Ezequiel Freitas, TDW – Survivors from 1975 continue to complain about injustice, so they've called on the government to accelerate the process of establishing an international court to process criminals who violated human rights in Timor-Leste in the past.

Atay Moniz, a survivor from events in Marabia in 1975, said from the UNTAET period until now, the process of establishing an international court had not been put into practice.

"As a survivor and as a person who took part in the resistance from 1975, I think this should be looked into," said Moniz in Dili.

He said at that time they became victims of serious violations by the Indonesian military. "I think the perpetrators must be processed," said Moniz.

Meanwhile Dili District Court Administrator Duarte Tilman said from their part they were currently making judgements on the perpetrators of serious crimes in the past.

"I think you can follow these cases, some have been found guilty and some haven't gone to court because the person hasn't been notified," said Administrator TDD.

In regards to some of the perpetrators who have not been found guilty, he added it was because the prosecutor had not brought the accusation letter to the court.

"You see the Investigative Police for Serious Crimes recently handed over the cases to the prosecutor," said the Administrator. He added when the serious crime cases entered the court they could distribute them to the judges, by putting a mark on each of their agendas.

On the other hand, Deputy Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ) Rui dos Santos said they could process perpetrators for serious crimes but not now.

"According to the government's policy, past crimes are not a priority," said the Deputy PDHJ. According to him, both laws discussing past crimes are still pending with the National Parliament.

"The Memory Institute Law and the Reparation Law for Victimswill look into the needs of the victims, especially to inform them about justice," he said.

Santa Cruz massacre monument not built

Dili Weekly - July 22, 2013

Vice President of the 12 November Commission Rogerio Castro da Cruz said the government's plan to build a monument in Santa Cruz hasn't been implemented.

He said while the former President Jose Ramos-Horta launched the plan last year at the Santa Cruz Cemetery, it remains a plan only.

"We gave the proposal already, and the government must decide when it happens because it's a government plan," said the Vice President of the November 12 Committee in Balide,Dili.

Nevertheless he added, they continue to demand the government implement the existing plan, because victims of the Santa Cruz Massacre on November 12 died for the country.

On the other hand, the President of Commission E (for infrastructure, transport and communication) MP Pedro das Martiresda Costa said the budget to build the monument in Santa Cruz had already been used to build another monument opposite the Motael Church.

"The monument seems to be for the authors of November 12, but they do not agree and they want a monument to symbolize the act of November 12," said the President of Commission E.

He said to build another monument at Santa Cruz they need to put a new budget towards it because the existing budget has already been used.

Meanwhile survivor of the Santa Cruz Massacre, MP Maria Angelica Rangel said in 2010 the budget was put forward to build the monument at Santa Cruz but until now it hasn't happened.

"As a survivor of November 12, I accept the plan to build some historic monuments, so the next generation can see and remember how, in the past, the youth contributed to the nation," said MP Rangel.

In regards to the statue the government built opposite the Motael Church representing the victims of November 12, she said they should make a monument not a statue. "As a survivor I am sad," said the MP.

Labour & migrant workers

Employers who hire children could be penalized

Dili Weekly - July 15, 2013

The National Director for Workplace Inspections Aniceto Leto Soro said they would give fines to individuals and employers who give hard, physical work to minors under 18 years old, because this goes against their rights.

He said it's the government's obligation to protect children, because as well as creating legislation and policies, Timor-Leste has already ratified the International Human Rights Convention.

Director Soro added that last month the Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment (SEPFOPE) presented a draft law on child labour, including a list of jobs children are forbid from, to the Council of Ministers for approval.

"Therefore whoever gives hard labour to children, whether an employer or individual, the Workplace Inspections team will penalize them with a fine or another preventative manner, so there's no risk to children," said Director Soro in Dili.

He said children were forbid from hard labour because it can harm their health and security.

He said these include jobs like lifting cement blocks, mixing cement, washing cars and also agricultural jobs like driving tractors, closing rice bundles and using pesticides with chemicals.

He added when the law and list are approved, whoever gives these jobs to children could get a fine from $230 up to $1150, and apart from that employers will not get government projects and recommendations for a work certificate.

In other part, Coordinator of the child protection organization Forum Tau Matan, Honorio Almeida, said they really appreciated the government creating a specific law to regulate and protect children from individual interests, especially for underage workers.

"We think the policy the government has created on child labour is very positive, it's a huge contribution. The state can protect children from hard labour," said Coordinator Almeida.

He said he hoped they didn't just create a law, but that they would also guarantee it's implemented once it's approved.

Health & education

Timorese students study illegally in Indonesia

Dili Weekly - July 29, 2013

Program Coordinator of the Timor-Leste Coalition for Education (TLCE) Matias dos Santos said many Timorese students are studying illegally in Indonesia.

He said there are currently about 5,000 Timorese students in Indonesia, and many of them study illegally or don't have a passport.

"From this number, most of the illegal students are those who pay their own school fees, rather than the government scholarship holders," said the TLCE Program Coordinator in a press conference in Dili.

He said some students could not finish their studies because of language and health problems, while some were deported because they didn't pay taxes or did not follow immigration procedures.

"The RDTL Consulate in Indonesia has created the Timor-Leste Students Association to assist Timorese students in Indonesia, but as this is a new mechanism and it exists in only some provinces, we can't fulfil all the needs of students," said the TLCE Coordinator.

He said they recommended the Ministry of Education should organize student visas through a selective and secure process. "There should be rigorous regulation to enable students to study abroad," he said.

The TLCE also asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education to cooperate to make sure citizens living abroad, especially students, set a good example of Timorese values and principals.

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Constancio da Conceicao Pinto acknowledged that students did study illegally and this was a serious problem.

"Currently there is a team there from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education looking into how to resolve this situation," Vice Pinto affirmed. He also said parents should know where their children go to school so there is more control and they are taken care of.

"They go there without following the normal processes, our embassy doesn't know, they go to universities the state doesn't know about, so when problems happen we don't know about the problems," he said.

TDW confirmed the issue on the phone with Vice Minister of Higher Education Marcal Avelino Ximenes, who is currently in Indonesia to resolve the issue of the murder of a student. "He came to study using his own money," said the Vice Minister.

ADB helps Timor-Leste get better access to safe, reliable water

Asia Development Bank News - July 18, 2013

Dili, Timor-Leste – The Government of Timor-Leste, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the people of Quintal Bot district participated in a special ceremony today to mark the arrival of safe, reliable water to the district for the first time in 10 years.

The Dili Urban Water Supply Sector Project provides continuous, 24-hour access to good quality water to approximately one-third of all Dili households, businesses, and institutions. Most beneficiaries come from poor or low-income households.

Gastao de Sousa, the Government's Minister of Public Works, led the ceremony, on the outskirts of Dili. Shane Rosenthal, Resident Representative of ADB's Special Office in Timor-Leste also spoke at the event.

"No longer do the people of Quital Bot have to purchase water from private companies or trek up to a kilometer to get water," Mr. Rosenthal said. "Now for the first time in many areas, water is conveniently available at the front door and may be accessed by simply turning on a tap."

The project targeted six neighborhoods with 1,000 water connections each. New local pipes were laid, water leaks were repaired, and metered water connections were installed. Neighborhood water supply caretakers will be employed by the Government's National Directorate for Water Supply and Sanitation, and a permanent water loss reduction task force will sustain and expand the program. The project may be viewed as a model that could be extended to other areas of Dili on a larger scale.

Dili's population is growing rapidly, but before the project's commencement, water supply services had only been partly rehabilitated following widespread civil unrest and destruction in 1999. Although Dili has good water treatment plants, water storage facilities, and main distribution pipes, inside the city's neighborhoods water was either stolen or mostly lost through leaky pipes.

It's expected improved water supplies in the capital city will reduce health costs and improve productivity. The project will also improve the management of the entire Dili water supply system by refurbishing 35 distribution master meters, assessing and replacing 51 kilometers of water pipes, and replacing 2,950 household meters and 240 commercial meters.

SAMES distributed expired medicines to Laclubar

Dili Weekly - July 15, 2013

The Laclubar Health Centre Chief Armelinda da C. Pereira said the Medicine and Health Equipment Authority (SAMES) sent medicine to the health centre that had already expired and did not follow their order.

The Health Centre Chief said until now, when they give their recommendations for medicine to SAMES they are always given expired medicine. "Sometimes they've already expired or have one month left until they expire when they're sent here," she said.

