonesian flag.

They are entitled to fight for liberation or campaign on behalf of other people, hold peaceful demonstration but if they are intimidating the population we must use force and put them in jail". (STL)

President Gusmao Participates in Conference in Seoul

President Gusmao departed Dili last Sunday to participate in a Peace conference in South Korea. According to Timor Post, the President is scheduled to attend a photo and coffee exhibition on Timor-Leste currently promoted by two Timorese women selected to participate in the 2005 Expo in South Imjingang and meet government officials. (TP)

Parliament Delegation Visit to Brazil

President of the Parliament, Francisco Guterres, told Parliament that a delegation composed of 13 Parliamentarians is scheduled to visit Brazil with the aim of intensifying cooperation between the two nations' Parliaments. Guterres also said that apart from Brazil some members will travel to Australia, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia. The visit to Indonesia follows the MPs return from New York and Laos in the month of September. (DN)

F-FDTL Training in Malaysia

Malaysian Marine Academy offers training to the Timor-Leste Navy.

The programme is fully funded by the Malaysia under the "Malaysian Cooperation Programme". Three Timorese Navy personnel left Dili on July 21 where they will learn about seamanship, navigation, communication bridge watch keeping, and duty and assets exercises. Other participants invited for this programme are from Philippines, Singapore, PNG, Vietnam and other countries. (TP)

Coffee Export

It is reported that Cooperative Cafe Timor has exported 15 containers of Timorese organic coffee to Starbucks in North America. According to the company's director, Xisto Moniz, another 25 containers will be exported. He added that the maximum quantity of export is 120 containers and the company has so far collected 13,000 tonnes of coffee from five districts.

Moniz said the contract with Starbucks America will see the export of 2,000 tonnes of coffee due to its good quality. (TP)

August 3, 2005

Former Militia Detained by Community Members

It is reported that a former Mahidi militia member from Ainaro was detained by community members in the Tunubibi border area near Maliana following his illegal entry into Timor-Leste. 29 year-old Manuel Maia from Maliana was handed over to the Police after community members recognised him as having been involved in the activities of the Mahidi militia group in Hatudu in Ainaro. PNTL Commander Paulo Martins is reported to have said that the Prosecutor General has confirmed that Maia is on the Serious Crimes Unit list in connection with human rights abuses in 1999 and that Maia would be further investigated and handed over to the court to be brought to justice in accordance with the existing laws of Timor-Leste. (TP, STL, DN)

New Mechanism Required for Border: Ramos-Horta

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Jose Ramos-Horta said that a new arrangement is needed at the border between Timor- Leste and Indonesia to resolve incidents, reported the media on Monday. Ramos-Horta said that the Timorese Military and Police together with the TNI and Indonesian Police must agree to an arrangement through constant consultation in order to resolve the many problems which are occurring. He informed the media that the Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry travelled to the border on Tuesday to oversee the demarcation of the border and establish better coordination between PNTL, TNI and F-FDTL.

The Minister added that F-FDTL members might be sent to the border as observers only after consultation with senior government officials and UNOTIL. "According to our system, the Police are responsible for the border. There is a slight problem because TNI are responsible on the Indonesian side. As coordination between TNI and PNTL remains not that good, we may therefore need to station F-FDTL at the border not to take responsibilities but to provide liaison support," Ramos-Horta said. He also noted that when the UNOTIL mission ends in May 2006, it will be important for a transition from the UN military liaisons to the new arrangements established. (TP, TVTL, STL)

Dodd Threatens to Take Horta to Court

Mark Dodd, the Australian journalist has threatened to take Timor-Leste Foreign Affairs Minister Ramos-Horta to Court if he does not withdraw comments he considered defamatory in a press released by the Minister.

According to Diario Tempo today, a letter sent by the legal representative of Dodd also demands an apology from Ramos-Horta as well as the removal of the information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs internet site or face compensation damages alleging false accusation. In response to the letter, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said, "it is Mark Dodd's right and privilege to make these claims. But it is my duty and obligation to defend the nation and the government against publications which provide incorrect facts against the government. (DP)

CPD-RDTL Has the Tendency to Establish Another State

Minister of Interior, Rogirio Lobato said that the recent detention of CPD-RDTL members in Baucau is due to their intention to establish another state. He reportedly stressed that although the Police have been behaving appropriately, the group always finds a way to attack the Police or the State. In a separate article, the CPD-RDTL leader responsible for education, culture and public relations said that the accusations by the Minister of Interior are not correct adding that his organisation wants to bring the people together against those who do not know how to manage the nation. (DN)

Parties Not Concerned with Members Moving (TP)

Member of Parliament Joco Gongalves (PSD) commented that he is not concerned with the shift of PSD party members to Fretilin saying that it has not been confirmed that the information is correct and adding that also more than 10,000 Fretilin members have joined the PSD party. MP Rui Menezes of Partido Democratico (PD) said that people are free to choose parties as they wish and he only considers members as those in the party's structure.

MP Armando da Silva extended his best wishes to those who shifted from his party, Partido Liberal (PL) to Fretilin, saying that his party has received new members and that's how democracy works. (TP, DN)

SRSG on Security Council Report, UNOTIL Recruitment and TFC

SRSG Hasegawa told the media on Tuesday after his weekly meeting with Prime Minister Alkatiri that the Secretary-General's situation report on UNOTIL and progress in Timor-Leste would be presented to the Security Council on 29 August.

SRSG Hasegawa said that the report would cover the work of the new UNOTIL mission after UNMISET ended its mandate. He also told the media that he had informed Prime Minister Alkatiri that UNOTIL is in the process of recruiting 90

Timorese professionals to work along with other internationals in Civilian Support, Political Affairs, Legal and Public Information.

On the issue of the Truth and Friendship Commission, SRSG Hasegawa said that the international community is willing to support the TFC if Timor-Leste and Indonesia requests support. He added "in my personal opinion, it is a good idea to provide assistance such as advisers or technical assistance to the TFC." (TP)

[SRSG Hasegawa in fact told reporters that "19" National Professional Officers were being recruited to work with international staff working at UNOTIL mission]

Mari Accused of Promoting Dictatorship in Fretilin In response to an appeal from Fretilin Secretary General, Mari Alkatiri to members of the party in Com, Lautem district to expel Vicente Mau Bocy and Reis Kadalak from the Central Committee, Bocy said that the appeal does not comply with the party's regulations. He noted that both have recognized their mistakes but compared to the Secretary's General, their mistakes are only 10% of his mistakes. Bocy also said that the plan of the Secretary General has been to isolate himself and Kadalak since 2003 after they established a group called Grupo Renovador to combat dictatorship, fascism, corruption, collusion and nepotism brought in by the "Maputo club" inside Fretilin. He added that Fretilin Deputy Secretary General Jose Reis said that both were suspended for lack of discipline but has failed to explain the wrongdoing. (STL)

Extension of Commission

The coordinator of the Commission of Reception for Cadres of the Resistance, Vasco da Gama said that there is a possibility to extend the Commission as many members of the Resistance and Falintil are still to be registered. Gama said that the Commission already extended registration for another month until July. He said that they are studying the best measures to conclude the Commission's work. A total of 30,000 people have been registered. (STL)

Samoan Police To Join UN Peacekeeping Mission

The Samoan government says it has approved police contingents to join the United Nations missions to Liberia, East Timor and to serve in Solomon Islands. Of the 17 police to go overseas, four officers will be deployed in Liberia for a year, two will go to East Timor and 10 police officers will be sent to Solomon Islands for nine months. The police officers have been given temporary promotions in compliance with United Nations requirements.

A statement also says insurance has been arranged to cover their deployment. (Radio New Zealand)

August 4, 2005

Justice Can Be Achieved Through Truth: Gusmao

Speaking to the media upon his arrival from South Korea on Wednesday, President Gusmao affirmed that justice cannot be found alone through tribunals but through truth. In response to the criticism from civil society of the Truth and Friendship Commission as a means of preventing the establishment of an International Tribunal in Timor-Leste. Gusmao added that the state is always concerned with the future of the nation.

Therefore the civil society has the right to criticize the state but should not forget that the leaders too once belonged to the past, pointed out President Gusmao. He added that justice cannot be achieved through courts alone, but by way of truth as well taking into account the situation of Timor-Leste, which is complex, and when considering victims, remember that the whole population are victims of war. (TP, DN)

TFC Would Not Prevent International Tribunal: Menezes Member of Parliament, Rui Menezes (PD) said the establishment of the Truth and Friendship Commission would not prevent the establishment of an international tribunal by the United Nations. Menezes said the crimes committed in 1999 are under the responsibility of the UN. He added that the Timorese people are not against the establishment of an international tribunal as long it is not a political manoeuvre. " The UN alone must convince the Security Council to establish an international tribunal" added the Member of Parliament. In a separate article in Diario newspaper, the President of Partido Klibur Timor Oan (KOTA) Manuel Tilman said his party disagrees with the TFC as it ignores justice and the dignity of those who have passed away. " KOTA respects those in charge of this nation, but the road to find peace with Indonesia is not through TFC and ignoring the rights of those that have died," Tilman said. (TP, DN)

PM Alkatiri; Timor-Leste has responded to the Australian government proposal

Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri told media on Wednesday, that the Timor-Leste government has recently replied to the Australian government proposal regarding the Timor Gap and particularly about oil field "Greater Sunrise," which both countries have not yet reached a final agreement reported Timor Post. He hoped that the Australian government would consider the proposal of Timor- Leste government in its response. The articles also mentions that PM Alkatiri refused to provide details of the proposals by both countries when asked. (TP)

Kowa Border Murder Defendant Sentenced to 20 Years Jail

Dili District Court International judge, Sandra Silvestre, sentenced the defendant charged with murders in Kowa village in Balibo on 29 of January 2005, Lourenco Lakobili to 20 years imprisonment, Timor Post reported.

The newspaper reported further described that following the court proceedings, the accused was found guilty of the murders of Domingos, Agusta and Yanti (the three victims). Based on Article 338 the suspect could receive a maximum imprisonment of 15 years or 45 years for all the three killings. (TP)

Government Bans Sale of Spirit

Timor-Leste Prosecutor General, Longuinhos Monteiro on Wednesday called for a ban on the sale of locally-produced alcohol following test results in Darwin. According to Longuinhos the alcoholic drink contains methanol and ethanol, which are considered poisonous substances. He appealed to all shops including street vendors to hand over the drink to the police, adding that the government together with the police will begin an operation starting from the eastern part of the country to collect the this type of alcoholic drink. The Prosecutor General warned that anyone who continued to sell the drink would face criminal consequences and those companies producing the drink would be fined up to US$5,000. (TP)

UN Security Council Will Not Discuss Commission of Expert's Recommendation

The Indonesian news agency, Antara quoted the President of UN Security Council, Kenzo Oshima, who confirmed that during its forthcoming meeting on 29 August, that the UN Security Council would discuss the report of UNOTIL and not the recommendations of the Commission of Experts regarding the post-referendum human rights violations which United Nations Secretary General had presented earlier in June. Mr Oshima added further that the discussion would focus only on the progress of UNOTIL's work while the results of Commission of Experts' report remains a technical issue. (Diario Tempo)

Indonesian NGOs Reject the Formation of TFC

Jakarta: A number of Indonesian NGOs such as Human Rights Working Group, Kontras, Elsam, Community of Human Rights and others rejected formation of the Commission of Truth and Friendship (TFC). According to the coordinator of Human Right Watch, Rafendi Djamin, the establishment of the TFC would not have any positive impact for either Indonesia and Timor-Leste. The NGOs further stated that it is impossible to understand how the TFC could guarantee justice and not contradict the principles of international law.

Rafendi went further by saying that the TFC is just a political mechanism to run away from responsibilities as well as a political bargaining tool for Indonesia to support Tmor-Leste's economy. Therefore, based on the above analysis, HRWG, Kontras, Elsam and the global human rights community reject the establishment of the TFC which President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and President Gusmao had signed. (TP)

Editorial: COE vs. TFC

The Timor Post editorial today focussed on the Commission of Experts (CoE) recommendations to the UN Secretary General and the establishment of the Truth and Friendship Commission. The editorial asks whether the COE proposals would be a way of avoiding the TFC agenda to give amnesties as well as demands to establish a justice process in a third or neutral country. The editorial says the dissemination of the COE report by the international media this week changed the situation for the TFC and the commencment of its work and the announcement of the members.

According to the editorial, the COE was welcomed by the international community and, especially human rights activists and families of the victims who want credible justice. On the other hand, the establishment of the TFC has become 'cold' in Timor-Leste with President Gusmao having to respond constantly to the critics from the civil society. The NGO critics are responded with reactive criticism by Xanana Gusmao and Ramos-Horta who became allergic to the sound of the term international tribunal.

It says that, after all, the two figures, Xanana Gusmao and Ramos-Horta were the ones who mobilised people for independence- but after independence- when the families of the victims demanded justice, they are faced with counterproductive reactions from the two big brothers Xanana Gusmao and Ramos-Horta. We hope that the TFC will produce results to help the families of victims and not satisfy some group who wants status through the suffering of the people. We hope! (TP)

August 5, 2005

Horta: UN Rejects International Tribunal

Timor-Leste Foreign Minister, Jose Ramos Horta told the media, "none of the members of the UN Security Council accepts the establishment of an International Tribunal to try the suspects of 1999 mayhem. He further said that the UN Security Council also does not have any measures to pressure Indonesia to bring those responsible to trial. Minister Ramos-Horta made the above comment following his meeting with members of the Truth and Friendship Commission, Prime Minister Alkatiri and President Gusmao at the Palace of Ashes on Thursday reported STL. He raised the issue of whether Indonesian military personnel would ever come to Timor- Leste to face trial. He reminded the people of Timor-Leste of the need for patience and to take one step at a time in the same way Timor-Leste achieved independence.