Manuel Soares Quintao, who works in logistics at the health centre, said SAMES did not send medicine based on the needs and the requests of the health centre. "They did not give us medicines based on our order, but gave us other medicines which were about to expire in one month," he said.

That's why he called on SAMES to resend medicines based on their request, so they can treat their patients. "As for the budget for buying medicine, we're from Manatuto district," he said.

At same place, pharmacist Engracia Carceres Carvalho said some of the medicines needed at the health centre included analgesic, antibiotic, vitamin, amoxilin, paracetamol and promitazin.

"Now SAMES sent cablar, asiclobin, metrodezol, and infuse and others, that's why we sent the medicine to the district capital and then they sent it back to SAMES."

"As we don't need these medicines, we asked for medicines in March and April but the medicines that came in May were not based on those needs," said the pharmacist.

According to her the medicine should have come within three weeks but they called and were told the medicines had already arrived but they didn't have a car to transport them.

Private investment potential in the health sector

The Dili Weekly - July 9, 2013

The Minister of Health Sergio da Costa Lobo said there are a lot of possibilities for private investment in the health sector, so they can better develop quality health assistance in the community.

Minister Lobo said there were a lot of opportunities for private investors, especially through the construction of health posts in villages, cleaning and catering for patients in hospitals and providing medical equipment, consumables, medicine and transport for health facilities.

"And also to invest in equipment like x-ray machines, and it's important to provide technicians while we're still preparing our people," said Minister Lobo at a conference about private sector investment at the Dili Convention Centre (02/07).

Minister Lobo said they had approached a hospital in Malaysia to invest in the area of cancer treatment, which included installing equipment and supplying human resources to operate these machines.

Apart from this, he said the ministry has plans to establish oncology, trauma, pulmonology and hematology centres at the National Hospital Guido Valadares.

According to him the meeting was very important to exchange ideas between the government and international and national investors, so in the future they have an interest in coming to invest in Timor-Leste.

Meanwhile, Chang Hexi, a businessman from Macau who's invested in health equipment and medicine in hospitals in Hong Kong and China, said he was happy to work with Timor-Leste in the health sector.

"I'm interested in working together in the health sector in construction, the supply of uniforms, medical equipment and other areas," he said.

In the meeting he also asked for information about the system, criteria and payment process for tenders the Ministry of Health opens to international and national companies, as he said he was interested in cooperating with the Ministry of Health.

In the same place Dulce Alves Fernandes, a national businessman, said they were interested in working with the Ministry of Health in the construction of homes for doctors and health posts the government has planned.

In response to this question Minister Lobo said it would depend on the construction projects they had, for example maintenance or rehabilitation, and would follow the normal contract approval process.

"For investors to invest in the health sector they must be partners with the government, as it's clear the presence of investors is very important because in Timor-Leste healthcare is free, and even patients transferred overseas are paid for by the government," said Minister Lobo.

Obstacles to improved maternal health care in Timor-Leste

IRIN - July 8, 2013

Dili – Greater efforts are now needed to tackle the many challenges women face in accessing health care in Timor-Leste, which has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios (MMR) in the world, experts say.

"Although there are 2.3 health workers for every 1,000 people, which meets the international minimum standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO), the quality and competency of these health professionals is questionable given the training available and shortage of trained doctors," Jannatul Ferdous, a maternal and child health adviser at HADIAK, a locally implemented health project, working with the Ministry of Health, told IRIN.

"The main problems with providing emergency and child health services include the poor quality of health service providers, the shortage in trained health professionals and the logistics involved in accessing services," Ferdous said. According to a recent report entitled Trends in Maternal Mortality, only 30 percent of women give birth with a skilled birth attendant present.

Seventy percent of the country's 1.1 million inhabitants live in remote areas.

"Health-seeking behaviour is one of the major issues, reflected by a low utilization of health services for antenatal and postnatal care. Some factors for low utilization of health services include concern about the availability of drugs; availability of healthcare providers, especially female health providers; distance to health facilities; and concern about getting permission to go for treatment from husbands and other family members," Hongwei Gao, country representative for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), explained.

Timor-Leste was a former Portuguese colony before it was occupied by Indonesia, and achieved independence only 11 years ago. Three hundred mothers die per 100,000 live births, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reported in 2012. In Asia, only Laos and Afghanistan have a higher MMR, at 470 and 460 respectively.

Challenges

But even when expectant mothers are able to access health services, obstacles remain.

According to AusAID, the Australian government's overseas aid programme, a major challenge facing Timorese women is access to skilled care at delivery, which is vital for preventing deaths from common pregnancy complications.

"The risk to Timorese women dying during childbirth is also increased because of the many pregnancies and births each woman has," said an AusAID official who preferred anonymity.

Timor-Leste has one of the highest fertility rates in the world with each woman having on average 5.9 children, according to UNFPA.

Agencies say challenges to mothers include the limited availability of key health services – such as family planning, antenatal care, skilled care at delivery, postnatal care, immunization, vitamin A supplementation, and antibiotic treatment for pneumonia – in poor, rural communities.

According to the Timor-Leste Demographic Health Survey in 2009-10, only 20 percent of mothers deliver babies in a health facility and only 30 percent of births are assisted by a skilled provider, such as a doctor, nurse, or midwife.

A further 18 percent of women are assisted by a traditional birth attendant. Meanwhile, 49 percent are assisted by untrained relatives or friends.

"Accessing health services is a huge problem for pregnant mothers in Timor-Leste, especially in the rainy season from December to April when it might not even be possible for women to walk to the hospital if it is nearby," Ferdous noted.

"Timor-Leste is a young nation and, as a result, the Ministry of Health is still building its capacity to deliver a full set of basic health services across the country," the AusAID's spokesperson told IRIN.

Improving facilities at district level

A focus on strengthening the quality of health services in rural areas is important to address maternal health needs, say health workers.

HADIAK, together with the Ministry of Health, works to educate women on the importance of accessing health services, as well as improving the quality of care available.

"We work on improving the quality of health services at community level, and also provide trainings for health workers, including doctors and midwives, and community members," said Ferdous. With support from AusAID, the Ministry of Health is also developing a better reach of services to isolated and rural areas through mobile health clinics. These clinics travel to more than 400 villages to provide prenatal and postnatal care for women and babies, immunization for children, family planning support, treatment and prevention of common diseases and infection, and information on nutrition and hygiene.

Growing numbers of women 'throwing away' their babies in Timor-Leste

East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin - July 5, 2013

The East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin has over the last few years published several reports on cases of babies being abandoned by their mothers in East Timor. The latest case was particularly appalling when the remains of a baby were found on a rubbish dump apparently having been partly eaten by dogs.

Now, according to the Secretary of State for the Equality Promotion, there is a growing number of cases of women abandoning their babies in every village in East Timor and has urged women's groups to design programs for women who abandon their babies.

The Dili Weekly reported that the Secretary of state of the Promotion of Equaity asked "Why are women throwing away their babies without good reason? I hope that women are the first influence to building peace within the village and within the nation, and it's important to resolve these issues because we hear that women throw away their babies in each village and women are the ones who throw away babies not men," said Idelta Maria Rodrigues, (03/05), in Dili.

"It happens in every village, you can help to find out why this issue is happening so we can get some data and have information to improve the attitude growing in society," said Secretary of state Rodrigues.

Meanwhile Martinha dos Santos, as a woman, said she feels sad when she hears about women throwing their babies away, as this often happens to students at junior and senior high school.

Under the doctrines of the Catholic Church that wields significant influence in East Timor, pre-marital sex is forbidden. Furthermore, it condemns the use of condoms as a means of preventing not only unwanted pregnancies but the minimisation of HIV/AIDS in East Timor.

As such, it is the teachings of the Catholic Church that are contributing to the horrifying phenomenon of the abandonment of babies as well as the spread of HIV, the infection of rate of which has also been increasing in recent years.

If young adults were educated about pre-marital sex and the use of condoms, the incidence of unwanted pregnancies and the consequential abandonment of babies would be reduced. If proper public education programs about condom use were implemented, this would also be an effective public health policy to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Calls for nutritional behaviour change in Timor-Leste

IRIN - July 2, 2013

Dili – More work is needed to improve nutritional behaviour in Timor Leste, where 58 percent of children under five are stunted (too short for their age) due to chronic malnourishment, experts say.

"The focus needs to be on behavioural change. Simply increasing the quantity of food will not improve people's nutritional status if this food source, such as rice, has limited nutritional value," Mirko Gamez Arias, a programme manager at CARE, told IRIN.