STL also quoted Minister Horta as saying that "there will be justice but not through an international tribunal, it could be through Timorese traditional justice and that justice should be achieved through truth". (STL)

De Sousa: Council of Minister Approved Timor Gap Treaty

Secretary of State for the Council of Ministers, Gregorio de Sousa confirmed and clarified that in the first meeting of the Council of Minister on Thursday since the government reshuffle, the Council of Ministers approved the Timor Gap Treaty, code of extraction for the Joint Petroleum Development Area to regulate permanent oil activities and contract details regarding product distribution (STL, Diario Nacional )

Monteiro: Corruption in the Prime Minister's Cabinet

Timor-Leste's Prosecutor General Longuinhos Monteiro said his office has already received 6 complaints of corruption, three from the Prime Minister's Cabinet and three from the Inspector- General. " I personally received the complaints from the Prime Minister's Cabinet and the Inspector-General, and they all involve corruption (?)," Monteiro said that four cases are currently under investigation while the other two remain pending as the prosecutors responsible are participating in judicial training. He said new prosecutors will be in charge of those cases. (DT) ( STL)

Timor-Leste President to visit Vietnam

East Timor's State President Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao will pay an official visit to Vietnam from Aug.8-10, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao is scheduled to meet with Vietnamese top leaders to discuss measures on boosting the two countries' relations, especially in the fields of economy and trade, the ministry's spokesman Le Dung said at a regular press briefing. The visit made at the invitation of Vietnamese president Tran Duc Luong is the first trip to Vietnam by an East Timor's president since the country was established in 2002, he added. (Thanhnien)

PNTL Officers Suspended and Dismissed

One PNTL officer has been dismissed for commission of a criminal act and smuggling goods into Timor-Leste. PNTL Commander Paulo de Fatima Martins said the PNTL officer was suspended on 7 March for taking four people from Dili to Same to physically assault a Chinese-Timorese ctizen and on 24 June was discovered to have smuggled goods from the border when he was stopped on the orders of the Liquiga police commander. Martins told the media that the six who were suspended included the BPU commander of Salele and his four officers as well as a Police officer who shot a person at a games centre in Comoro, Dili.

He also informed the media that on 2 August the police station in Salele in Suai district caught fire destroying equipment including 10 pistol cartridges and bullets. Five police officers who were supposed to be on duty at the station were suspended on 4 August as only two police officers were available to put out the fire. (DN)

Government should not interfere with F-FDTL and PNTL

Julio Tomas Pinto, Political and Military Observer made an appeal during a Teleconference between Dili and Malaysia at the World Bank office for the government including Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri not to interfere with matters related to security and defence institutions (PNTL and F-FDTL).

STL reported Pinto as stating that the Timor-Leste government should only be involved in police policy-making and not in operational matters. Pinto went on to giving examples of interference such as the dismissal of Police or F-FDTL members. (TL)

Tuberculosis Increases in TL

The Director of Bairro Piti clinic, Dr. Dan Murphy said tuberculosis has increased in Timor-Leste, adding that levels of malaria are not as high.

Murphy said the clinic consults around 300 patients every day and those in exceptionally bad health from TB are not sent home and the clinic assists them. Intensive treatment for the worse cases is provided by Kuluhun clinic (DN)

August 6-8, 2005

Victims and Militia Demand Justice Friendship

Diario do Tempo and STL quote convicted militia member Marcelino Soares ("Besih Merah Putih") currently serving a 15 year sentence and Liquica church attack victim Jose Nunez as arguing that an international tribunal would provide justice for the victims of 1999 violence by prosecuting actors behind the violence rather than only the perpetrators.

Marcelino Soares is quoted as saying that the main actors behind the 1999 human rights violations such as Eurico Guterres, Joco Tavares and Abilio Jose Ozorio Soares would not be brought to justice by the CTF. He also made an appeal to the UN to provide real justice rather than just arresting ordinary militia members like himself and those others convicted and currently serving prison sentences. He added that there should be reconciliation but that justice should also be delivered.

Nunez lamented that as one of the victims of the Liquica church attack, he disagrees with the establishment of the CTF due to the lack of consultation by the government and due for the potential for the CTF to only deny the existence of justice for him and the other victims of the Liquica church attack.

STL also reports that the Timor-Leste National Alliance for International Tribunal has released a statement rejecting the statement of Foreign Minister, Jose Ramos Horta which claimed that the people of Timor-Leste do not support the establishment of an international tribunal. The Alliance statement dismissed the statement made by Minister Horta as not based on the actual reality and against the Constitution. The statement concludes "We hereby demand that the leaders of Timor-Leste go back to the basic value of justice. Do not forget that it is due to the people of TIMor-Leste who fought against unjust world "realpolitik" that we now have our sovereign and independent state." (DT, STL)

Rui Menezes' Claims of PM Alkatiri's Interference

Member of the National Parliament Rui Menezes reportedly said that PM Mari Alkatiri would use the opportunity of the last "Open Governance" meetings in Dili from 8-13 August to gain support for the Fretilin political party for the forthcoming village "suco" elections. HE also reportedly urged the people of Timor-Leste not to have confidence/trust PM Alkatiri anymore because sometimes ago it was PM Alkatiri and the Minister of Finance who made it public that their would not no more "Open Governance". In two separate articles in STL and TP Rui Menezes made another two comments he complexities regarding of, Rui Menezes said that instead of considering the opposition parties as (development) partner for the sake of the population through good governance, the current governing body seems to corner or weaken the opposition party as an enemy and not like in other countries where a democratic process strengthen the opposition. Timor Post reported another by quoting Rui Menezes who said that PM Mari Alkatiri could not just interfere the work of the government employees then reevaluate this tasks/responsibilities. He also said that politically, PM Alkatiri could have appreciate the referred action but (he needs) to know that there is an appropriate code of conduct to regulate civil servant's professionalism. (DT, STL, TP)

Pro and Cons of Corruption and Nepotism Issue

The decision of PM Mari Alkatiri to combat corruption is no longer just talk but has been implemented in practice, STL reported on Monday.

Francisco Branco reportedly told STL that the commitment of the Timor-Leste Government is demonstrated by six cases which have been handed over to the Prosecutor General for criminal investigation.

Meanwhile, the Vice Director of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Timor-Leste, Rui Manuel Castro told STL that he is shocked by three corruption cases that allegedly occurred in the Office of the Prime Minister as it was PM Alkatiri who said that there would be zero tolerance of corruption. Therefore, he added, if the three cases happened within his office, it would mean that PM Alkatiri could not control corruption that happened in his own office implying fragile management from PM Alkatiri's side. He also said that there are also cases of nepotism such as if a minister is from one particular area and all the staff in the department are from that same area. (STL)

KOTA Celebrates Its Anniversary with a Long March

Pedro Ramalho, the Chairperson of the Organising Committee for the celebration of KOTA's anniversary recently told the media that to commemorate the anniversary of KOTA there would be a mass rally at St.

Antonio Motael which would be followed by a long march on Wednesday.

Pedro explained that the ceremony would be held at the KOTA's party headquarters where a general discussion and exchange of information would also take place. (Diario do Tempo)

MP Jose Andrade: Former Militia Still Come and Go at the Border Area

Bobonaro district MP Jose Andradre (Fretilin) reportedly said on Friday that former militia members who still come and go in the border area without arrest by the Police with some even staying overnight with their relatives. He explained the visits of former militia members across the border as occurring due to the lack of control by the Police. He also clarified that militia members are able to enter Timor-Leste and then leave because of family ties that a specific Police officer has with Maliana militia commander Natalino Monteiro. He appealed to the Police to pay particular attention to that particular Police officer. (Diario do Tempo)

Hope for CTF To Succeed But Not Forget the Victims

The STL Editorial says that the Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF) does not have an agenda to 'seek justice' but to seek reconciliation as shown by the statements of the Indonesian and Timor-Leste Foreign Ministers. Contrary to the above statement, the public in Timor-Leste believes that there will have only been enough work to defend human rights if trials are held against those who committed the crimes and the families of the victims receive justice. Sometimes we talk about defending human rights which is in itself a good concept but we also have committed human rights violations. [...] However, it seems that we are "buying" good bilateral ties by selling our dignity as a nation. The two leaders working for the creation of the CTF are the same two leaders who have succeeded in the politics of reconciliation, Minister Horta and President Gusmco. By creating the CTF and the leaders of the 1975 resistance, we hope that both Xanana Gusmco and Jose Ramos Horta succeed with their CTF but not forget the pain of the population. (STL)

August 9, 2005

Open Governance and PM Alkatiri on Village Elections

The lead story in STL quotedg PM Alkatiri during the "Open Governance" meeting in Metinaro on 8 August as saying that "being the elected village chief does not mean "begging" but how to organize and mobilise the population to assist in the implementation of national development.

Another STL lead article reported that the people of Metinaro subdistrict demanded that PM Alkatiri's government bring development programmes to their subdistrict to help improve their lives. Diario Tempo reported that education, health, agriculture and legal status of elected village chiefs have become the preoccupation of the people of Metinaro. Timor Post also quoted PM Alkatiri as saying that Open Governance visits are not organised because of the village elections. He also appealed to the people of Metinaro to carefully choose who they elect. MP Joco Gonsalves from the PSD opposition party was quoted on the front page of Diario as saying that the "Open Governance" programme is, in fact, a Fretilin party political campaign. (STL, Diario Tempo, Diario)

Questions Raised Regarding the Case of Secretary of State Virgilio Smith

STL reports that residents from Metinaro made an appeal to the Prime Minister to carefully monitor the legal system of Timor- Leste following the judicial decision in the case of the former Secretary of State for Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, Virgilio Smith, which they said was wrong. According to Domingos Tilman, with reference to the Smith case, those who are guilty are being freed while those who are not guity are being convicted. He reportedly said that following the death of Franky Ama Hoya, in a traffic accident more than two years ago, that Secretary of State, Virgilio Smith has not been punished.

In response to the concerns of Domingos Tilmas, PM Alkatiri said that it was true that the action was against the law. He added that Secretary of State, Virgilio Smith has faced trial and his case has been brought to the Court of Appeal where he was given a two-year suspended sentence and fined $1500. PM Alkatiri also reportedly said that before the court decision he had consulted with the President of the Court of Appeal in order to know what would happen to Virgilio Smith. (STL)

Provedor Cannot Yet Perform Normal Functions

The front-page story in Diario Tempo today focussed on the Office of the Provedor reporting that although the Office of the Provedor was established two months ago, the Office of the Provedor is as yet unable to carry out regular functions due to problems with the process of staff recruitment.

The Provedor, Sebastico Ximenes, who is described by Diario Tempo as the former Secretary-General of the FPDK pro-autonomy group, is reported to appeal to those who are qualified to apply for vacant positions. In the report, he stressed that his office is not just a place for job-seekers but an office which will recruit those with the required technical knowledge through a transparent recruitment process. It is also reported that the Office of the Provedor also requires budget support in order to carry out work whenever complaints from the community are received. (Diario Tempo)

TMR: F-FDTL Not Stationed at the Border

Brigadier General, Taur Matan Ruak reportedly told media on Sunday that Timor-Leste has not stationed any of Defence Force at the border even though Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jsse Ramos Horta has repeatedly called for F-FDTL to be stationed at the border. Brigadier Ruak further commented that there should be discussions regarding stationing F-FDTL at the border and that Minister Horta would not be the person to decide on the matter. (TP)

Police Accuse Journalist of Hiding CPD-RDTL Members

Baucau: Diario Tempo reports that members of Police Rapid Response Unit (UIR) accused a local journalist (writing under the code-name K-01) of hiding members of CPD-RDTL in his house. According to the statement of K-01 to Diario Tempo, UIR members forced open his door as he slept before arresting him and accused him of hiding CPD-RDTL members and a firearm in his house. It was reported that he was punished together with the CPD-RDTL members by being made to stand under the sun for an unspecified time before he was sent home by a PNTL commander. (Diario Tempo)

Five BPU Officers Suspended Due to Working As Motorbike Riders

PNTL General Commander Paulo Fatima Martins told media reporters that five PNTL Border Police officers including a Station Commander were suspended by Superior Council of PNTL in relation to the burning of the Salele Security Post on 2 August. Martins explained that the suspension of the five officers was due to the fact that when the incident took place they were not at the security post, but moonlighting by riding motorbikes with paying passengers. The five officers, he said, had no interest in working for the nation but only for their own private interest, therefore they were suspended. (STL)

MP Menezes: UN Should be Responsible for Justice for 1975 and 1999 Violations

MP Rui Menezes reportedly told journalists there should be comprehensive justice to satisfy the interests of the people of Timor-Leste and not justice that serves only the interests of a certain group. MP Menezes also said "we know that it is UN which is responsible for the Timor-Leste resistance starting from 1975 until 1999" arguing that the UN has released more than ten resolutions on Timor-Leste during the 24 years of resistance.

Therefore, he continued, it is wrong to say that the United Nations is only responsible for 1999 human rights violations "who should be responsible for human rights violations that took place during the previous period," MP Menezes asked.