"It is not always simply a case of whether people have access to enough food, but often more a question as to whether the quality of food consumed is sufficient to prevent malnutrition. Many people's diet consists of little more than the basic staples," said Alberto Mendes, country director for the World Food Programme (WFP).

According to a 2013 report by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Timor-Leste has the highest percentage of children under five who are moderately or severely stunted in the world, matched only by Burundi. The report does not contain figures for Afghanistan and Yemen, where equally high rates of stunting among children were previously reported.

The proportion of stunted children under five increased from 50 percent in 2002 to 58 percent in 2009-10. Stunting reflects chronic undernutrition during the most critical periods of growth and development in early life.

Globally, undernutrition contributes to more than one third of child deaths. In Timor-Leste (population 1.1 million), the number of underweight children has increased from 41 percent in 2002 to 45 percent in 2009-10, the report said.

'Massive impact'

"The situation remains very critical in Timor-Leste as stunting has a massive impact on both physical and mental development, which mostly cannot be reversed after a child reaches the age of two. This can have long-term negative impacts on a country's economic and social development when its children cannot reach their potential due to poor nutrition," said Geoffrey Keele, UNICEF regional communication specialist in Asia.

According to the UN, contributing factors to the high rates of malnutrition in the small half-island country include inadequate child feeding practices, limited health services, poor hygiene practices and a lack of healthcare infrastructure.

"A focus on addressing the socio-cultural issues around malnutrition and on behaviour change communication in Timor-Leste needs to be strengthened as socio-cultural behaviour leads to improper feeding practice and care for children and women," UNICEF country representative in Dili Hongwei Gao told IRIN.

The government is working to address long-term chronic malnutrition rates, notably through the ongoing implementation of the National Nutrition Strategy, revised in 2012.

While the strategy has been in place since 2004, only in 2008 did the country develop nutrition interventions to assist in both screening for malnutrition and to bolster behavioural change.

These interventions promote behavioural changes to improve nutrition, including promotion of infant and young child feeding (exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding practice), micronutrient supplementations, treatment of severely malnourished children, and a salt iodization programme.

Specialized nutritious foods are provided to vulnerable women and children, supported by WFP. However, to assist in changing behaviour, information is also provided to communities on cooking methods, good hygiene practices, and how to prepare a balanced, sufficient diet.

Education assists behavioural change

Behavioural change plays an important role in improving nutrition of children and needs strengthening, health experts say.

HIAM Health, a national NGO in Dili, works on education and support programmes together with Dili National Hospital to address the malnutrition of children referred by hospitals.

"Often the families are here because of a lack of knowledge about nutrition, and not due to poverty," said Hiam Health's organization capacity builder, Jill Hillary. "These skills that the parents learn can be passed on to community members when they return home and mostly the children recover."

Rice, cassava and corn form the basis of most children's diets when families are unable to afford meat, eggs or dairy.

Meanwhile, health workers note the need for a greater awareness of the importance of proper childcare and feeding practices.

Although the World Health Organization (WHO), recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life, the latest Timorese Democratic and Health Survey (2009-10) revealed the rate to be only 52 percent.

"As nutrition is a complex issue, Timor-Leste would benefit from a more multi-sector approach to addressing the problem which integrates health, nutrition and behaviour change actions," said WFP's Mendes.

Women's rights

Caucus: No program preparing women for village chief elections

Dili Weekly - July 22, 2013

Program Coordinator of the women's political organization Caucus, Paula Corte Real said they do not have programs to prepare women to participate in the village chief election to be held in 2014.

SEPI hasn't set a target for female participation in the upcoming village elections, but expects women's participation will increase.

While there's no specific program for them, she said she was optimistic that the number of women would increase in the election for community leaders next year.

"We believe this because in the first period there were seven female leaders from the 442 villages and in 2009 for the second period this number increased to 11 women who were village chiefs, so this is significant as the participation of women is starting to improve," said Coordinator Corte Real in Mascarenhas, Dili.

She said at the sub-village level there are currently 26 women leading sub-villages, therefore they believe the participation of women will be better in the next election.

Coordinator Corte Real added that while they don't have training programs, some other women's organizations had started training to encourage women to participate in the community leader elections. "Now we are more focused on the municipal elections," she said.

She said they would continue to search for funding to support and encourage women to participate in the village and municipal elections in 2014.

On the other hand, the Secretary of State for the Promotion of Equality Idelta Maria Rodrigues said they hadn't set a target for women's participation in the village elections but she said women's participation was starting to get better.

According to her the participation of women is very important for overall development, therefore SEPI will analyse and observe the local and municipal elections so women can express their creative thoughts to contribute to the development process.

"I think it is very important to increase the number of women participating in policy at the national, district and rural level," Secretary of State Rodrigues said.

No justice for women in traditional justice systems in Timor-Leste

East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin - July 6, 2013

According to a women's rights advocate, traditional justice carried out in Timor-Leste, especially in the districts, doesn't benefit women who are victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse because they don't receive justice in their lives.

The Dili Weekly reported on 5 July 2013, that women's advocate Filomena Reis, who has analysed and observed traditional justice systems, said even though there are not many cases resolved through traditional justice in Dili, in rural areas its use is increasing because people prioritise family relations over formal justice.

"I can see the traditional process can be good and fast, but there's no advantage for women who continue to become victims, because when families say they've reinstated her good name and paid the fine, this benefits the woman's family not the woman," said Reis recently at Garden Beach, Dili.

According to her, traditional justice can only resolve civil cases but for criminal cases against women, including cases of domestic violence, sexual abuse and sexual violations, they should use formal justice to resolve the case fairly.

Therefore, she encouraged women who are victims of gender-based violence to address the case through the formal justice sector in a court.

"Don't be afraid to report it when you encounter such violence and you should know that violence is a crime that should be addressed through the formal justice system," she said.

On the other hand, the President for Commission A (for the Constitution Affairs, Justice, Public Administration, Local Power and Anti-Corruption), MP Carmelita Caetano Moniz, said the law on domestic violence doesn't allow traditional justice to judge criminal cases like domestic and sexual violence.

"We consider domestic violence a public crime which cannot be resolved through traditional justice," said MP Moniz. She added it is illegal and against the law to use traditional justice to resolve criminal cases like domestic violence and sexual violations.

MP Moniz also called for the government to raise awareness about the contents of the law to guarantee justice for women in the community, especially in rural areas because criminal cases are often resolved through traditional justice.

Disabled women not included in celebrations

Dilly Weekly - July 2, 2013

A representative of disabled women in Timor-Leste said disabled women were not involved in the celebrations for International Women's Day and National Women's Day, and described this as discrimination.

Mira Maya, a disabled woman from the disability organization Hadomi Timor Oan, says SEPI should include women with disabilities in National Women's Day celebrations.

Mira Maya, a disabled woman from the disability organization Hadomi Timor Oan, said she was concerned because she is a woman and while not able bodied, she also has the right to participate in days of celebration.

"Do we, the disabled, have rights like other women or not, because SEPI's program is held every year but why do they never involve us in that program?" asked Maya (22/05), in Kailkoli, Dili.

Therefore, she asked the Secretary of State for the Promotion of Equality (SEPI) from now on to involve disabled women in all activities to celebrate women's days.

Meanwhile, the Head of the SEPI Research Department Hermino Xavier recognized that so far they didn't involve disabled women in the activities they held. "But we have no intention to discriminate against them and we apologize and from now on we will put in a policy about disabled people," he said.

Refugees & asylum seekers

East Timor foreign minister denies asylum seeker boat forcibly turned back

ABC Radio Australia - July 30, 2013

Karon Snowdon – East Timor's foreign minister says a boatload of asylum seekers en route to Australia was not forcibly pushed away from his country in early July.

The group of 95 mostly Rohingyas from Myanmar arrived on East Timor's south coast from Indonesia, having managed to get close to Darwin before their damaged boat drifted north.

They have claimed repeatedly to have sought asylum and assistance from East Timor, which was denied. It is a claim Foreign Minister Jose Luis Guterres told Radio Australia's Asia Pacific is not correct.

"I was in Australia when this incident happened and I was informed by the secretary of state for security that, in fact, the government of Timor- Leste helped them fix their boat and we haven't received any requests for asylum from nobody," he said.

"And once the engines were repaired, we all agreed with them to go back to place of their origin."

The country of origin is considered to be Indonesia, and they were sent to nearby Wetar Island on July 11 and to even smaller Liran on July 14. It is now believed they have been returned to Sulawesi in Indonesia.