In a separate article, Diario Tempo quoted MP Rui Menezes as saying that the victims and families of human rights violations victims should demand an international tribunal and should know that it is the responsibility of international community particularly the UN to establish an international tribunal and not Timor-Leste. He also demanded that the UN not use an international tribunal as a political maneouvre to save face and continue to make Timor-Leste the victim with reference to the May 5 agreement in 1999 between the UN, Portugal and Indonesia. (Diario Tempo)

MP Ximenes: World War II Victims Demand Their Rights

MP Antonio Ximenes from Parliamentary Commission F for Social and Solidarity Affairs said that nine victims of World War II representing more than 100 victims have put forward demands for compensation from the Japanese government, Timor Post reported. When asked about certificates that the Japanese government has given them, Ximenes said that the complaint of the group is that the certificate would not provide any help and are thus unnecessary. He commented further that the group of victims would present their complaints to the Secretary of State for Labour and Solidarity, who is then expected to forward their complaints to the Japanese Ambassador for Timor-Leste. Ximenes also referred to other victims of war during Portuguese colonization and Indonesian occupation that have received compensation such as 'pensions' to former civil servants during Portuguese and Indonesian time. Ximenes said that he hopes that the Japanese government would consider their demands. (STL)

Children at the Age of Six Should Go to School

During the launch of the music CD and sticker for primary schools with the title " Hakarak Ba To'o Fitun" ( Wanting to Reach the Stars) on Monday, UNICEF Representative for Timor-Leste, Shui Meng stated that the Ministry of Education and UNICEF appealed to parents to send their children to school when they reach the age of six. Meng also explained that for this school year, primary school children will start with the new curriculum that has been put in place. (STL)

Five National Hospital Staff To Be Sent For Training in Thailand

Director of Guido Valadares National Hospital, Antonio Caleres told the media on Monday that the National Hospital in collaboration with World Health Organization will send five staff; three medical doctors and two nurses to Thailand to learn more about dengue fever and influenza.

Caleres explained that the five-person medical team are expected to increase their skills and capacity in order to help increase the prevention of the two diseases during the rainy season which will start in October. (STL)

Reconciliation Process Already Final

Jakarta: The reconciliation process between Indonesia and Timor- Leste is already final with the setting up of the Commission for Truth and Friendship. The East Timorese government only wishes to receive apologies from those who committed acts of violence in Timor-Leste.

According to Foreign Minister Nur Hassan Wirajuda, all cases related to alleged human rights violations before and after the 1999 ballot in Timor-Leste will be discussed by the commission and not taken to trial.

However, Wirajuda continued, this does not mean that clemency would be given to those accused during any trials.

However, both Indonesia and Timor-Leste have agreed to conduct the reconciliation process through the Commission of Truth and Friendship."Regarding compensation or clemency, there will be a package containing this," Wirajuda said after holding a press conference together with East Timorese Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta. As it was formed by sovereign countries, the commission will be responsible to the Indonesian and East Timorese Presidents. Therefore, Wirajuda and Horta said they wished for support from the international community. (Tempo Interactive)

BC-TEPCO-Tokyo Gas TEPCO, Tokyo Gas sign 17-yr contract with Darwin LNG

Tokyo: Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Tokyo Gas Co. signed a contract with Darwin LNG Pty Ltd. Monday to purchase a combined 3 million tons of liquefied natural gas a year from a gas field off Timor-Leste for 17 years beginning next January, the two utility firms said. Japan's largest electric power and gas firms said they have reached an accord with Darwin LNG on the details of a basic purchase agreement signed in March 2002.

Among the terms of the contract newly agreed on is allowing TEPCO and Tokyo Gas to ship LNG to locations other than their own facilities under certain conditions, which is intended to better reflect the ongoing deregulation of Japan's energy market, the companies said. TEPCO and Tokyo Gas have been involved in the project to develop the Bayu-Undan offshore natural gas field 250 kilometers south of Timor-Leste since March 2002. Under the contract, TEPCO will buy 2 million tons of LNG a year with the remainder going to Tokyo Gas. (Tokyo: Kyodo)

August 10, 2005

Alkatiri on the Year of Infrastructure and Transparency

The main story in Timor Post focused on PM Alkatiri's statements during the "Open Governance" meeting in Cristo Rei subdistrict in Dili quoting him saying that 2005-06 would be the year of infrastructure. Another article in Timor Post quoted PM Alkatiri as professing that there is no other country in the world that is more transparent than Timor-Leste. The lead story in Diario Tempo reported on PM Alkatiri comments at the "Open Governance" meeting in Cristo Rei describing opposition parties as provocateurs and in the lead story of Diario Nacional PM Alkatiri is quoted as saying opposition parties did not want the population to know the truth.

The lead article in STL reported PM Alkatiri's comments to the people of Cristo Rei subdistrict in reference to an academic thesis written by a leading pro-autonomy supporter some years ago. He reportedly said that the thesis was mistaken in its argument that Timor-Leste would never be independent and that there would be a full-scale internal conflict in Timor-Leste.. PM Alkatiri was quoted as saying, "some time ago, the pro-autonomy supporter had said Timor-Leste would never be independent due to the lack of human resources. The pro-autonomy supporters had also said that we would eat stones if we were independent, so how could we eat stones when we were not even allowed to use stones for the construction of roads".

He also urged the pro-autonomy supporter who wrote such books to change the title to help the development of Timor-Leste after Independence. (DN, DT STL,TP)

Media Coverage of Vice Minister Valentin Ximenes' Apology

All of the national newspapers reported on the apology of newly appointed Vice Minister, Valentine Ximenes, to the Cristo Rei community during the "Open Governance"programme after a provocative statement in which he reportedly said "I am from Baucau and I am hot-blooded [temperamental]" He had reportedly made the comment in anger when trying to intervene and explain the status of territorial division and the legality of villages in the former clandestine structure as requested by the local population of Cristo Rei subdistrict. The controversial statement by Vice Minister Ximenes reportedly produced such an angry reaction from the crowd that PM Alkatiri had to intervene. Despite an immediate apology from Vice Minister Ximenes, the crowd urged PM Alkatiri to remove Vice Minister Ximenes from his post.

Timor Post reported in a different article that Vice Minister Ximenes clarified that the elected village council and village council members would not receive any monthly salary but it would depend on the capacity of those elected to be responsible for the management for the development of their areas. He then stressed that although the elected village chief and village council members would not receive any salary, the Minister of State Administration would look at ways in which those elected village representatives could receive incentives to undertake their tasks. (STL, DT, STL, DN)

Martins: PNTL To Investigate Drug Imports

PNTL Commander-General, Paulo Martins told the community of Cristo Rei at the "Open Governance" meeting that the National Police would investigate drug imports into Timor-Leste, STL reported. Martin added that the lack of expertise from PNTL regarding drugs has hindered the investigations.

The case of drug possession by a suspect who worked at the former Timor Block Building Industry is also mentioned in the report raising the question of whether the case has been prosecuted. (STL)

Maia: National University to Open Medical School and and Human Rights Faculty

Diario Nacional reported that the National University of Timor- Leste (UNTL) would open faculties for Medicine and Human Rights in the academic year 2005/2006. The Coordinator of the Organizing Committee, Dr Miguel Maia dos Santos told Diario Nacional that the opening of the new faculties will encourage and open up opportunities for prospective students to study those specialised areas. The report mentioned that the enrolment process would be from 10-22 August 2005. (STL)

Commission for Truth and Friendship To End "Dualism" of TL and Indonesia

Diario Tempo reported on the complexities around the establishment of the Commission of Truth and Friendship with a special interview with Leroy Siagian, the Political Adviser at the Indonesia Embassy in Dili. Leroy was quoted as saying that the political decision by the governments of Timor-Leste and Indonesian Government to establish the Commission of Truth and Friendship is an effort to end the "dualism" of the past. He added that the CTF produces a contradiction of ideas between the government and the people of Timor-Leste. Siagian could not speculate whether the the CTF would not provide justice for the victims of human rights violations of Timor-Leste but he hoped that when the CTF undertakes its tasks that would offer the results which everybody wants. He added that the 10 appointed commissioners of the CTF have credibility, experience and capacity in human rights work and that when the results of their investigations are completed that there should be no contradictions or unsatisfactory results. He chose not to comment on the establishment of an International Tribunal. (DT)

Timor-Leste Police Arrest Indonesian Citizen

Atambua: Timor-Leste's Police arrested a resident called Manuel Maia (29 years old) of Maumutin village, Raihat Sub-district, Belu District, West Timor in Tunubibi village, Bobonaro District on 31 July. He was arrested because he was suspected of being involved in crimes against humanity in Timor-Leste in 1999. Apparently, Manuel entered Timor-Leste territory with the intention to visit his family in Bobonaro. He was now being interrogated by Timor-Leste Police. When confirmed by Pos Kupang on 6 August, Head of District Police Commander of Belu, Drs. Ekotrio Budhinar stated that the information was correct.

He explained that he had only received the information on the arrest on 4 August. According to the report he received, Maia was a former citizen of Timor-Leste, who went to Indonesia in 1999 where he has been living as a farmer in Maumutin. It was reported that Maia entered Timor-Leste territory to visit his family in Tunubibi village, Bobonaro District where he was arrested by Tunubibi residents and taken to PNTL.

In addition, Ekotrio said that according to the information by the intelligence officers of Belu District Police, Timor-Leste Police had previously arrested Maia twice. The first time he was deported without legal process and the second time he was beaten by PNTL officers before deportation. (Pos Kupang, West Timor reprinted in Diario Tempo)

August 11, 2005

PM Alkatiri on CTF: Retreat in order to Advance

Timor Post and STL main reports focussed on the "Open Governance" session on Wednesday in Nain Feto, Dili. Timor Post reported on PM Alkatiri's statement regarding policy on the Commission of Truth and Friendship.

"He said that establishing the CTF does not mean that the national leadership does not want justice and only good bilateral ties but that the CTF was established according to political strategy" which he reportedly likened to a military strategy in battle when an army has to first retreat before advancing. PM Alkatiri added that the leaders did not want an International tribunal as they did not want to problematise bilateral relations with Indonesia. He concluded that "this does not signify that the leaders do not want justice" and added " when the national leaders, not the government, established the CFT with the final objective that everyone would be satisfied with justice."

Timor Post also reported on the discussions during "Open Governance" following presentations by Minister Education Armindo Maia and Minister for Public Works, Odete Vitor focussing on improving the education sector and infrastructure in their mandates respectively with Vitor saying that her infrastructure budget remains very limited. STL reported that in agriculture, health and education sectors the government and the people share the same the demands for improvements and development in all these sectors. (STL, TP)

Minister Minister of Education Will Close All Unsatisfactory Universities

Minister of Education, Armindo Maia told the "Open Governance" gathering at Cristo Rei that the Ministry of Education would soon take measures to start closing unsatisfactory universities that are currently operating "like selling vegetables in the market", Diario reported. Minister Maia added that his ministry wishes to inform the public which universities are legally official and are of good quality before parents decide where to send their children for tertiary education. (Diario Tempo)

Court of Appeal Decision on Passabe Serious Crimes Militia Case

STL lead article, Diario Tempo and Timor Post reported that the Court of Appeal decided to uphold the decision of Dili District Court in the case the two militia members convicted of crimes against humanity for killings in Passabe in Oecussi in September 1999. The defence lawyer had filed an appeal in the case after the initial decision was handed down. The sentences of Mateus Punef, who was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and Januario da Costa, who was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, were upheld in the decision of the Court of Appeal panel of three judges. (TP, DT, STL)

MP Sabino on Border Security and Vice Minister Valentime Ximenes' Statement

Timor Post quoted MP Mariano Sabino from Democratic Party as saying that in order to ensure stability and security in the border areas, there should be good cooperation between Timor- Leste and Indonesia with reference to the issue of whether Timor-Leste's Government should station F-FDTL troops in the border areas to strengthen PNTL at the border. In a separate article, TP reported MP Sabino's response to the controversial comments of Vice Minister Ximenes widely reported yesterday by saying that there needs to be "willingness" if someone has the responsibility to serve the population.

(STL, DT, STL, DN)

Tilman: Government Influences the Population Through the "Open Governance"

The President of KOTA MP Manuel Tilman reportedly told the media the Government of PM Alkatiri hold the "Open Governance" programme to kidnap, kill, assault and threaten the people reported Diario Tempo. Manuel Tilman was quoted as making the above statement during the 31st anniversary of the establishment of his party, KOTA. Tilman added, "If the "Open Governance" is ends with peace we should applaud PM Alkatiri, but if it ends with killing, beating, threats and kidnapping people here and there, then the "Open Governance" programme will mean nothing at all."(Diario Tempo)

Asa: Labour Regulations Do Not Ensure Workers' Welfare

Director General of the Labour Relations Board, Jose Asa told media that the Minister of Labour and Solidarity has not released any regulations to ensure the welfare of workers involved in accidents in the workplace., Timor Post reported. He further added that although there is already a draft regulation regarding the health and safety of workers, the ILO has not assessed whether the draft regulation is acceptable in international law nor has the Council of Ministers approved the draft regulation. Jose Asa made the above statement during a workshop on legal rights of workers. (DT)

Timor Post Editorial on Transparency The Timor Post editorial refers to PM Alkatiri's recent statement during the "Open Governance" that there is no other country in the world that is more transparent than Timor-Leste and that there is no transparency in the countries of those people who have come to talk about transparency in Timor-Leste. The argument of PM Alkatiri is considered to be a good as the statement enables the people of Timor-Leste to forget their limited resources and take pride in their country. The Editorial continues that the people of Timor-Leste will wait to see if the statement of PM Alkatiri is not just political rhetoric to keep the crowd happy or the well-written regulations. The Editorial concludes that it does not matter how many times laws or regulations are rewritten, political promises or statements are made, implementation in reality is the most important factor. Let's wait and see!! (TP)

August 12, 2005

Media on PM Alkatiri's Statements During "Open Governance" Programme

The lead story in Timor Post reported on PM Alkatiri's statements during the fourth day of the "Open Governance" programme in Dili's Vera Cruz subdistrict. PM Alkatiri was quoted as saying that, "the Government wants to remove those people who are currently leaving in the Farol area because of the need to have dignity for the government. He added that according to the plans of the Timor-Leste government, those residents who are supposed to live in that neighbourhood are government ministers and the President of the National Parliament as well as those with high positions within the government structure.