In an interview on Radio Australia on the July 22, and via a written statement, the group's spokesman Zaw Win claims to have asked for asylum for the Rohingyas on three occasions and was, at times, threatened by police.

"We have sympathy, we have solidarity for all those that have been persecuted in their countries because of religion or because of political options," Mr Guterres said. "But I have to say to you that no one has requested political asylum in Timor-Leste."

Foreign Minister Guterres says East Timor honours its commitments under international law.

"We have to proceed according to the laws and the convention on refugees," he said. "Our own constitution guarantees and recognises that for people that are persecuted, the state can give them political asylum." Aid groups claim access denied

Calls to the Red Cross and the UN's International Organisation for Migration in Dili 10 days ago confirmed reports that the group was kept in isolation in East Timor and aid organisations were denied access.

When the group moved to Indonesia, the IOM and the UNHCR in Jakarta did not return calls. Sisto de Santos from the East Timor NGO Human Rights Law and Justice, or HAK, confirms he was unable to access the refugees.

"The local police in East Timor refused us to meet directly with the people and be confident they didn't violate these conventions," he said.

Foreign Minister Guterres acknowledges East Timor is obliged under the refugee convention to assist asylum seekers, and says the group was never detained. "So I don't know why they complain about being granted access, because these people have been free all the time," he said.

Former president Jose Ramos Horta felt strongly enough about the issue to write an article in which he said he was very saddened by the incident. Mr Ramos Horta raised the issue with the foreign minister on a recent trip to Africa.

"Yes, the former president asked me if it's true that we refused asylum to them and I said 'no, no-one requested asylum from us and we did according to our means'," Mr Guterres said.

"I do support the initiatives of Prime Minister Rudd and the president of Indonesia to convey international confidence in dealing with this issue.

"No-one wants to have children or women or men dying in the high seas just because they want to look for a better life, or they are persecuted, and they want to go to Australia."

The latest unconfirmed report is that the group was bound to arrive in Sulawesi late Monday night, possibly with the assistance of UN migration organisation, the IOM.

Rohingya asylum seekers forced out of Timor

Dili Weekly - July 26, 2013

The Timorese police threatened to shoot the group of asylum seekers then misled them to get them to leave on a boat to Indonesia, according to one of the asylum seekers.

The 95 asylum seekers and four Indonesians arrived off the coast of Viqueque on July 1 after they had trouble with their boat, which was on route to Australia.

Rafi Yosuf Zaw Win, a representative of the group, told the TDW over the phone that police in Viqueque threatened to kill the group if they stayed in Timor-Leste.

"They said we have an issue, you have to leave the country or we'll shoot you. I asked them not to do it at sea, if you do want to kill us, do it here," he said.

Zaw Win said they wanted to seek asylum in Timor-Leste, but instead they were driven to a port where they were told a boat had been arranged to take them to Australia.

"The Timorese government and maritime police said they arranged a boat and the boat would take us to Australia, but then they said there was no option and they could only send us to Indonesia," he said.

The asylum seekers, from Bangladesh and Myanmar, say they entered Australian waters and made a distress call but rough seas pulled them back towards Timor-Leste.

Maritime police took the group to a village on Wetar Island on July 11. Zaw Win says on July 13 the Indonesian military then took them to the remote Liran Island, which is 12km northeast of Atauro Island, but they are yet to receive any humanitarian assistance.

"The community here are very poor but they're helping us with rice and they gave us a place for the women to sleep in their homes," said Zaw Win.

He called for humanitarian and medical assistance, especially for one woman who is heavily pregnant and due to give birth soon.

Former President Dr Jose Ramos-Horta, in an editorial earlier this week, pleaded for Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao and President Taur Matan Ruak to "let these unwanted, persecuted people stay in our country."

"Timor-Leste must never turned its back on people fleeing hunger and wars," wrote Dr Ramos-Horta in the Huffington Post editorial.

"We too were refugees once, we fled our country, we fled poverty and persecution and we were sheltered by kind, caring people, who taught us about solidarity, about humanity."

Advocacy Coordinator of the human rights organization HAK, Sisto Dos Santos, raised concerns about the treatment of the refugees and the way the Timor-Leste government restricted access to information.

"We consider that we've forgotten our solidarity as human beings. In the past, conflict happened in our country, but since independence we've forgotten our responsibility as human beings," he said.

Mr Dos Santos said HAK and other civil society organizations would write to the Prime Minister and President to raise concerns about the issue.

UNHCR regional spokesperson Vivian Tan said the UNHCR had been unable to access the group to verify their needs.

"UNHCR is advocating with the Indonesian authorities to urgently transfer them to a more accessible location where they can receive the immediate care and assistance they need," she said.

Secretary of State for Security Francisco Guterres refused to make a statement until he received a response to a letter he sent to Australia on the issue.

UNHCR concerned for welfare of asylum-seekers rejected by East Timor

ABC Radio Australia - July 23, 2013

The United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR, says it's concerned about the welfare of a group of asylum seekers stranded on a remote island in Indonesia.

The group of 95 asylum seekers strayed into East Timor when their boat broke down en route to Australia. They were evicted and are now on the remote Indonesian island of Liran, reportedly short of food and some in need of medicine.

Presenter: Karon Snowdon

Speaker: Vivian Tan, UNHCR regional spokeswoman

Tan: We've been told that there are about 95 people on this boat, that they're possibly from Myanmar and Bangladesh. There are apparently some young children and possibly a few pregnant women among them. We had heard that they are now in Wetar island in Indonesia's Maluku province. They're said to be staying in a common area and the women and children are supposed to be living with some local families. But this is a very remote and hard to reach area, and we're worried that it would be very difficult to send aid supplies that the groups needs. We're also very concerned about the wellbeing if there are pregnant women and young children among this group They may be in urgent need of medical attention, which may not be available where they are at the moment.

Snowdon: We're hearing those reports, we have spoken to one representative of the group who's still with them who's saying some people are ill with fever, there's not enough food and they're not quite sure what's happening next. The police have had intermittent contact with them. And this area of Wetar, we think it's Liran, is very small as you say remote area, that must heighten your concern for this group?

Tan: Well UNHCR has been advocating with the Indonesian authorities to urgently move this group of people to a location that's more accessible for aid workers, for UNHCR to assess their needs and their identity. So we haven't gotten confirmation so far on whether or not the group have been moved, but we hope this can happen very quickly.

Snowdon: Do you know much about the circumstances of their arrival in Indonesia? Our information also is that East Timor very quickly sent them away from East Timor, although they were seeking asylum there having landed inadvertently. Have you heard of those circumstances?

Tan: The reports I've heard are very conflicting, so basically the situation it seems very unclear at the moment about the details of this group and their journey and what their intentions are. So until we can talk to them directly, we can't really confirm what exactly happened.

Snowdon: And do you expect to be able to speak to them soon? What's your experience of the Indonesian authorities cooperation on these issues?

Tan: Well generally UNHCR has been able to access boat arrivals who are seeking asylum. I think the issue here is that this particular group is on this very remote island and it would take time for them to be moved, well to reach them first of all and for the Indonesian authorities to move them to somewhere that's more accessible. Once that happens we hope to be able to talk to them as soon as possible.

Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims turned away by East Timor

ABC News - July 18, 2013

Uncertainty surrounds the plight of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims attempting to seek asylum in Australia but turned away by East Timor.

A group of Rohingya Muslims are now on a remote Indonesian island close to the East Timor border, reportedly waiting for a chance to continue their journey to Australia. The asylum seekers landed on a East Timorese island after their boat got into difficulties.

Ian Rintoul from the Australia-based Refugee Action Coalition has told Radio Australia's Connect Asia East Timor's response is not appropriate for a Refugee Convention signatory.

"It really is a disgrace that the East Timorese responded the way they did," Mr Rintoul said. "It's not really what you expect from a convention signatory."

"The maritime police were involved and effectively tried to push them off the island, making it very clear that they weren't going to be welcomed in East Timor territory and were not going to be assisted," he said.

Mr Rintoul says the asylum seekers are continuing to face risks with their attempts at seeking asylum in Australia.

"Now, they're at Wetar Island, it's about 40 kilometres from the island in East Timor territory that they first landed on," he said. "They haven't got very far which does indicate problems with the boat."

"It (the boat) was taking water when they contacted Australia on Friday evening... the boat's not going anywhere but they would like to get underway to continue their journey to Australia.

"When faced with the prospects of taking some risks at sea compared to indefinite detention in Indonesia or worse, then often they feel there's no alternative but to take that risk.