In answer to questions, PM Alkatiri explained that the enlargement of the current government structure would certainly increase the budget but would also assist the development of the country in anticipation of the type of future government everybody wants with the prospect establishment of regional s governance. He said that Timor-Leste is an independent state and no longer "Timor Timur (Indonesian) or a Portuguese colony, therefore, the Timorese people should start thinking about how to construct a unique national structure that would be most efficient. When asked about the separation of certain ministries, PM Alkatiri that changes occurred in order to prevent confusion as to who is in command with reference to the Ministry of Transport, Telecommunications and Public Works as a large ministry.

Timor Post also quoted PM Alkatiri responding to accusations of opposition parties that "Open Governance" was political campaigning by saying that "if a political party does not have ambitions to win the forthcoming election then it is not a political party but more like a small "kiosk" (shop). (TP)

Media on President Gusmco and the Installation of the CTF Members

The lead STL article reported on the installation of the CTF members by President Gusmco and his Indonesian counterpart, SBY. President Yudhoyono was quoted as saying that, "through the signing of this accord, Indonesia and Timor-Leste are closing "the tragedy of 1999" and will reconcile and promote friendship. President Gusmco was also quoted as agreeing with comments of President Yudhoyono that it was a historical day for both Timor- Leste and Indonesia. He added that it would not be easy for both countries to leave behind the past but that he was also confident that all would be able to realise their agreements. (TP, DT, STL)

Benjamin: CTF Will Investigate Wiranto

The Indonesian Chief Commissioner, Benjamin Mangkoedilaga is confident that former Indonesian General Wiranto and other high ranking military officers would volunteer to be be interviewed by the Commission of Truth and Friendship to reveal the truth regarding human rights violations that took place in the aftermath of the 1999 popular consultation, STL reported.

Benjamin M. was further quoted as saying, "the process will be transparent and with moral standards as the high ranking officers with the spirit of knights, being brave and honest would cooperate with the CTF " When asked what would happen if Wiranto and others refused to be interviewed by the CTF, Benjamin explained that the CTF would try to find appropriate mechanisms to deal with such a situation. He added that the CTF would also play a role as a fact-finding team to investigate the actual conditions, including the facts of what happened, where and who was involved in the violations of human rights in the aftermath of the 1999 popular consultation. According to Benjamin, there are 11, 000 documents in Timor-Leste including those from the Serious Crimes Unit, which would be examined according to selected and agreed priorities. Benjamin further explained that cases that took place between January and October 1999 would be investigated as representative of the periods before, during and after the popular consultation. He then mentioned that one of the CTF tasks would be to recommend amnesties for those perpetrators involved in 1999 human rights violations who are willing to admit their crimes and ask for forgiveness. (TP, Antara, Jakarta Post)

Saldanha: Mari Alkatiri Divides Timorese

In response to Prime Minister Alkatiri's reported statement during the "Open Governance" programme in Cristo Rei sub-district regarding those Timorese who opted for autonomy with Indonesia being a big mistake, Executive Director of Timor Institute for Development Studies Joco Saldanha argued that such statements would only destroy the unity of the Timorese people and disrupt the reconciliation process. "If Prime Minister Alkatiri continues to open up the past by mentioning the idea of autonomy or integration, how can it be possible for us to persuade our fellow Timorese who are still in West Timor to come back to Timor-Leste? On one hand, the Government, along with the Indonesian Government, are establishing the Truth and Friendship Commission, this statement demonstrates the inconsistency of Prime Minister Alkatiri" Mariano said.

MP Rui Menezes of the Democratic Party noted that the Prime Minister's "defamatory" statements against opposition parties and civil society which do not accept the Government's decisions were childish. In addition, Menezes said that the Prime Minister's statements had no substance which would improve the lives of people and bring them prosperity, and therefore his party was not concerned by such comments. (STL)

From Us: The Indonesian Generals are Safe, Imprisonment for Militia

The STL Editorial said that the Timorese community has never known the reason for forming the CTF which has a "weird name". We all know that the conflict which resulted in destruction and many deaths will be addressed only through discussion, while neglecting the international tribunal that everyone dreams of. The 1999 mayhem does not just involve the Government of Indonesia and the pro-independence group that is currently leading Timor- Leste but it also involves the Timorese community who were pro- Indonesian and currently residing in Indonesian territory as well as those who are residing in TL and others who are currently serving prison sentences due to their involvement in 1999 human rights violence. The Timorese and Indonesian communities know that the creation of CTF is like a "lipstick" which can beautify the exterior but not touch the interior.

Therefore, the CTF has been established only to benefit the Indonesian military which previously carried out the destruction in 1999, and sacrificed the Timorese community both those who were pro-independence and those pro-integration. While those pro-independence groups will not receive real justice, the pro- Indonesian supporters will be sacrificed for the sake of both countries. The CTF will save the Indonesian Generals behind the 1999 violence but will not provide justice for the victims and will not stop militia who carried out the orders of the Generals being brought to the courts. This is precisely where the CTF has an unjust role. (STL)

Editorial: CTF Has Cut Our Feet Off

The Timor Post Editoral reports that the CTF has started and those people with pro and contra opinions in Timor-Leste should wait to hear the final results of the CTF. Many who disagree with the establishment of the CTF would describe the process as cutting off our own feet by closing the door to the international community to find a solution to heal the wounds of the victims. The fact is that Timor-Leste has agreed to the CTF at a time when Indonesia is being pressured by the UN, through the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan's Commission of Experts to establish an international tribunal. However, the argument by the national authorities that the CTF is a retreat in order to advance -- is akin to the Indonesian expression "day-dream". It is best for us to wait and see what CTF can do and what the CTF can do in the future. Let's wait!!!!! (Timor Post)

Regional and International Media Reports

How Dili Horror Turned a Soldier Against Australia

PRIVATE Mathew Stewart was patrolling the streets of Dili, East Timor, in 2002 when he was confronted with the full horror of live combat. The quiet soldier and keen surfer from Queensland's Sunshine Coast stumbled upon the almost unrecognisable body of a Dutch journalist killed by militia.

Financial Times reporter Sander Thoenes, 30, had been shot in the chest and badly beaten. According to his comrades, Stewart was deeply traumatised by the discovery, his first encounter with death on the front line. He was discharged from the army's 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment for psychological reasons a short time later, sending him into a spiral of depression and self-doubt. While other East Timor veterans looked for a change of lifestyle back home, Stewart began fixing his sights on the war unravelling in Afghanistan in the wake of the attacks on New York the previous year.

Furious at his perceived mistreatment in the Australian army, Stewart began making plans to fight for the other side. Stewart left for Iran around August 8, 2002 and moved into Afghanistan. Authorities believe he joined Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network and resolved to fight against the way of life he once served to protect.

When news of Stewart's defection to Afghanistan was made public three years ago, friends and family came forward to describe an easily-led young man who showed no tendencies towards Islamic extremism. "I don't think he's a terrorist. I don't believe that for a second," said Anna Degotardi, who was Stewart's classmate at Immanuel Lutheran College in Mooloolaba in 1992. "He wasn't a leader, he was a bit of a follower but not through anything malicious. I feel really sorry for him. He's a nice guy who had some problems."

Australian Federal Police officers came to Vicki Stewart's home on Wednesday night with a series of still photographs they believed showed her long-missing son brandishing an automatic rifle. Mrs Stewart flatly denied the balaclava-clad man was her son, but this was not enough to convince authorities their interest was misplaced. One of Stewart's oldest friends, Adam Miechel, told The Daily Telegraph he instantly recognised the heavily armed man when his image flashed up on the television news this week. (The Daily Telegraph)

Under-20s outplay East Timor with 6-2 Victory

The Vietnamese under-20 football team outclassed East Timor with a 6-2 victory in their third match of the Southeast Asian championship in Indonesia, on August 10, reported the Sports Daily. The Vietnamese team scored three goals in the first 21 minutes after kick off. Phuc Hiep opened the scoring o 12th minute. Five minutes later, Van Khai extended the lead before Thai Duong made it 3-0. East Timor narrowed the gap to 3-1 before halftime. After the break, Van Khai and Ngoc Dieu scored three more goals for the Vietnamese under-20s with East Timor adding a consolation goal.

The Vietnamese under-20 team gained a total five points after three matches. Earlier, they drew 1-1 with Laos and 0-0 with Singapore. (Nhan Dan)

August 16, 2005

Alkatiri comments at "Open Governance" programme

Responding to concerns raised during the opening governance programme in relation to companies that bring in their own foreign employees, Prime Minister Alkatiri reportedly said there should be careful thought about such anti-foreigner sentiment as the Timorese still need to learn from foreigners as "we cannot say that we know everything".

During the meeting, Alkatiri also said that in order to find reconciliation one must speak the truth and recognise the mistakes of the past and not just forget the past. He reminded the public that before Timor-Leste became independent many Timorese believed that the country was not viable to be independent and would be better off integrated with Indonesia. The Minister continued that such statements have been written in books by those people who are today talking about development and defending themselves without recognising their past mistakes. He stressed that he is not against those people who supported autonomy with Indonesia but all Timorese should have the courage to recognise their past mistakes as the best way to reconcile.

During the open governance in Comoro, Dili last Friday, PM Alkatiri also reportedly said that should Fretilin lose the election that he would step down but not die [survive], whereas many Timorese would die [not survive].

He added that people should vote according to their conscience and that if the present government does not address the problems of the people then do not believe that another government would be able to better address those problems.

In the open government dialogue on the island of Atauro, the Chief of Beloi village said that Atauro is constantly visited by Indonesian illegal boats such as the police boat No. 401 "Ovalangga" whose captain was a former military officer stationed in Timor-Leste for 7 years during the Indonesian occupation. Another community representative, Cezar Aleixo requested more police posts and radios to communicate with Dili about the entry of illegal boats from Indonesia. (Diario, TP, STL, TP)

PM Unhappy with Road Project On Saturday, Prime Minister Alkatiri also inaugurated a road in Bikeli, Atauro island as part of the Public Works construction programme.

According to the Timor Post, the Prime Minister was reportedly disappointed with the condition of the road he was due to inaugurate. He reportedly said that he would ask the person in charge of the project to take responsibility and those who supervised the construction to explain why so much money was wasted. He said that he had already requested the Minister of Public Works to investigate. MP Rui Menezes (PD) also is reported as saying that corruption is on the increase due to the weak state administration. He added that to enforce zero tolerance of corruption, the Parliament must urgently ratify the UN anti- corruption convention. (TP)

Money Is Not The Motive for My Involvement with CTF: President Gusmco

On his arrival in Dili from Vietnam and Bali, President Gusmco reportedly said that money and the hope for the Nobel Peace prize are not the motives for his involvement with the Commission for Truth and Friendship.

Gusmco said the political situation in Indonesia has changed from that of the Suharto era which is why Gusmao and Foreign Minister Ramos-Horta together visited Jakarta in 1999 to tell the Indonesians that the past should be put aside in order to focus on the future. He told the media that the CTF will also look into the work of CAVR, the Serious Crimes Unit and the Jakarta Ad Hoc tribunal. He also added that President Yudhoyono will raise the experience of Timor-Leste and Indonesia during his talks in Palestine and Israel as those two countries have not yet reached a peace agreement.

It was reported that Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayjuda and Timor-Leste Minister of the Council of Ministers, Antoninho Branco, signed the MOU.

Diario today also reported MP Rui Menezes as saying that the CTF is unconstitutional as it has not been approved by the National Parliament, adding that the CTF is not illegal but that according to the system of State Administration in Timor-Leste any agreement to be valid must be ratified by the National Parliament. (Diario, Diario Tempo, TP, STL, Lusa)

CTF, Elite Political Project of TL and Indonesia

An article written by Mericio Akara from NGO Luta Hamutuk [not Lah Hamutuk] said that former human rights defenders such as Minister Ramos-Horta and Aniceto Guterres have established the CTF without consulting the population. Akara wrote that Guterres, who was the former President of CAVR, has already forgotten the pleas of victims who have voiced their opinions during CAVR public hearings. He wrote that truth and friendship is important but through justice otherwise there is potential for future problems as there will be resistance from the population and families of the victims. Mericio Akara also wrote that the Timorese leadership have always argued that the establishment of an international tribunal is the responsibility of the UN but now that one of the UN recommendations is for an international tribunal, the Timorese and the Indonesians established the CTF. Akara writes that such an attitude could be categorised as "elite conspiracy" or "elite hypocrisy" and manipulation of the public through lies. He added that his organisation is pessimistic about the work of the CTF, as it will close the doors for justice such as the establishment of an international tribunal. (TP)

Government Violates RDTL Constitution Lawyer Jose Luis Guterres told the media that based on article 160 of the Constitution, "those who commit crimes against humanity should be presented before the court". He added that the government is creating confusion among the population which will lead to a negative impact on political education as well as awareness about democratic rights. He also said that based on the international law, it is the obligation of governments or states to cooperate to take responsibility for those who committed human rights violations because they are categorised as international violations.

Otherwise, the existing law would only be applied to certain people while not to others. The report also mentioned that the CoE recommendations considered the trial processes in Timor-Leste and Indonesian as not corresponding to international standards of justice therefore both countries should be given another opportunity to review those criminal cases otherwise the CoE recommended the establishment of an international tribunal. (Diario Tempo, Monday)

Sword Gusmco: Prostitution Will Increase If Government Fails to Take Measures

Kristy Sword Gusmco told media recently that, "should the Timor- Leste government not take measures soon the current levels of prostitution will increase. Sooner or later, Dili will be full of prostitutes". Mrs.