"So we only hope that if they do take that risk, that Australia's going to be in a position to respond appropriately if they do get into trouble," Rintoul said.

Policy & governance

PM Xanana panders too much to contractors

Jornal Independente - July 26, 2013

The President of the Republic, Taur Matan Ruak asked the Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao not to pander too much private contractors of government projects.

"As President of the Republic I ask PM Xanana not to play around too much with these contractors, he must penalize them for poor public works delivery," the President told the community of Aubeon responding to their complaints.

The President also told the community that this was a long standing habit of the government to leave projects partly completed, referring to some of the community housing constructed pursuant to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) which the government had already handed over for the community to occupy.

Taking opportunity of the occasion the President also asked the company BTK to complete the works needed to the MDG housing and not to leave them partially incomplete.

"When we spend money it should be for something with quality, if money is spent on works of no quality, then its just wasting our peoples' money," said PR Taur.

He added that those who manage the nation's funds should be held responsible because there is no one above the law, but everyone is subject to the law.

He also referred to another public works project, the construction of the National Electoral Commission's head office contracted to the company Atramor, which has taken unduly long to be completed, but the Prime Minister Xanana continues to tolerate it and has continued to give time extensions for it to be completed, and which has resulted in additional payments to the company Atramor by the government so as that it is finished quickly.

Prime minister threatens to reshuffle cabinet

Dili Weekly - July 26, 2013

Member of Parliament Ancelmo da Conceicao, from the National Congress for the Reconstruction of Timor (CNRT) bench, said when a member of the government doesn't do their job well, they should be changed.

"The Prime Minister is the one who watches his members' works as he leads the government and if he feels they can't, personally I support this," MP da Conceicao supported in National Parliament.

At the same place, Democratic Party MP Virgilo da Costa Hornaii said the Prime Minister has the right to reshuffle members of the government.

"As an MP I will not interfere with the decisions the Prime Minister makes because he should guarantee roles in the government and evaluate who is suitable and unsuitable," MP Hornai said.

Meanwhile Fretilin MP Francisco Branco said he supported him, as it's the Prime Minister's role to decide whether to remodel the government or not.

"We at Fretlin think that it's not other people's responsibility, it's the Prime Minister's responsibility," said MP Branco.

He said based on the observations of the opposition, the work of the government isn't running well and there have been no improvements. "The current government is much worse than the last one," MP Branco said.

Prime Mminister Gusmao made the declaration after a meeting with Chinese and Timorese entrepreneurs at the Dili Convention Centre, saying the reshuffle would happen from a high level down to the lower levels.

"I shout at the ministers and the directors all the time about problems in public administration. I will reshuffle them all," said the Prime Minister.

"I'm also watching, I've known the directors since 2007, whoever does a good job, who is a 'yes man', but then works slowly and want to cheat me, I already know them," he said.

Prime Minister Gusmao also raised concerns as some government members and directors mixed party politics in public administration, and some even recruited their own people, not following the Public Service Law.

"I've told you that as part of the public administration, whoever recruits parties or recruits their own people, you'd better get out of private business as it's not allowed," he said.

He said over the next year he would focus on improving the government from the inside, and would continue to observe government members and directors to be ready to reshuffle them.

He said recently there was a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and he closed the gates and shouted at some ministers who were late.

"I shouted at them and said, could you imagine if we were in the jungle as guerrillas, barefoot, hungry and wounded. I ordered them forward to their deaths, they don't earn money, walking until they were tired, and even so I shouted at them. Now you have cars, phones, earn a salary and everything, so why can't I shout at you? You don't care about this," the Prime Minister said.

Social & communal violence

Police fail in conflict prevention in Timor-Leste

East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin - July 29, 2013

Timorese National Police (PNTL) Deputy Commander, Afonso de Jesus, has acknowledged that the police force has failed in its conflict prevention plans and this has left the impression that the police just come to the conflict areas to pick up dead bodies and wounded people.

According to a report in Suara Timor Lorosae on 11 July, Deputy Commander Afonso de Jesus told STL reporters on Tuesday at the police headquarters that "We recognize that there has been failure in PNTL operations plan because when PNTL members arrive, the conflict has happened and left the wounded people or even the bodies and sometimes PTNL members do patrols in one place, while the conflict happens in other places."

He added that PNTL as an institution which was responsible for security continued to work together with all PNTL units to control and conduct patrols in potential conflict areas.

In the wake or recent violent conflicts in the country's capital, Dili, the leading security sector monitoring organisation, Fundasaun Mahein, has appealed for more support for conflict prevention efforts and that they be streamlined and more effectively distributed.

In a press release on 26 July, FM noted that "[t]he recent increase in Martial Arts Gang disturbances has led to a "zero-tolerance" policy regarding gang violence. As it is unclear whether this policy will focus on post-conflict punishment or pre-conflict prevention, this policy has placed a renewed emphasis on the importance of conflict prevention in Timor-Leste.

On 30 July 2013, civil society activists – together with the military, police, and State Secretary for Security – will hold a large meeting in the Suku Casa of Ainaro to discuss issues in conflict prevention.

The government's official conflict prevention efforts have come through two departments. First, via the State Secretary for Security which created the DNPKK (the National Directorate for Community Conflict Prevention). Second, via the Ministry of Social Solidarity, which created the Department Harii Dame.

Although these organizations are well funded, they have been unsuccessful in gaining community participation, support, or legitimacy. As a result, the output of the DNPKK's and Department Harii Dame's conflict prevention efforts has been largely underwhelming. Fundasaun Mahein is concerned that these two organizations have been assigned the same (overlapping) jobs in community conflict prevention, but neither have been doing their jobs successfully despite enormous financial support.

Unofficial efforts at conflict prevention have come from the KPK (Community Police Councils) organizations. This organization is comprised of various groups and stakeholders including the youth, women, veterans, and Suku (village) counsels within each community.

Utilising a preventative framework, the KPK works with NGO's and government institutions to share information and examine the root causes of problems so that a solution may be reached. The KPK has been impressively successful in increasing security and peace throughout the 5 districts in which it operates. Yet, the KPK operates without financial or legislative support from the government. Why should multiple organizations (the KPK, KNPKK, and MSS) tasked with achieving similar goals operate when their simultaneous existence is counter-productive and confusing to community members?

Fundasaun Mahein recommends that conflict prevention efforts be streamlined and legitimized through the creation of a single government-backed institution. The KPK has shown itself to be the organization with a proven record of results, making a strong case for increased governmental support in the form of investments and legislative backing.

In addition, Fundasaun Mahein supports the model of community meetings like the one to be held at Suku Casa on July 30, where civil society activists will meet with members of the military, police, and State Secretary for Security to discuss conflict prevention issues. It is our view that community conflict prevention efforts in which various community groups are represented is the most successful strategy.

[Sources: Suara Timor Lorosae, July 11, 2013 Fundasaun Mahein Press Release 26 July 2013 Edited by Warren L. Wright.]

'Martial arts' gangs continue to wreak havoc in East Timor

East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin - July 27, 2013

The so-called "martial arts" groups in East Timor continue to wreak havoc in the community despite purported efforts by the government of Xanana Gusmao to reign in the violence.

In the latest move by the government to deal with the long-standing social problem, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao has said that the Government had issued a resolution to halt martial arts clubs' activities in Timor-Leste, following numerous incidents of violence and killings involving the martial arts clubs members.

According to an English translation of a report on TVTL, the prime minister made the comments after handing over project documents to the Anti- Corruption Commission last Friday. Xanana also warned the country's security force members, such as the Timorese Defence Force (F-FDTL) and the National Police (PNTL) that they would be sacked from their institution if they were found to have engaged in martial arts activities.

"We issued the resolution to halt their activities as the situation is difficult and it is also because they kill one another. Brother and sisters are divided; we have lost our culture of respecting one another."

"So, we close them down, we appealed to their leaders. I forgave them when I was still president of the republic," he told journalists.

Last year the Government issued a resolution to suspend the martial arts clubs' activities for one year, but there has been no change, conflicts and violence continue happening everywhere in the country.

Meanwhile, Suara Timor Lorosae reported on 8 July that the Timor-Leste National Youth Council (CNJTL) supported the Government's resolution to permanently close down the martial arts groups in the country.

"I agree with the Government's decision to close down martial arts groups because it is an order that people should obey," CNJTL President Leovizildo da Costa Hornai told STL at his office in Farol of Dili on Saturday 6. He called on Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao to give instruction to the State Secretariat of Sports and Youths, State Secretariat of Security and the Ministry of State Administration and Territorial Management to conduct public education programs about the issued resolution.

The leader of a martial arts groups has since been reported as agreeing with the Prime Minister's decsion. Timor Post reported on 10 July comments from the one of the groups' leaders, Silvester Xavier Sufa, saying "We are from Kera Sakti and we agree with the declaration of the prime minister as it is a good decision to prevent conflict in the country," President for Kera Sakti said.

Sufa said the decision that Prime Minister Xanana took was positive as it would have a positive impact for the people in the country. "As citizens, we should bow to the decision that state's leaders take as this country wants to stay at peace," he said.

Since the government resolution was passed, extra police have been called in for night patrols to combat martial arts groups activities. According to a report in Independente on 10 July, a special police task force targeting martial art gang activity will be patrolling the Dili streets 24 hours a day, following a sharp increase in gang related violence recently.

Police will undertake routine inspections during the day and night across Dili paying particular attention to areas that have been identified as gang hot spots such as Comoro and Beto Barat.

"Our members do routine operations at night and day, they conduct operations in the villages that we have identified already as potential violence hotspots," Operation Commander of National Police, Armando Monteiro told Independente yesterday at his office in Caicoli of Dili.

Gangs take control of Dili streets at night

East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin - July 6, 2013

Martial arts gang have virtually taken control of the streets during the night in several parts of Dili and District locations, causing havoc and unrest, with police proving a little barrier according to civil rights organizations.

According to a report by Jornal Independente on 5 July 2013, martial arts activity is not new in Timor-Leste, but it is expanding at a rapid pace, as the martial arts leaders remain free to recruit and train their members.

The increase in activity comes as police struggle [to] contain raising tension and violence amongst martial art groups members in Dili and Baucau in relation for the killing student, Fernando de Sousa in Malang recently. It is understood anger about the death has sparked tension between youth in martial arts gangs.

Meanwhile, Suara Timor Lorosae reports that the government is to continue suspending martial arts' activities

In regard to martial arts violence that has again occurred in the community recently, the Timorese National Police (PNTL) Command has ordered each PNTL District Command to monitor martial arts activities.

PNTL National Operational Commander, Armando Monteiro, is reported to have said that the Government had suspended martial arts activities since December, 2012 and the Government continued the suspension this year.

"The Government's resolution suspends martial arts activities, such as training and other movements, therefore, PNTL plays its role to monitor the martial arts activities during the suspension time," Armando told journalists at PNTL Headquarters in Caicoli of Dili on Thursday 4.

Armed forces & defense

Foreign minister: Hera naval base will cause problems

Dili Weekly - July 26, 2013

The Timor-Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL) plan to install a naval base in Hera will cause a lot of problems for the community living in Hera, according to the Director of security monitoring organization Fundasaun Mahein.

Fundasaun Mahein Director Nelson Belon said their report, on the impacts of the naval base on the economy, environment and military, had the objective of informing the government so they could carefully measure the idea before implementing their plans.

"We know the majority of the community living in Hera make a living through agriculture, so if the land in Hera becomes a component of the navel base it will have an impact on their lives," said Director Belo at the launch of the report at Hotel Ramelau, Dili.

Apart from that he said there would also be an impact on the environment, as there are two rivers in the area that encircle the base and every year the rivers flow.

"And now if we dig to create a slope it could cause a landslide, and the plants will not hold their ground and could be swept up into the river, and the result is the river could get bigger and threaten the community who live near the river's edge," he said.

Therefore, Fundasaun Mahein recommended the government revise this plan, and called on the government to study geological, social, economic and cultural aspects before implementing this plan.

Meanwhile, Hera Village Chief Simon Pedro, who participated in the launch of the report, recognized that the F-FDTL had started marking the area to put the plan into practice.

"They have put planks in several areas and they said this is the area of the Naval Force, but there were households that used that land since the Indonesian period," said Village Chief Pedro.

He said he did not know how many hectares of land the Naval Force would use, and said he did not have information about this. "We do not know how many kilometres of land they will use or how much land in length and width," said the Village Chief.

In response to this concern, Naval Component Captain Higino das Neves said before using the land, the government would approach the communities who lived in the area. "But these lands are not utilized at all," Captain das Neves said.

President plans for compulsory military service

The Dili Weekly - July 9, 2013

The Timor-Leste President Taur Matan Ruak has plans to introduce compulsory military service in the future for young people, but before this he will hold discussions with relevant institutions about the plan.

The Commandant for Defense Force of Timor-Leste, the Chief of State Major General Lere Anan Timor has planned to implement the obligatory military service for youths but before that he will discuss with relevant institutions about this issue.

The advisor to the Presidency's Military House Frei Guteres said the objective of the plan, named 'Patriotic Civil Citizenship', was to increase the sense of nationalism for young people while they contribute to the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He said the program would, "reinforce nationalism and citizenship, further strengthen the awareness of the youth towards society,strengthen moral discipline, contribute to alleviating unemployment and reduce drug and martial arts related crimes".

According to the plan, he said the President Taur Matak Ruak would hold a discussion about the plan with the Chief of the Military House of the Presidency of the Republic, the Secretary of State for Defence, the F-FDTL Commander-in-Chief and senior F-FDTL officers.

Meanwhile, the FDTL Commander-in-Chief, Major General Lere Anan Timur, said he supported this initiative as it could strengthen patriotism and nationalism amongst young people.

"This requires a more in-depth discussion involving important entities and civil society to find information about the advantages and disadvantages of compulsory military service," said Commander Lere.

At same place, the Secretary of State for Defence Julio Tomas Pinto suggested there needs to be a comparative study of the countries with compulsory military service, to identify the advantages and disadvantages of implementing this in Timor-Leste.

On the other side, Member of Parliament Jacinta Pereire Abucau said it's a good plan but they need to raise awareness in the community, especially the youth, about this issue. "As then they will know about it and can give ideas, because this issue has advantages as well as disadvantages," said the MP.

Police & law enforcement

East Timor probes gun deal with Indonesia

Tempo.co - July 31, 2013

Jose Sarito Amaral, Dili – The East Timor National Parliament urges its government to immediately complete the investigation over the procurement of 77 MP1-V2 firearms from an Indonesian company, Pindad Indonesia. An independent commission has been investigating the weapons deal for a year now, yet there has been no result.

"The Secretary of State for Security, Francisco Guterres, must immediately complete the investigation. The gun procurement did not go through [proper] procedures. The price is also still unknown," said Cesar Valente, member of East Timor's Foreign Affairs, Defense and National Security Commission, Tuesday, July 30.

The National Parliament, said Cesar, had no knowledge of the gun procurement done by National Police Commander Longuinhos Monteiro. The unclear purchase process is suspected to have been triggered by the lack of communication and coordination between Longuinhos Monteiro and Francisco Guterres. "There might be a conflict between the two," he said.

Cesar suspects that firearms are already in the hands of police officers stationed at the East Timor-Indonesia border.

Francisco Guterres said that the Parliament had actually passed a budget to buy weapons from Indonesia. However, the purchase was without the knowledge and consent of the Council of Ministers – which was then led by Xanana Gusmao. All of the sudden, the guns entered East Timor through Dili customs.

To uncover the mystery surrounding the gun procurement, Francisco Guterres established an independent commission in 2012. "The process of investigation is still ongoing," Guterres said in Dili on Tuesday. He ensured that all weapons are still being held in custody.

Civil society demands investigation into Indonesian police guns procurement

East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin - July 5, 2013

The issue of the procurement of guns for the East Timor police service continues to dog the government with the country's peak security monitoring NGO, Fundasaun Mahein, calling on the National Parliament to demand that the government of independence hero Xanana Gusmao establish an investigation into the procurement process.

Earlier, the President of Parliamentary Commission B was reported to have said that the procurement process had not followed the lawful tender process.

The Acting Director of Fundasaun Mahein Joao Almeida Fernandes raised the issue again saying that "The General Commander of the PNTL (East Timor National Police) announced publicly that the PM2-V1 guns are already in Timor-Leste," before the approval of the Council of Ministers (Cabinet) had been obtained.

Mr Fernandes was reported by The Dili Weekly on 25 June that 75 of the PM2-V1 guns with the serial number 0001-00075s were purchased in Indonesia, with the PNTL to be the first in the world to use them.

"The National Parliament needs to demand the government quickly create an investigative commission to look into the guns, which were introduced without a transparent process at the beginning of 2013," he said.