Gusmco made the above statement to the media in comments on PM Alkatiri's recent statement to the National Parliament. "Often we say that we should follow our culture but, in the other areas, the government does give any importance to address such issues," she added. Diario further reported that being another Timorese woman she is sad that prostitution is increasing rapidly in Timor-Leste. MP Joaquin do Santos also shared the argument of Mrs. Gusmco and argued that the culture forbids prostitution. (Diario Tempo, Monday)

Malaysian Police Visit Timor-Leste

The Deputy Director of the Malaysian Police for training and management, General Dato Noor Bin Hamad arrived in Timor-Leste on Monday for a 3-day visit to learn more on the progress of PNTL, especially the police officers who attended training in Malaysia. General Hamad is scheduled to meet with the head of PNTL Paulo Martins as well as PNTL district commanders reported Diario Tempo. (DT)

TL Ambassador Completes Mandate

Timor-Leste Ambassador to Australia, Jorge Teme arrived back in Dili on Monday after completion of his 2-year term. Prior to his departure, Teme had reportedly spent two hours in discussion with the Woodside Petroleum company about the viability of a pipeline to Timor-Leste. (DT)

Data of Over 26, 000 Former Resistance Cadres Collected

The coordinator of the Former Cadres of the Resistance Commission, Vasco da Gama said that the data of over 26,000 former resistance members had been collected ranging from political prisoners to those killed. Gama added that the data had been collected from 900 areas which will be verified. He added that that due to the number of people still not registered the commission has been extended until 17 September. (DT)

Marques: National Hospital Covered with Mosquitoes

Domingos Marques told the media that the National Hospital is covered with mosquitoes and he is afraid that those who are treated will become more sick. Diario also reported that the Minister of Health has made an announcement to clean-up areas where mosquitoes breed. The report also mentioned that two nurses had been taken to the court for stealing (Diario Tempo, Saturday)

PM Greets American Singer Paul Simon

Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri met American singer, Paul Simon on 16 August, 2005. The American singer is visiting Timor-Leste at the invitation of Timor-Leste's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Josi Ramos-Horta, who is also a friend of his. It was also mentioned that, Paul Simon, who has been supporting humanitarian assistance to HIV/AIDS and human rights, for example, to end "apartheid" in South Africa. As there is HIV/AIDS in Timor-Leste there may be Health and Education Projects that could be of assistance. He met Prime Minister at the Palace of the Government at 10.00am. (TL Government Press Release)

August 17, 2005

Former Militia Members Assault Villager

STL Lead Story reports that three former militia members attacked a villager from Purugua in the Kailako area of Bobonaro District last Thursday. According to PNTL Commander Paulo Martins, three former militia members assaulted "Mateus" after forcibly entering his house.

Martins reportedly said that "Mateus" had immediately recognised the voice of one of the men as that of former militia member Jose Mausorti and that when the men fled that a shot was fired in the distance. Martins reportedly said that Jose Mausorti fled the country in 1999 and continues to often return to Timor-Leste where his family hides him. (Suara Timor Lorosae)

Three Dead and Twelve Injured In Bus Accident

Three people have now reportedly died and 12 have been injured following a traffic accident on Monday in the Karimbala area of Liquiga District.

According to eyewitness Maria Pereira, the 15 passengers in the bus were all relatives travelling from Dili to Maliana to attend the funeral of another relative. She said the accident occurred when the bus failed to break and rolled down a mountain road in the Karimbala area falling into the sea. Two people reportedly died on the spot and one on arrival at hospital. It is also reported that the decapitated body of one of the victims has been found while the search for the head continues.

(Diario) Lack of Road Quality Shows Corruption: Branco

Member of Parliament Francisco Branco (Fretilin) said that the poor quality of a road construction project in Atauro demonstrates that there is corruption. He said the National Parliament and the Government would instruct the construction companies involved in such projects to take full responsibility. The money for project came from bilateral assistance and not from the government and stressed that such assistance must be used properly in order for the people to benefit.. In a separate article, it is reported that Timorese business representatives have met with Public Works Minister, Odete Victor, to look into plans for better cooperation between the government and the private sector. (Timor Post)

Police Stops CPD-RDTL Activities in Same

PNTL Commander for Manufahi District, Lucas Tilman told Timor Post last Friday that he had requested CPD- RDTL members to stop their activities such as raising the national flag as well as wearing military uniforms as, according to Tilman, such activities are not favourable to pulic life.

In response to the PNTL request, the CPD-RDTL coordinator for Sector I of Same region, Joaquim dos Reis, said that he would not oppose PNTL or government requests as rules must be obeyed for people to live peacefully. The PNTL commander also informed the media that the Police will continue with operations to stop the sale of local-produced spirits as around 89 litres of the illegal spirits had been confiscated in Same. (TP)

Former Ambassador Promises to Establish Factories in TL

Former Timor-Leste Ambassador to Malaysia, Jafar Alkatiri has promised President Gusmao that he will work with foreign companies to open factories in Timor-Leste to create job opportunities for young people, reported the media on Wednesday. Jafar Alkatiri said that he had promised President Gusmao to undertake the task. "It is important to be in contact with foreign companies, for example, I know some firms in Malaysia and Indonesia which, I hope, will provide positive answers by the end of this month," Jafar said adding that he will provide potential investors with the foreign investment law to convince them to invest in Timor-Leste. In a separate article the former Timor- Leste Ambassador to Australia, Jorge Teme has reportedly announced that he would spend most of his time working with the Fretilin Central Committee for the upcoming national elections in 2007 and supporting government programmes in Oecussi. (Diario)

Former Militia Member Charged For Four Years Imprisonment

Timor Post reported that former militia member, Daniel Mendes who was engaged in cross fire with the National Police Reserve Unit in Cailaco, Bobonaro District on 18 January 2005 was sentenced to four years inprisonment by international judge, Sandra Silvestre. at Suai District Court. According to the Judge Silvestre, the defendant was sentenced on the basis of being in possession of explosive materials and illegal firearms. (Timor Post)

PNTL To Be Trained As Helicopter Pilots

It is reported that during a meeting with Minister of Interior Rogerio Lobato, the visiting Commander of the Malaysian Police, General Dato Mohd Noor Hamad has pledged to train members of the Timorese Police as helicopters pilots. According to Suara Timor Lorosae (STL), there had also been discussion about the PNTL training budget which would be presented to the Government of Malaysia for approval. There will also be cooperation to enhance the development of the PNTL maritime unit. In a separate article, Minister of Interior Rogerio Lobato said in response to NGO reports of corruption, collusion and nepotism in his ministry, that there have only been minors cases and those responsible have been expelled. He reportedly provided the examples of the shooting by a PNTL officer in Rai Kotu, Dili, the involvement of a PNTL officer in beating up a Timorese person of Chinese descent in Same and cases of border smuggling. He asked the NGO which had made the report to also focus on the positive aspects of PNTL since 2000. (Suara Timor Lorosae)

Da Costa: "The Education Ministry Was Wrong"

The headmaster of the "4 September of UNAMET" Secondary School, Anibal do Rosario da Costa reportedly told the media that the mistaken release of the results for the National Examination in Dili District is a result of the Ministry of Education's fault in instructing schools to release the exam results on 16 July. Da Costa said the schools were just following the authorisation of the Vice Minister of Education through the district education authorities therefore schools should not be blamed for releasing the results ahead of the ministry. He added that he agrees with the statement of the Ministry not to repeat the same mistake. He also confirmed that students from his school are ready to re-sit the National Examinations as instructed by Mateus dos Reis, who is the coordinating chief of the National Examinations. Diario newspaper reported on Saturday that students were asked to re-sit for the exam due to 400 students who passed the exam but were involved in the irregularities of the recent exam. (Timor Post)

August 18, 2005

We Must Keep An Eye On Our Country: Lopez da Cruz

The recently-appointed Indonesian Ambassador to Portugal, Francisco Lopez da Cruz paid a visit to Timor-Leste on the 60th Anniversary of Indonesian independence and to meet President Gusmao before starting in his new position in Lisbon. According to Lopez da Cruz, his visit to Timor-Leste follows an invitation from President Gusmao and Foreign Affairs Minister Ramos-Horta. He said that he had met Xanana Gusmao in February 2004 in Bali and that Ramos-Horta had also asked him to return to visit Timor-Leste. He also added that after his appointment as Ambassador to Portugal, he informed Indonesian President Yudhoyono about the invitations to Timor-Leste which President Yudhoyono fully supported as the visit would not only strengthen bilateral ties but trilateral ties between Portugal, Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Lopez da Cruz added that as a Timorese, he will do his best to support his country. Diario Tempo also reported that the meeting between the newly appointed Indonesian Ambassador to Portugal, Francisco Lopez da Cruz's and Timor- Leste's President Gusmao was recommended and supported by President Yudhoyono before taking up his official position in Portugal. (Timor Post, STL, Diario Tempo)

Xavier: Population Will Have to Move Out of Government Houses In its coverage of city matters in Dili, Diario Tempo reported on the complications of the Timor-Leste government's policy on land and property issues in relation to the impact of the policy on the local population.

Diario Tempo quoted Director of the National Land and Property department, Pedro de Souza Xavier, as saying the population currently occupying state houses would need to move out when the government needs state housing. Mr Xavier clarified that the while citizens currently continue to pay rent, when contracts are completed those people will be requested off those properties. (Diario, TVTL, Timor Post)

President Requests UNDP Assistance for Veterans

According to the media, President Gusmao and SRSG Sukehiro Hasegawa discussed UNDP assistance to former veterans as well as the forthcoming meeting of the Security Council during their meeting on Wednesday, "I told Mr Hasegawa that UNDP must support the programme we put together until April," President Gusmao told the media. In relation to the programme, Gusmao added that he had already requested Prime Minister Alkatiri and the Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs David Ximenes to decide on the implementation of the programme in the fiscal year budget of 2006-2007. He also confirmed that there is existing legislation which recognises veterans. (Timor Post)

MP Menezes on PM Alkatiri's Statement on Fretilin Election and T-L Parliament Towards CTF

MP Rui Menezes (PD) told the media that PM Alkatiri's statement regarding that Fretilin's failure in the 2007 elections would result in many deaths demonstrates that PM Alkatiri himself is beginning to lose his belief in the people." MP Menezes further argued that as a national leader of Timor-Leste, he would have never imagine that PM Alkatiri would make such a statement and that PM Alkatiri is just trying to defend his political power for the upcoming national elections in 2007. He further added that the people of Timor-Leste are used to such threats after 24 years of Indonesian occupation and PM Alkatiri is psychologically trying to force people to do what he wants them to. MP Clementino de Amaral is reported as saying that PM Alkatiri's statement does not represent the leadership of Fretilin as the Fretilin leadership would not let there be a repeat of the suffering of the people once again.

STL also reported quoted MP Rui Menezes as saying that although the Timor-Leste and Indonesian governments have signed an MoU on the Commission of Truth and Friendship, the National Parliament has not recognised the agreement. He added that based on the administrative system of Timor-Leste, any agreement signed between Indonesian and Timor-Leste would have to be approved by the National Parliament and that, politically, the National Parliament has not made any decision on the establishment of the CTF. (STL)

August 19, 2005

Meeting of President Gusmao and PM Alkatiri

The national print media covered the weekly meeting of President Gusmao and PM Alkatiri which focused on the Commission for Truth and Friendship (CTF), Police actions against uniformed groups and the veterans' issue. PM Alkatiri confirmed that it is the time to stop any further confusions on the existence of two government structures referring to the Government and the National Parliament and the so-called state of CPD-RDTL. The media also reported on their discussion in relation to final solutions to veterans' issues according to the law currently under discussion by the National Parliament. STL quoted PM Alkatiri as confirming that he had spoken with President Gusmao about establishing an office for the Commission for Truth and Friendship. (Timor Post, STL, Diario Nacional)

Lopes da Cruz Statements on Reconciliation

Francisco Lopes da Cruz told media that the reconciliation process between those Timorese people currently living in Indonesia, Australia and Portugal is required to help the newly independent country, Timor-Leste become a prosperous country. He said that through reconciliation, the Timorese would forget about their political ideologies and added that that there remains a need for the Timorese people to be united to assist in the development of Timor-Leste. (Diario Nacional, STL)

PM Alkatiri's Appeals to Lopes da Cruz to Work Together on Socio-Cultural Issues

The STL lead story reported PM Alkatiri as appealing to the Indonesian Ambassador for Portugal, Francisco Lopez da Cruz, to work together with the Timor-Leste Ambassador for Portugal not just to deal with political matters but also to focus on the socio-cultural development of Timor-Leste when taking up his official post in Lisbon. (STL)

Articles on Corruption

STL reported that PM Alkatiri had presented 7 cases of corruption to the Office of the Prosecutor General. He further added that to combat such cases of corruption, there is a need for a system and not just laws.

Timor Post also covers the issue of corruption quoting Aristides Afonso, a University lecturer at the National University of Timor-Leste who argued that there should be an external auditing team as the government has created an internal auditing team under the Inspector-General. He added that though the Inspector- General has released information regarding 78 cases of corruption within the government, there remains the need for an external auditing team to complement the existing internal auditing team. (STL)

Lu-Olo: PM Statement Not About War But Just Politics

In a press conference on Thursday, the President of the National Parliament, Francisco Guterres clarified that the statement made by Prime Minister Alkatiri saying that "should Fretilin loses the next election then people would die" did not mean that there would be war but the statement was instead merely political rhetoric. Lu-Olo further clarified that if Fretilin's policy to improve people's lives is not realised then the people would continue to suffer from hunger and death due to diseases and other problems. Timor Post reported that the Minister for the Presidential Council, Antoninho Branco refuted media reports of the Prime Minister's statement saying that the media had disseminated the wrong information and he appealed to journalists to report correctly. (Timor Post)

PNTL Officers Trained in Malaysia

PNTL Commander Paulo Martins told the media that 99 PNTL officers had been trained in Malaysia in different 8 areas such as criminal investigations maritime policing, commander courses and commander training for district commanders, The Malaysian Police also donated 180 guns to PNTL. It is also reported that Maliana Police have not been able to regularly patrol for the last two months due to transport problems. Bobonaro District Police Chief, Antonio Maulata told STL that as vehicles had broken down, PNTL officers often have to walk to destinations. He added that PNTL also have to borrow vehicles from local NGOs or the district administration to patrol to remote areas. (STL, Timor Post)

Japanese Universities to Cooperate with the National University

Three Japanese Universities namely, Saitama University, Nagaoka Technology University and Gifu University have established links with the Technical Faculty of the National University. The report described the agreement which will enable three Technical Faculty professors to study at the Japanese universities. The report also mentions three Timorese professors who have recently returned from those Japanese Universities. It was also reported that the agreement would not only allow Timorese university professors to study in Japan but Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries.