According to The Dili Weekly report, the police Deputy Commander Alfonso de Jesus refused to comment on the purchase of the guns but the President of Commission B of the National Parliament (National Security, Defence and Foreign Affair) MP Maria Lurdes Bessa confirmed thatthe commission had received a report from Fundasaun Mahein about the issue and they were currently concentrating on the issue.

"We do ask them to make an investigation team and that is underway, and we cannot publicise everything but the process is ongoing," said the Commission B President.

The commission also has called the PNTL General Commander to go to the plenary to explain the accusations about the guns.

"We ask for an investigation because we have doubts about the process of buying those guns," said MP Bessa.

Secretary of State for Security Francisco da Costa Guterres said an investigation was underway into the issue.

Community policing in Timor-Leste

East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin - July 5, 2013

The East Timor police have provided training to village community police in two Districts – Cova Lima and Liquisa – that focused on working with the community to provide security in the villages on those Districts.

According to a report in The Dili Weekly on 4 June 2013, Community Police Commander, Superintendent Boavida Ribeiro, said the objective of the training is to put security volunteers in each village in order to create a sense of security.

"The training is required because we are relocating one police officer to each village and we have 442 villages, so the 442 police will be put in each village," said Commander Ribeiro, recently in Dili.

"We've held it in Liquisa and Suai districts, but the quality in each district is not the same so we look into the number of villages in each district, for example in Liquisa we held training for officials from 23 villages because there are 23 villages," said Commander Ribeiro.

In Covalima district, the training was given to officials from 30 villages while in Dili when they begin the training it will be given to more than 50 people.

"The training is conducted in each district for three days to give information about the function of the police in each village, how to improve their capacity and how to work together with the community to provide security in their village," explained Commander Ribeiro.

Foreign affairs & trade

East Timor puts down NT roots

Australian Associated Press - July 11, 2013

Clayton Bennett – East Timor will open a consulate in Darwin. East Timorese President Taur Matan Ruak made the announcement to Chief Minister Adam Giles at a meeting in Darwin yesterday.

Mr Giles and President Taur Matan Ruak held their second round of talks in the Top End to discuss strengthening trade and diplomatic ties.

The Chief Minister said having an East Timorese consulate in Darwin was evidence of the Territory's growing relationship with the Asian neighbour. "It cements our friendship and recognises the importance of the Territory to the Timor-Leste economy," Mr Giles said.

Since his visit to Dili in May, Mr Giles has worked closely with the East Timorese Government to build stronger regional relations and economic opportunities.

"I think a few Timorese students supported by CDU Medical School would be in the best interest of Timor and the Territory."

"The new Consulate will give the two governments a direct line of communication as we work to build stronger economic, cultural, social and environmental ties," Mr Giles said.

"We are also keen to build a tri-lateral relationship between the NT, Timor-Leste and eastern Indonesia and have agreed to sponsor a business forum in Bali in November, which will seek to involve all three jurisdictions."

Getting seasonal workers into the NT from East Timor was also on the agenda for this week's Darwin talks, as well as croc management.

"We have a lot of expert knowledge about crocodiles to share with Timor- Leste and we are keen to help the country manage its growing crocodile population," Mr Giles said.

"Timor-Leste has been a close friend of the Territory for many years and the announcement of a consulate in Darwin is evidence that the relationship continues to go from strength to strength."

East Timor discusses Commonwealth membership

ABC PM - July 8, 2013

Mark Colvin: East Timor's president, Taur Matan Ruak, is on his first official visit to Australia since he won last year's election.

One of the items on his agenda in Australia is East Timor's push for membership of the Commonwealth. The former Portuguese colony wants Australia's support.

Sara Everingham reports.

Sara Everingham: East Timor's president Taur Matan Ruak was in Canberra today meeting Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

But his first stop in Australia was Darwin, where he met the Northern Territory administrator and raised the idea of East Timor joining the Commonwealth of Nations. He's travelling with East Timor's foreign minister Jose Luis Guterres.

Jose Luis Guterres: The president has informed, has (inaudible) many foreign dignitaries that we will be presenting our candidacy to membership of Commonwealth. So the president is seeking the support also from Australia.

Sara Everingham: Jose Luis Guterres says it's an idea that's been considered in East Timor for some time.

Jose Luis Guterres: That's an issue that has been pursued since the first constitutional government and the president in the last visit, just a few weeks ago to New Zealand, announced it publicly. So we will, very soon, we will write a letter to Commonwealth Secretariat to present our candidacy.

Sara Everingham: What are the benefits for East Timor?

Jose Luis Guterres: The benefits: Commonwealth is a form of countries that share the common values of democracy and human rights and Timor Leste is one of the countries in the world which has been very, a strong supporter of human rights and democracy, so we believe that that is a great forum for us also.

Sara Everingham: In December last year the Foreign Minister Bob Carr said it could be possible for East Timor, a former Portuguese colony, to gain Commonwealth membership.

Bob Carr: I think this is something very worthy of the consideration Timor Leste. Bear in mind that Rwanda, without a British heritage, is now an active member of the Commonwealth. Mozambique, out of a Lusophone community is a member of the Commonwealth.

Sara Everingham: Bob Carr said membership of the Commonwealth would not conflict with East Timor's other international alliances nor with its push to join ASEAN. He also said there'd be many benefits for East Timor.

Bob Carr: They'd be joining an international forum where the votes and the views of a small island state count as much as the vote and the views of India or Nigeria or the United Kingdom.

Sara Everingham: Michael Leach is an associate professor in politics at Swinburne University of Technology.

Michael Leach: East Timor since independence has maintained a very open posture on joining a range of regional forums.

Sara Everingham: Michael Leach says East Timor's interest in joining the Commonwealth reflects internal discussions about the young nation's diplomatic strategy.

Michael Leach: That's what's more significant about this idea is that it reflects certain trends inside East Timor in terms of its alliances and certain debates that might be going on inside the government of East Timor, inside the elites of East Timor, inside the popular, the popular mind about whether they feel closer to the original countries or their historical alliances.

Sara Everingham: East Timor's foreign minister says he and the president will discussing other issues while in Australia, but he declined to comment on the dispute over the development of the Greater Sunrise gas field. East Timor and Australia are going to arbitration over the dispute.

Mark Colvin: Sara Everingham.

Julie Bishop makes diplomatic visit to East Timor

ABC Radio Australia - July 5, 2013

Australia's Deputy Opposition Leader and Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop is in East Timor.

Ms Bishop is scheduled to meet the Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao and Foreign Minister Jose Luis Guterres. She'll also be visiting development projects funded by Australia's aid agency, AusAID.

Presenter: Richard Ewart

Speaker: Julie Bishop, Australia's Deputy Opposition Leader and Foreign Affairs spokeswoman

Bishop: I am visiting Timor Leste, to maintain contact with the government representatives, whom I have met previously. I'm meeting with Prime Minister Gusmao, then with Foreign Minister Guterres, and I will be meeting with President TMR later this morning. The main purpose is to ensure the Timorese government that should the Coalition form government in Australia later this year, we will continue to focus our efforts on strengthening the bilateral relationship and with a view to broadening and deepening that relationship beyond the security focus and the aid donor-aid recipient status. I'm very keen to hear about Timor Leste's plans for economic development, not only in oil and gas, but also agriculture and tourism and other areas of possible expansion and what Australia can do to assist,

Ewart: Now the two countries, have obviously haggled for sometime over the question of the gas and oil revenue that they effectively share. It's a question of how they share that. We now understand there's going to be arbitration over this issue and Australia has agreed to that. What's your view on that issue, where does the Coalition stand?

Bishop: Well, I can't comment on any of the intelligence matters that have been raised in connection with this. As is longstanding practice, the Australian government hasn't commented on that either. But as it happens, I was the chair of our Joint Standing Committee on Treaties back in 2002- 2003, at the time these treaties were negotiated. I was of the view then and I was satisfied that the treaty negotiations were conducted in good faith on both sides and that the Timorese had legal advice and competent negotiators and were satisfied with the terms of the treaty. In fact, Australia's always conducted itself in a professional manner in diplomatic negotiations as far as I can see. But now that the meeting is referred to arbitration, the arbitration process is underway. Australia is participating in the arbitration and the government has confirmed that.

Ewart: In general, do you think that Australia though maybe needs to take another look at this particular issue, that the country has been accused under both parties, of course, of being rather hardline on this issue and the suggestion is that East Timor isn't really getting a fair share of the resources that exist between the two countries?