According to Dr. Tsunoda, the cooperation is part of the Japanese Government's commitment to assist the government of Timor-Leste in the education sector. (Timor Post)

Editorial: PM's Discontent Over Projects

The Timor Post editorial today focused on Prime Minister Alkatiri discontent over the road project in Atazro which led to many questions raised by members of the community of that area. The editorial says Prime Minister's discontent about projects in the field that show that things are not working well and that there is no clear information from the bottom up.

The editorial says that the control and technical evaluation system should be more effective to thereby inform higher authorities such as the Prime Minister instead of hiding facts, adding that mistakes and scandals should never be allowed to occur again. The editorial continues to say that those responsible for the project must take full responsibility as it is unfortunate that a project for the people has turned out to be like "a cat spying on a mouse". The editorial says the case of the road in Atazro is an experience which has demonstrated the need to the government to pay attention to those in charge of projects on the ground so that such cases are not repeated. (Timor Post)

August 20-22, 2005

Alkatiri: F-FDTL Needs to be Stronger to Carry Out Duties

Speaking on the 30th anniversary of Falintil, Prime Minister Alkatiri said that apart from reminding the people that Falintil has been together with people long ago in the jungles, the Timorese people must think how they wish the Armed Forces to become stronger in order to continue to have the respect of the people. Alkatiri stressed again that the government together with the President of the Republic are working hard in order to resolve the issue of recognition for all those who sacrificed their lives by 2006. He added that the government decided to celebrate Falintil's 30th anniversary in Oecussi as during the 24-year struggle, Falintil was not active in Oecussi but the people of Oecussi have the right to celebrate this date with Falintil which is now called F-FDTL. Prime Minister Alkatiri also said that the 20th August should be a National Commemoration Day and not a national public holiday because Falintil was established on this date 30 years ago. [Timor Post, Diario]

Maia: Universities Not Accredited and The Education Policy

Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, Armindo Maia clarified that all existing private universities currently functioning in Timor-Leste have not been accredited by the Department of Education, Youth and Sport as the on-going policy formulation regarding private universities has not been presented to the Council of Ministers. Minister Maia added that as soon as the policy on private universities is finished, it would then be presented and discussed in the Council of Ministers. The Education Department would then visit and observe the conditions at existing universities and assess whether the requirements for accreditation are fulfilled. [Suara Timor Lorosa'e]

OMT Insists to be Included in the Veterans' Commission: Paixao

The National Secretary of the Timorese Women's Organisation OMT, (Organisacao Mulher Timor) Maria Paixao said that women are not represented in the veteran's commission. During a meeting with President Gusmao in which district reports were submitted, Paixao reportedly requested the President to include women in the commission to recognise those women who fought for independence. Maria Paixao denied questions regarding rumours that OMT no longer exists, she said that the organisation continue to be active "this organisation would only die when all the veterans pass away". [Suara Timor Lorosa'e, Diario Tempo]

Lobato: PM Alkatiri is Responsible for Corruption

Member of Parliament and the Secretary General of Partido Social Democratico (PSD) Lucia Lobato reportedly said Prime Minister Alkatiri has a tremendous responsibility with regard to corrupt practices which are already deeply rooted within the government. "When we talk of corruption, that means those people in power that deviate and embezzle money.

Therefore the Prime Minister as the head of the national government has the responsibility to make decisions," Lobato said. She added that the announcement of zero tolerance on corruption by Minister Alkatiri is good but must be followed with concrete actions in order to show that the government is concerned with combating corruption. The MP stressed that so far there have only been words but recognised the good intentions of the Prime Minister to resolve cases of corruption. She also noted that 50 cases [sic] were presented to the Inspector General though none of the cases have thusfar been prosecuted in court. MP Francisco of Fretilin reportedly said that the steps taken by the Prime Minister are correct with reference to the public announcement of cases of corruption. [Suara Timor Lorosa'e]

To Combat Corruption, Civil Servants Need Better Salaries

The director of the Timor Institute of Development Studies, Joao Mariano Saldanha recently told media that in order to combat corruption within the government structure, the salaries of Timor-Leste government civil servants has to be increased instead of enlarging the government structure. He added that laws need to be in place in order to protect those people who work in NGOs or within the government structure to release reports on corruption.

As there is no protective mechanisms to support such reporting, people remain scared to talk about such issues he said. Saldanha added that sometimes when talking about combating corruption, the welfare of civil servants also needs to be considered. Therefore, government employees need to perform better so that the government would need only a small number of employees but with improved salaries. Saldanha said that there is no need to create an external commission to combat corruption but a law is required to protect "whistle-blowers". He continued that the Office of the Provedor could work with the Office of the Inspector-General, which would present reports to the Office of the Prime Minister and the General Prosecutor. He reiterated that such a system could could be simply worked out.

Finally, he hoped that the Office of the Provedor would successfully work as an independent institution that it does not have to rely on the government, the National Parliament, the Prosecutor General or other institutions. [ Timor Post]

CPD-RDTL's Statement On Military Uniforms and Conflict with PNTL

The two lead stories of Diario Tempo covered problems between PNTL with CPD-RDTL in Baucau on 18 August in which PNTL reportedly committed violent acts against CPD-RDTL members. It was also reported that during a search in Maukali, Gariuai sub- district of Baucau District Baucau on 26 July 2005, Herculano da Costa claims that UIR, URP and PNTL officers pointed their guns at people while others reportedly beat and kicked their comrades. He added that around 200 people were victims of PNTL violence. Diario also reported that the coordinator of CPD-RDTL Antonio Aitahan Matak told journalists after his meeting with President Gusmao that CPD-RDTL would only take off their military uniforms if the government creates reasonable conditions for former resistance members. It was also reported that CPD-RDTL members are still wearing military uniforms for historical reasons.

The Minister of Interior, Rogirio Lobato responded by confirming that he is ready to respond should CPD-RDTL take the cases against PNTL to court.

Minister Lobato also added that the police cannot just stand and watch members of CPD-RDTL carry guns and threaten and rob the citizens.

PNTL Commissioner, Paulo Martins supported Minister Rogirio Lobato's statement by explaining that the police will go to the places that have not yet been reached to close CPD-RDTL offices. Superintendent, Paulo Martins also stated that the Police does not beat people but would take away military uniforms otherwise this would discredit F-FDTL due to the possible confusion with F-FDTL. [Diario Tempo]

PNTL Told Members of UNOTIL and NGO to Leave Market

Diario Tempo reports that PNTL officers asked UNOTIL and NGO human rights officers to leave the area of the old market in Baucau during the relocation of market sellers. The human rights officers (who did not want their names published) said that they were observing the relocation of the market sellers and the dismantling of their tents as there had been complaints of police violence during the operation. According to reports, the two human rights officers were telling the sellers vendors not to use the roads to sell their goods or face violence from the police which upset the sellers who demanded to see their identification. The police used the opportunity to ask both human rights officers to leave the area. It was reported that as they telephoned the Baucau District Administrator to resolve the problem, PNTL officers told them to report to PNTL Headquarters in Baucau and that they would probably face 72 hours detention. As the two human rights officers drove to the District Administrator's Office to discuss the problem, PNTL officers reportedly followed them and when they identified themselves as human rights officers PNTL officers accused them of protecting criminals who steals from the people. The PNTL Commander for Baucau District, Inspector Pedro Belo, said that the two human rights officers were not expelled from the area by PNTL officers but by the sellers for various actions against them. [Diario Tempo]

Immigration Police Conduct Operations Against Illegal Workers

Diario Tempo reported that immigration police officers conducted an operation against illegal immigrant workers currently in Timor-Leste who were without proper working visas. The report also mentioned that, during the operation, the police arrested a Thai woman who tried to escape due to not having valid documents. Diario Tempo also quoted members of the local population as saying that they hoped police would continue to conduct such operations on a regular basis. [Diario Tempo]

August 23, 2005

Xanana and Alkatiri's Falintil Day in Oecussi statements

Diario Nacional and STL quoted President Gusmco as voicing concerns on various subjects during the Falintil commemoration day in Oecussi on Saturday 20 August. TP and DN reported quotes from President Gusmco saying that a good soldier should honour his uniform. Diario Tempo also reported on the presentation of Oecussi Secretary of State, Albano Salem, to whom President Gusmco appealed not to be self-centered but to integrate the interests of the people of Oecussi in a holistic national development process. The President also urged the regional Secretaries of State not to just travel to and from Dili as has been done by some of the district administrators. Diario Nacional reported that before presenting the Oecussi Secretary of State to the population, the President confirmed that Oecussi was a regional administration with special status based on the national constitution. Diario Nacional quoted PM Alkatiri as saying that Fretilin had established Falintil to defend the people during the resistance which cost the lives of so many people in the struggle for independence. (STL, Diario Nacional, Timor Post)

Timorese Leaders Will Participate in UN Reform Meeting

The Chief of Staff of the Office of the President, Agio Pereira told media that according to plans, President Xanana Gusmco, Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri and the President of the National Parliament, Francisco Lu Olo Guterres are expected to attend the UN reform meeting that will take place in September in New York reported Timor Post. He added that although all three of them would attend the same meeting they would probably depart Timor- Leste on different dates with President Gusmco leaving from Timor-Leste on 10 September followed by PM Alkatiri and the President of the National Parliament, Francisco Lu Olo Guterres. Before heading to New York, President Gusmco would first stop in Thailand to launch a book on Timor-Leste written by the UN Secretary-General. [UNOTIL correction- Hong Kong] (STL)

CTF Has Not Yet Requested Funds from International Community

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Jose Ramos-Horta has confirmed that the Commission for Truth and Friendship has not yet requested financial assistance from the international community, adding that a financial plan has also not been submitted to the governments of the two nations. Speaking to the media after a meeting to inform Prime Minister Alkatiri of the activities of the CTF, Ramos-Horta said that the commission had already started working but needs to finalise administration issues in Timor-Leste, Bali or Jakarta which require logistic support. He reminded PM Alkatiri that the CTF would be composed of 25 staff from each country and that the Dili office of the CTF would be located in the building of CAVR, in Balide, Dili. (Diario)

Border Demarcation to be Completed By End of Year: Ramos-Horta

Minister Ramos-Horta told the media that the land demarcation process for the land-border between Timor-Leste and Indonesia will be completed by the end of 2005. Ramos-Horta said that so far 96 per cent of the border demarcation has been completed and the remaining 4 percent is in Oecussi.

He added that on Monday (29 August ) there will be a huge ceremony at the border in Motain to erect a sign post to start the demarcation process adding that the borders agreed by the two nations would be identified with cement posts. (Diario)

China Ambassador Presents Final Design Plan to the President

Chinese Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Cheng Duging on Monday presented the final design for the construction of the Presidential Palace to President Gusmco. According to the Chief of Staff of the Office of the President, Agio Pereira, the location of the Presidential Palace would be in the Heliport area. Pereira also said that the project had been discussed with the government and the final design needs to be approved by President Gusmco in order to start the construction. "I think the construction would be completed in a year or so," said Agio Pereira. During the meeting the Ambassador also presented the President with sport equipment such as volley balls, tennis rackets and training equipment which the President intends to distribute to people in remote areas. (Diario)

UDT, ASDT and PD Agree with Lowering of CPD-RDTL Flag Various political parties such as Unico Democratica de Timor (UDT), Associagco Social Democratico de Timor (ASDT) and Partido Democratico (PD) have agreed with the steps taken by the government to lower the CPD-RDTL flag last Saturday in Dili and other districts. MP Alexandre Corte-Real (UDT), Rui Menezes (PD) are of the same opinion that there has not been any human rights violations because the government followed the procedures already in place by requesting the group to either register as a party or an NGO. As the group had refused the groups can be considered an illegal group, reported Timor Post on Tuesday. (TP)

Pertamina Manager Appeals to Government to Monitor Petrol Smuggling at the Border

The manager of Pertamina, Rifky E. Hardjjanto made an appeal to the Timor-Leste Government to monitor carefully petrol smuggling or illegal transportation of oil across the border in order to assist the Indonesian government seize smuggled petrol, STL reported. Rifky E. Hadjanto added that Timor-Leste would also not like resources being taken out of the country and by assisting each other Timor-Leste and Indonesian would help further establish constructive bilateral ties. (STL)

Clean Water Shortages in Maliana and Suai

Suara Timor Lorosae newspaper reported that residents of some sub-districts in Covalima, Suai have not had access to clean water for the past two weeks and are now buying clean water. According to Natalia Gusmao, the representative of Asuamaten village Debos, some of the residents are paying two dollars for a barrel of clean water not including transportation costs. Gusmao added that the population in that area have not had assistance to access clean water from the Water and Sanitation Services department. In response to the problem, the Head of the Water and Sanitation department of Covalima District said the problem is due to fuel shortages. (STL)

UN body calls for donors to support action in East Timor The United Nations' World Food Program says food security is an issue for 40 per cent of East Timor's population. The organisation says 12 per cent of East Timorese are malnourished, a rate considerably higher than other countries in the region. World Food Program country director, Tarek Elguindi, says there is an urgent need for donors to support the government's efforts to provide children and new mothers with adequate nutrition. The body has recently reached a deal with the government to provide cooking oil to new mothers and children under the age of five, as well as daily snacks to nearly 100,000 school children. The World Food Program says East Timor's poor spend 75 per cent of their money on food. (ABC Asia Pacific TV/Radio Australia)

The gulf of views between Aceh and Jakarta

Jakarta: A young East Timorese once inquired, "Do you people also experience atrocities?" I said, "What? Of course not." Where did she get such an idea? Youngsters in Indonesia's big cities were not only free of "atrocities", they were out blissfully shopping and loitering in malls, and moaning about the traffic.

A few years later, third president BJ Habibie led the controversial move to allow East Timor's referendum, and we teased our colleagues among the Dili press, asking, "So, what are you going to vote for?" And they would just give their gentle, mysterious smiles. East Timor became free; life was tough, but they have never voiced regret.

My Timorese friends came to mind in the wake of the Aug. 15 signing of the historic peace agreement between the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). I recalled that my Acehnese colleagues would spell "Aceh" -- in their emails or text messages -- as "Acheh" or "Atjeh", in accordance with the spelling of Aceh used by GAM; a gesture I belatedly figured out was similar to the Timorese.

From these friends' subtle expressions and evasions of "sensitive" issues, it was as if they were saying, "I am indeed your friend, but we may need to become separate from you one day because of circumstances that you may not understand, and I'm not telling you outright because I don't want to argue with you; it's a long story, and we've found that you people never understand -- you cannot, or refuse, to see our point of view and you will make me listen to the same lecture all over again."

This quiet attitude reflects the seeming impossibility for an open dialog among fellow Indonesians between, for instance, those from Aceh, or pre-independent East Timor, even when they're of the same age group or profession, with those who grew up in the "center" -- mainly Java or the capital -- who never seem to have any doubt about the "truth."

Even if you dozed all through your history and civics classes, being spoon-fed government-approved versions of the truth, you grew up with either veteran elders and their heroic stories of defending the red-and-white; or you grew up simply ignorant, with no curiosity, on why any Indonesian could harbor a wish to separate themselves from our republic.

The wider public has thus largely become convinced that the Acehnese are not aware of their own history; that they are an indisputable and integral part of the Indonesian republic. And even if they were aware, any demand for independence and any support for GAM could only be short-lived, even though these people say they suffered atrocities at the hands of the Indonesian military. After all, we think, these are just necessary excesses that occur during wars in order to crush the enemy.

Among those living outside Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, and earlier, East Timor, we indeed knew that much information of history and living conditions were hidden from the public eye for a very long time. But amazingly, the basic views remained -- that no part of Indonesia could separate itself because of our "holy legacy" of the "unitary state", fought for with the blood and tears of our forebears. Settling any wrongdoing by breaking away, as in the East Timor case, was a stupid mistake and a betrayal of the nation.

Rare has been the view that we might not deserve the land nor its people who we keep neglecting, extorting and oppressing.

In 1998, the eyes of attendants in a Jakarta conference room were moist when women from Aceh for the first time in public recited experiences under the 10-year military rule, shortly after it was declared to have ended that year.

A few years later, an Acehnese sociologist described how virtually every male, 14 years upwards, had experienced being slapped by Indonesian security forces, a contributing factor to the recruitment of GAM apart from the fact that many youngsters had been witness to violence against family members by police or military personnel.

But knowing of such experiences in Acehnese life did not lead to much reflection and public debate ahead of declaration of martial law, which would include another phase of military operations. Instead, "Crush GAM, uphold the unitary republic" was the main message coming from phone-in calls to talk shows.

Some Acehnese had said they had wanted to make their differing views known, they had tried to join the polls broadcast on television, but somehow they couldn't get through. An Acehnese scholar had said yes, military operations might be the way but why all across the province? Such views were drowned out.

Media surveys such as those from the Institute of Studies on Information Flow (ISAI) strongly suggested that the media shared much of the blame for the absence of Acehnese voices in public discourse; they showed that coverage in the mainstream media became increasingly slanted to the needs of the military while the disputing parties of the government and GAM went back and forth on the earlier peace talks in Geneva, which eventually collapsed.

Today the absence or drowning out of the "Acehnese perspective" in public opinion persists -- resulting in a gulf of views between the public inside and outside Aceh (and any other area mulling ungrateful rebellious thoughts like Papua), a gulf molded by both years of comfortable life under the New Order and a mask over real life experiences in Aceh.

Such experiences have only been exposed as occasional dramatic stories, too sporadic to make the wider public refrain from judgment and lecturing, "all Indonesians stick together forever, you've got all our sympathy, now we'll strive with you to make things better; there's no point on relying on GAM anyway, they're led by old men who've been away from Aceh for so long."

So we hector them about local political parties and all the other "concessions" given to GAM: They've done nothing and yet we're bribing them with all this land and amnesty, they get direct access to foreign loans and get to set their own bank rates! But look closer at the MOU, at the potential dangers in the lack of explicit language on GAM dropping their demands for independence.

It is indeed the business of experienced negotiators and concerned patriotic citizens to be aware of all the flaws.

But Acehnese remind us that we haven't really looked at what counts most; what do they want? In the "MOU controversy" we've forgotten that the Acehnese are some hundred thousand short of their original 4 million population figure; they're what's left of the devastating tsunami.

An Acehnese said, "Why all the fuss over local political parties? We might not even consider choosing them! Wasn't it a breakthrough that GAM no longer demanded independence?" In other words, we've forgotten the main actors behind the disputing parties who want to get on with their lives as best as they can, after surviving decades of war, and the pain of losing loved ones to violence, and later the tsunamis.

Ironically it's taken an official to remind us, "Use your conscience when criticizing the MOU; do we really want more of our mothers to become widows, and more children to become orphans, because of the violence?"

Justice minister and chief negotiator Hamid Awaluddin may sound defensive, but millions of Acehnese may agree -- and they might not be telling us. (The Jakarta Post).

August 24, 2005

Conceicao: Ministry of State Administration Is Not the Cause of Corruption in Other Ministries

In response to recent comments by members of opposition parties that there corruption may be corruption in the Government due to the very weak system within the Ministry of State Administration, Vice Minister of State Adminstration Ilda da Conceicao stated on Tuesday that her Ministry was not the cause of corruption. She explained that the public servants now being employed in other ministries were not recruited by the Ministry of State Administration but by each respected Ministry. Conceicao further said that during the UNTAET period it was the Ministry of State Administration that was in charge of all recruitment in the public service. She said however that the system negative side effected due to the fact that the Ministry had no information on the skills of those employed for other ministries.

In addition, Conceicao said that if there was any corruption cases within her Ministry, there would be an immediate investigation. She argued if there was corruption in any other ministry, there should not be any blame towards her Ministry, as there is no control over employees of other ministries. (Timor Post)

Minister Horta on Timor Gap Negotiations

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Jose Ramos-Horta is reported to have said that the governments of Timor-Leste and Australia continue to work to find a solution to the Timor Sea negotiations. Ramos-Horta said that the Vice-Minister for Natural Resources, Minerals and Energy Jose Teixeira is currently in contact with the Australian negotiators, particularly Doug Chester, to examine a number of points where there remain difficulties in reaching an agreement. "Our government, through the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has the capacity to soon reach an agreement," Ramos-Horta said. The Australian Ambassador to Timor-Leste Margaret Twomey also stressed that her country has the capacity and goodwill for the negotiations to move forward and to reach an agreement. Diario quoted Twomey as saying the both governments are working at all levels to reach an agreement. (Timor Post, TVTL, Diario, STL )

Ximenes and L7 on the Right to be a Veteran Secretary of State (for Veterans and Former Combatants), David Ximenes, told the media that anyone has the right to be a veteran but there will legal criteria that the National Parliament will release reported Diario.

Ximenes made the above statement after he was asked about the demand of women's organizations to be classified as veterans. He added that all the people of Timor-Leste who participated in the resistance have the right to be considered as veterans. However, a law remains pending approval by the National Parliament in order to regulate the matter. Therefore, the members of the Timorese women's organisation, OMT, still have the opportunity to be female veterans based on the criteria that corresponds to the law.

Diario Tempo also quoted a former Falintil commandant, L7, who questioned why the leadership of Timor-Leste should ban certain groups or small organisations to commemorate the historical Falintil day. L7 was quoted as making the statement after commemorating the Falintil historical day at 'Rumah Merah', Vila Nova in Baucau District. He added that by banning the population from commemorating the ocassion would mean that the Government has forgotten the struggle and history of Falintil. The report highlights that L7 and others were only trying to commemorate the day without alterior motives to emphasise the reason for the government restriction. [Diario Tempo, Timor Post]

Lu Olo: "It is Better for the Dili Administrator to Stop Work"

President of the National Parliament, Francisco Guterres is reported to have said that Dili District Administrator, Ruben Braz should be responsible for the goods of street vendors lost during their removal by Police from the Lita Store area. Guterres stressed that Braz should resolve the problem and not leave the issue to the President of the Parliament, adding that "the Dili Administrator should stop working if he does not know how to govern and resolve the problems that emerge under his responsibility". He explained that Administrator Ruben Braz had the obligation to resolve the problem as he personally had picked up fruit from street stalls which he had offered to the Police and F-FDTL. The President of the Parliament said that a report on the case had already been submitted to the Prime Minister. Guterres added that if the street vendors continue to approach the Parliament then they will be told to speak directly to the Dili District Administrator to resolve the case. He noted that Ruben Braz has constantly been absent away from his office in an effort to avoid speaking to the vendors to resolve the situation. (Timor Post, Diario Tempo, Diario, STL)

Corte-Real: "There Is No Law to Remove the Population"

Member of Parliament for Commission A (Human Rights), Alexander Corte-Real told the media that there is no legal basis or law to remove the population when occupying private property, Timor Post reported. MP Corte-Real made the statement in response to questions on the removal of the population in areas, such as, Aitarak Laran, Kampung Alor and other areas. He added that the Timor-Leste government needs to legislate on this issue as well as urban planning otherwise the acts of the government would only create confusion among the population. He argued that from a legal perspective, Delta Comoro has always belonged to the population which is why they would be reluctant to move to another place. He added that currently the population are using the Delta area due to lack of space, therefore the issue of legality is a different matter. [Timor Post]

Gusmao to Visit Guerrilla Sites

President Gusmao began an eight-day visit to areas used by the Timorese guerrillas during the Indonesian occupation. According to the media officer of the President, Xanana Gusmao will visit areas in Baucau, Viqueque and Lospalos including Mount Matebian. During the visit, he is also scheduled to visit former 'estafetas' or couriers as well as those involved in the resistance. (Diario Tempo)

Tasi Fuik: CTF Undermines Victims' Rights

Diario Tempo reports a quotation from Tasi Fuik, a representative for the victims of the war in Timor-Leste's, as arguing that the establishment of the CTF would only undermine demands for an International Tribunal as well as diminish the core values of victims during the war in Timor-Leste. He also argues that the establishment of the CTF contradicts the democratic principles of the state. Therefore, he is reported as saying that the executive section of the OPVG (Organizacao Para Vitmma de Guerra - Organisation for the Victims of War) strongly appeals to the UN Security Council and Secretary-General, Kofi Annan to explain the reasons for the United Nations Security Council not to discuss Resolutions 1272, 1410, 1543 and 1599 regarding an International Tribunal for Timor-Leste. Tasi Fuik, on behalf of the OPVG, demands that the United Nations establish an International Tribunal in Timor-Leste or alternatively, the United Nations and the governments of Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Portuguese should pay compensation for the 350,000 people killed by Indonesians during the occupation of Timor-Leste. Tasi Fuik made the above statement at the Headquarters of CPD-RDTL in Balide, Dili.

MP Rui Menezes told Diario Tempo that the "United Nations should establish an international tribunal rather than using the International Tribunal as merely political rhetoric to save face and make Timor-Leste the victim".,

On the issue, Timor-Leste Prosecutor General, Longuinhos Monteiro made no comment and said that "it is the political decision of Timor-Leste Government, and it should be known that it is the state that defines the criminal policies after assessing the circumstances." Longuinhos continued by saying that it is his duty to comply with the criminal policies as decided by the Government. [Diario Tempo]

Matak Will Take the Case of Police Lowering the National Flag to Court

Commenting on the recent actions by PNTL members who lowered the national flag at the CPD-RDTL Headquarters and the arrest of 8 CPD-RDTL members in Atauro island, General Coordinator of CPD- RDTL Antonio Aitahan Matak told the media on Tuesday that he will take the case to court. Matak confirmed that all his members arrested by the police were not wrong, but it was the police officers who violated human rights by doing so. According to him, the flag raising activities were based on the legal and historical basis of the restoration of independence of RDTL. Matak further informed that a total of 230 members of CPD-RDTL have been arrested since 22 July, adding that some of them have been detained and some have been injured. In related news, 16 PNTL officers lowered the national flag raised by CPD-RDTL in Oplegul hamlet, Maliana Sub-district on Friday, 19 August, without resistance from CPD-RDTL's members in the area. (Timor Post)

August 25, 2005

3 Timorese Prosecutors Accused of Corruption

A Timorese citizen and his lawyers have accused three prosecutors of involvement in corruption during a press conference on Tuesday.

Prosecutor General Longuinhos Monteiro, Prosecutor Benevides Correia Barros and Prosecutor Estaqiu Guterres are alleged to have shared the amount of US$8000 which they allegedly received in return for a false document saying that the money was handed to the Ministry of Justice. According to Akui Leong, his sister had brought the money into Timor-Leste when his father became very ill, but the money was seized at the border and the family was only allowed to collect the money later. It is alleged that some of the money was given to Longuinhos Monteiro at his request at his residence and then shared between the three prosecutors. (TP, Diario Tempo)

Dili District Administrator Under Responsibility of Ministry of State Administration

Timor Post reported a follow-up story on the calls for the resignation of call from Dili District Administrator, Ruben Braz the President of the National Parliament, Francisco Guterres for over the eviction of fruit-sellers as reported the previous day. The Director of the Territorial National Administration, Lino Torezco told Timor Post that he shared the opinion of the President of the National Parliament but it would be better if the issue was addressed through the Ministry of State Administration which would deal with the Dili District Administrator. He also stated that it is better that the National Parliament should question the cause of the actions instead of just asking the Dili District Administrator to resign.

He also commented, " the Dili District Administrator has told the vendors many times to leave but it was the vendors who chose not to leave the place". Meantime, Vice Minister Valintin Ximenes said that Lu Olo is merely conveying the aspirations of the population as their representative. (Timor Post)

STAE Violates Law: Gongalves

The Technical Secretary of the Electoral Administration (STAE) has been accused of violating the law by accepting Fretilin candidates for positions of village chief and village councils for Dili District through the back door. Speaking to the media after a press conference held by STAE on Wednesday, MP Joao Gongalves (PSD) provided an example of an incident in Comoro where the PSD party submitted the details of 20 candidates only to reportedly to have two candidates rejected for not providing photographs.

He also told the media that while the Partido Democratico (PD) submitted details of 17 candidates and Fretilin 12 candidates, the number of Fretilin candidates increased to 27. "How could this happen? This must mean that the candidates were presented through the back door," Gongalves said. Responding to such concerns, STAE Director Tomas Cabral said that two organisations have been established for the elections, the National Elections Commission (CNE) and the Technical Secretariat (STAE) with CNE in charge of any addressing any irregularities. He added that the commission has not raised any cases of irregularities. "If CNE, as an independent body, says there are no cases of irregularities we cannot do anything.

Political parties have the right to speak but must first consult with STAE and CNE," Cabral added. (Diario Tempo, STL)

Minister da Costa: No Urban Planning Policy to Evict Population

Minister of Public Works, Odete Victor da Costa is reported to have confirmed that as the Government of Timor-Leste does not have a National Policy on urban planning, it is not yet in a position to remove and relocate the population from their current residences in Dili.

Minister da Costa clarified the above information after she was questioned regarding rumours about government plans to relocate people in Dili as well as to vacate properties identified as belonging to the state where the population are currently living. The report also urges the government to put in place a national urban planning policy with regulations on the construction of houses and offices. Therefore, the relocation of people would only be discussed when the required conditions are in place such as space for the relocation of people. (Timor Post)

Foreigners Running Businesses on Tourist Visas

The Chief of Immigration Police, Carlos Jeronimo told journalists that currently there are 171 foreigners in the country who are engaged in business activities while on tourist visas, reported Diario Tempo. He added that most of these people are from Indonesia, Philippines and China, and the police is planning to conduct operations in order to identify exactly how many such people are in Timor-Leste. It was mentioned that up until now there are 52 foreigners who have applied for temporary residence and another two persons have been fined USD250, while 54 people have left voluntarily and 25 people have commenced the application process with another 4 persons having been deported from Timor-Leste. (Diario Tempo, Timor Post)

Opinion: Political Leadership Needs to be United

The Diario Tempo editorial argues that the leadership of political parties need to work together to lead the country forward instead of causing people to disrespect one another. "How can the people have good and peaceful lives unless politicians work together. Diario Tempo further argued that often the leadership of the country expects the population to live peacefully and not to listen to propaganda that divides the people while it is the leaders who themselves who are contradicting their appeals to the people. A student was quoted as telling the politicians that, "it is sad to see politicians arguing in independent Timor-Leste by pointing fingers at each other, calling each other autonomists or opportunists and traitors, therefore it is better for them to reflect first before coming out with such statements.

The opinion article also argued that during the occupation by Indonesia, that it was not those leaders who pointed fingers, calling each other names who fought but instead the citizens and students, who were shot and stabbed by the Indonesian army during the 1991 massacre. Therefore, it is better not to blame each other as it is the civilians who died for the cause and the people are aware of the fact. (Diario Tempo)

US Plans to Train F-FDTL and PNTL

The United States plans to provide coastguard training to F-FDTL and PNTL naval units the media quoted Ambassador Joseph Rees as saying on Wednesday after meeting with Prime Minister Alkatiri. "I came to inform the PM about US plans to provide assistance programmes to Timor-Leste in the coming months. The US has always tried to assist with programmes of cooperation, such as our programme of assistance in military cooperation with the government and we first consult with the Prime Minister," said the US Ambassador to Timor-Leste. Rees added that the US coastguard will consult with members of F-FDTL and PNTL on the maritime security in Timor-Leste because the team will assess the situation and then provide relevant training. He also added that the US has recognised that the Timorese people are diligent in establishing institutions for law and order but the US has also recognised that Timor-Leste still needs assistance. (Timor Post, Diario Tempo, STL )

PNTL Dismantle CPD-RDTL Posts The Police in Bobonaro district commenced a three-day operation starting on August 20 to dismantle CPD-RDTL posts. According to STL, about 10 posts in Bobonaro district which have become the base for the group were dismantled without any confrontation by members of the group. The PNTL commander for Bobonaro district said that the operation was carried out successfully and the PNTL will continue to monitor the group to ensure that the group will not proceed with flag- raising activities and setting up posts.

The Secretary of CPD-RDTL in Bobonaro reportedly said that a member of his group was detained and beaten by PNTL officers in Maugel post and another member was beaten in Pipgalak (Maliana). Nakroman Domingos Combat also stressed that the police operations have not destroyed their struggle for a 'proper road' to independence. (STL)

UNSG, Annan Reminds Indonesia, Timor and International Community of Rights Atrocities

The UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan reminded the Governments of Timor-Leste and Indonesia, and to the international community to ensure that all those responsible are held accountable for serious crimes committed in Timor-Leste in 1999 in the aftermath of the popular consultation. The UN Security Council is planning to have special session on the recommendations of the Commission of Experts. It also plans only to evaluate UNOTIL three months report in the up-coming 29 August.

UNOTIL, which replaces the previous UN mission UNMISET, would end its mission by 20 May next year is expected to provide assistance to Timor-Leste in terms of its institutional building which would cover government administration, police, military and other institution through the provision of its civilian advisers. (Kompas, Indonesia-UN Source)

August 26, 2005

Council of Ministers Approves Legislation on Oil Exploration

The Council of Ministers on Wednesday approved the legislation for public tender for the exploration of Timor-Leste oil resources. According to the media communiqui, the first session to unveil the opening of the public tender for the international community is scheduled for 2 September with the participation of Prime Minister Alkatiri. The Council also discussed the preliminary documents on the proposed legislation for the certification of advocacy training, proposed legislation about cheques, proposed legislation against domestic violence and food provisions as well as the decree legislation on support centers for victims of domestic violence. (Diario, TP, STL, TVTL, RTL)

Seismic Survey Important for Investment

It is reported that representatives from two Indonesian companies met separately with Prime Minister Alkatiri and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ramos-Horta to discuss a seismic project survey on the oil and natural gas resources in Suai and Viqueque districts. According to Minister Ramos-Horta, the survey will determine the amount of oil and gas in order to justify investments. He added that if there are sufficient resources the Indonesian companies, considered to be the two biggest in Indonesia, intend to open a refinery in Suai for export. The Foreign Minister added that it is clear that there is oil in these two areas but the quantity for investment remains unknown. (Diario, TP,TVTL, RTL)

Dili Administrator Must Compensate Street Vendors: MP Paixco

MP Maria Paixco told media that the Administrator of Dili District should pay compensation for the goods lost during the recent eviction of street vendors from in front of Lita Store as it was the Dili District Administrator who ordered the eviction, reported Diario Nacional. She added that the vendors had been making demands to the President of the Parliament as the issue had not been resolved. She also made the suggestion that the Government should put in place an urban planning policy in order to clarify the rights of the street vendors. MP Alexandre Corte- Real also supported the above argument telling STL that the eviction process should be transparent and not create social conflict because such eviction has the potential to cause serious conflict. (Diario, TP, STL)

PSHT, Kera Sakti and Kung-Fu Breach the 30 June Agreement

The President of Parliamentary Commission E, Francisco Jeronimo reportedly said that martial arts groups PSHT, Kera Sakti and Kung-Fu, who were involved in fighting in Viqueque, Liquiga and Bobonaro had violated the agreement signed on 30 June. MP Jeronimo added that the PNTL needs to pay attention to martial arts groups' behaviour adding that crimes committed by such groups should be prosecuted. The President of Timor-Leste National Youth Council (CNJTL), Miguel M. G. Manutelu was quoted as saying that fighting between martial arts groups may take place as the agreement may not have been socialized at the grassroots level. (STL)

August 27-29, 2005

Carrascalco and Ambassador Rees Statements on Justice

The Timor Post lead stories on Saturday and Monday focused on opinions regarding the issue of justice for serious crimes in 1999. PSD President (Social Democratic Party), Mario Carrascalco was reported on Saturday as stating that the 1999 human rights violations in Timor-Leste were the responsibility of individuals and that trials of generals and other high-ranking military personnel should be held rather than the TNI or the Indonesian government as institutions. The former governor of Timor-Leste during the Indonesian occupation, Mr. Carrascalco added that, "the violence in 1999 was not carried out according to the will of the Indonesian government but the will of certain individuals." He also confirmed that during his time as governor he had never neglected acts of violence but had voiced his concerns to the Office of President Suharto at that time.

STL also reported Mario Carrascalco as insisting that though both the Indonesian and Timor-Leste governments have established the Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF), those responsible for human rights violations since 7 December 1974 until the 1999 popular consultation should be brought to justice.

On Monday, the Timor Post main story focuses on a statement by US Ambassador, Grover Joseph Rees, in which he reportedly stated that the US Government does not support the establishment of an International Tribunal to try those accused of human rights violations as there was no specific proposal. It was also reported that the position of the US Government is to be happy with the efforts shown by the Timor-Leste and Indonesian governments in establishing the CTF. MP Elizario Ferreira (Fretilin) is also quoted by Timor Post as supporting the recent media reports of the report of the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, with regard to the issue of accountability for those who committed human rights violations in 1999. He is also quoted as saying that "right from the beginning, Fretilin has always wanted just and fair policies for Timor-Leste. Therefore the statement of the UN Secretary-General is legally sound". (Timor Post, STL)

MP Menezes: STAE Undermines Government Credibility

MP Rui Menezes (PD) has alleged that the Technical Electoral Secretariat (STAE) is undermining the credibility of the government due to its inability to conduct the village chief and village council elections.

According to Diario Tempo, Menezes said that there have been cases of manipulation involving his party, Partido Democratico (PD) and Partido Social Democrata (PSD). He added that if STAE cannot conduct elections now it would be more difficult in the upcoming national elections in 2007. He added that there is already confirmation of manipulation and that STAE should not deny such reports. He said that PD demands that STAE expel those officers involved in the manipulation and apply the rules properly to avoid discrimination against opposition parties. In response to these allegations, the Director of STAE, Tomas Cabral said Diario Tempo and STL had in fact been responsible for manipulation in accusations against STAE.

He refused to respond to comments made by political parties, adding that "STAE has never manipulated the process. If there is evidence then it should be presented with complaints to independent electoral commission (CNE)". (Diario, TP, TVTL, RTL)

Samson: Willing to Speak Out on Corruption and Face Jail

The Executive Director of LABEH, NGO for transparency and accountability, Christopher Henry Samson told the media last week that LABEH has the courage to speak out about corruption as it is a disease that enriches some people and impoverishes others. Timor Post reported Samson as stating that if the data collected by his organisation is not factual then would be prepared to go to jail. He added that when people are responsible for corruption it is also an abuse of power which the court should prevent, however, only those with money can access justice while those vulnerable become the victims of corruption. (Diario, TP, TVTL, RTL)

People Fear Another Militia Attack

The population in Cailaco is reportedly living in fear of another militia attack following the alleged incident on 11 August. According to Diario Tempo, the residents of the area are routinely providing security for the community after the PNTL Rapid Response Unit left on 20 August. A former militia involved in crimes during 1999 has reportedly returned to the area on a number of occasions where his sister and father live. (Diario, TP, STL)

Trials Conducted by International Judges

It is reported that international judges in the national court system have focussed more on criminal cases than civil cases. According to Diario Tempo, lawyer Napolico da Silva of Sarina Legal Group said that the judges should pay more attention to civil cases and not delay trials in order to guarantee justice for the people. Da Silva stressed that as a sovereign nation Timor-Leste should have national judges, prosecutors and defenders rather than people from other countries. He added that it is important to have proper plan for the future justice system. (Diario)

US Coast Guard Visit Important to TL: Ruak

Brigadier General Taur Matan Ruak has reportedly said that the visit of the US coast guard is important for the two nations to work together and for the Timorese Defence Force to learn more about role of the military.

Taur said the two institutions, F-FDTL and PNTL are coordinating to reinforce numbers during the US coastguard in September. (Diario)

PM Alkatiri Encourages 200 Cuba-Bound Students

PM Mari Alkatiri made an appeal to 200 students who will be studying medicine in Cuba to undertake strong efforts to succeed in completing their medical studies in Cuba. According to the list of candidates, those selected include 5 F-FDTL members and 5 PNTL members. The report also mentioned that the students would also spend time learning Spanish to assist them in undertaking medical studies. PM Alkatiri was also quoted as confirming that the progress report of the previous 30 students who are currently studying in Cuba is very pleasing and that he hoped the next 200 students would also enjoy successful results. Diario Tempo also quoted Brigadier General Taur Matan Ruak as saying that the participation of the 5 candidates from F-FDTL is part of the F- FDTL human resources development plan, which would also contribute to the development of Timor-Leste. ( Diario Tempo, TVTL)