Bishop: Well, that was not my understanding at the time, this was negotiated back in 2002-2003 and as the chair of the Australian Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, I was satisfied that the treaty negotiations were conducted in good faith and that the treaty should be ratified. But now that it's in arbitration, these matters can be investigated and I will await the outcome of that arbitration. The process is underway, I understand there are a number of procedures. Timor Leste nominates an arbitrator, Australia nominates an arbitrator and then the two arbitrators nominated a third arbitrator, so it's obviously very arms length and independent. We'll await the outcome.

Ewart: Where does the Coalition stand on the question of the Greater Sunrise Gasfield processing Plant. Should East Timor be the plant for that in your view?

Bishop: Well at the end of the day, it comes down to a commercial or economic decision of the operators.

I come from Western Australia and we've just had a situation where a proposed onshore plant, at James Price Point, is not going ahead, because the operators believe that a floating LNG platform is [not?] possible. So it's not only in Timor Leste that these issues arise. Western Australia has also found itself in that position. So I am meeting with some of the relevant companies here in Timor Leste, I meet with them in Australia and it will come down to an economic decision.

But, of course, Australia wants to see economic opportunity in Timor Leste, we want to ensure that they get they're fair share of the oil and gas revenues and that those revenues are well managed and handled in a way that provides greater opportunity for the people of Timor Leste. So economic development in this country is obviously vital for its future.

Ewart: Can I ask what your view is on whether or not East Timor should be admitted to the Commonwealth of Nations and if it were to be admitted, do you think there would be benefits for East Timor?

Bishop: Well, I know East Timor is very keen to be admitted to ASEAN and Australia should support their application to be admitted as a member of ASEAN. There are some very important decisions taken by ASEAN and I think it would be good to see Timor Leste in that group.

As far as the Commonwealth's concerned, there have been a number of countries that were not originally part of the British Empire, that have been admitted to the Commonwealth and if Timor is keen to be a member, then I would hope that we would look favourably upon it. The common values that underpin the Commonwealth club, if you like, of democracy, rule of law, commitment to freedom are values that we hope the Timorese hold dear. So there's a very good case for Timor Leste to be admitted as a member of the Commonwealth and I always think that if a country wants to be a member of the Commonwealth, then the Commonwealth should look very kindly upon it. It's a very diverse group of countries and it deals with a whole range of issues across the diversity of the membership. So it sounds like a very, very positive issue that Timor has raised.

Ewart: Now, of course, while you're in East Timor, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is in Indonesia for talks with the President there, and inevitably, of course, the whole question of the asylum seeker issue is bound to come up. Now, Kevin Rudd has said that we shouldn't expect any new policy statements, I guess that remains to be seen. But in terms of your stand within the Coalition, are you moving at all on this question of turning the boats back were you to be elected?

Bishop: Well, we would reinstate the policies that worked under the Howard government. Kevin Rudd, when he was Prime Minister first time around, changed those policies and we've seen a reinvigorated people smuggling trade. Over 45,000 people have now tried to come to Australia by boat. Hundreds-and-hundreds of people have died at sea. There has been a multi- million dollar blowout in our detention network costs. So my question to Kevin Rudd is what is his solution? He claims that the Coalition's policies won't work. We say they will and they should be at least tried by this government, but Kevin Rudd's refusing to do that. So what is his solution? If he says that he's not going to make any progress with Indonesia. Well my question to him is what does he propose to do about it? We cannot continue to have people risking their lives, coming by boat, and in hundreds of cases actually drowning, dying at sea. This is just completely unacceptable. There is nothing humanitarian about the government's policies and I'd like to hear from Mr. Rudd as to what his solution to these issues is.

Ewart: You use the word "humanitarian" and yet my understanding is that a senior adviser to Indonesia's Vice-President, is saying that the Coalition's policy of turning back the boats, in his opinion, would be inhuman and you have to get an agreement if you're elected with the Indonesians surely to make this work. And against that background, it would seem that's going to be a very tough task?

Bishop: Well interestingly, retired Brigadier Gary Hogan, who has just completed his three year posting in Jakarta, has confirmed that our policies can work, that's what he said yesterday. These policies worked in the past. Mr. Rudd says they won't work. So what is his solution?

Ewart: Well, as I mentioned, he's telling us not to expect anything too major on policy, but we'll see what emerges from his talks with the President later. But beyond that, I mean what would you expect to come out of his visit to Jakarta. Because the suggestion is that perhaps Australia really needs to get to know Indonesia better and have a stronger relationship?

Bishop: I agree with that. A Coalition government, should we be elected, would make our relationship with Indonesia a first order priority in terms of foreign affairs and trade. I believe we should have a much deeper relationship with Indonesia. We have promised a "no surprises" policy with Indonesia, so that circumstances like the government's stand on the live cattle trade, without notice to Indonesia, would not occur again. But there is a repair job that needs to be done to restore our reputation as a trusted and reliable trading partner and I believe that there is much more that we could do to develop economic and trade links with Indonesia.

It's one of our closest neighbours, it's a growing population, with a growing economy. There is much more that we can do in economic terms between our two countries.

Timor Leste, Australia in spying row over energy deal

Agence France Presse - July 5, 2013

Dili – Timor Leste and Australia will go to a tribunal over a deal on sharing energy revenues after the half-island nation accused Canberra of spying during negotiations, the Timorese prime minister has said.

The accord, which came into force in 2007, stipulated oil and gas revenues from the Greater Sunrise field in the Timor Sea should be shared equally between the two countries.

Timor Leste is demanding the treaty be torn up, claiming Australia spied on Timorese officials during talks to broker the deal. Several months ago, Timor Leste demanded a process of arbitration.

Australia, which refuses to confirm or deny the allegations but insists the treaty is valid, has now agreed to the arbitration.

Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao reiterated his claim this week that Australia resorted to "espionage" during negotiations on the deal, without going into details.

"The Australian government and I are ready to go to the arbitration tribunal," Gusmao told reporters in the Timorese capital Dili. "I believe that we will win in this process."

A spokesman for Australia's Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus confirmed that on June 19 "Australia responded to (Timor Leste's) notice and appointed an arbitrator".

The Timorese and Australian arbitrators now have 60 days to pick a third member of the tribunal, Dreyfus added. The three members will then decide where and when the tribunal will sit, he said.

Tensions have centred on plans by Australia's Woodside Petroleum, which is leading a consortium to develop the Greater Sunrise field.

Woodside wants to process billions of dollars worth of gas on a floating processing platform, but Timor Leste wants the gas delivered to its soil via a pipeline and liquefied there.

Under the deal – called the Treaty on Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea – Timor Leste is also gagged from disputing maritime borders.

Current maritime boundaries put the vast majority of the Sunrise field in Australian territory, but these were drawn up before Timor Leste gained its independence in 2002.

In a statement after Timor Leste first demanded arbitration on the treaty, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Dreyfus said that the allegations were "not new and it has been the position of successive Australian governments not to confirm or deny such allegations".

Timor Leste, which gained its independence in 2002 following years of Indonesian occupation, has a sluggish economy that is heavily dependent on oil and gas.

East Timor hosts Australia's deputy opposition leader

ABC News - July 5, 2013

Australia's deputy opposition leader and foreign affairs spokeswoman, Julie Bishop, is in East Timor to meet with the country's prime minister Xanana Gusmao and foreign minister Jose Luis Guterres.

Ms Bishop told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program the main purpose of her trip is to assure East Timor's government that if Australia's opposition forms government later this year, they will continue to focus on the relationship between the two countries.

"We will continue to focus our efforts on the bilateral relationship, with a view to deepening and broadening that relationship beyond the security focus and donor-recipient status," she said.

"I'm very keen to hear East Timor's plans for economic development, not only in oil and gas, but agriculture and tourism and other areas of possible expansion, and what Australia can do to assist."

Ms Bishop is also scheduled to visit development projects funded by AusAID.

Following recent discussions on the matter in non-government circles, Ms Bishop says there is a good case for East Timor to join the Commonwealth should it wish to.

"I always think that if a country wants to be a member of the Commonwealth then the Commonwealth should look kindly upon it," she said.

"It's a very diverse group of countries and it deals with a whole range of issues across the diversity of the membership, so it sounds like a very positive issue that Timor has raised."

East Timor seeking development partners for the country

Macauhub - July 4, 2013

East Timor is seeking partners for human resource training, infrastructure construction and development of the oil, agriculture and tourism sectors, East Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said in Dili.

Speaking at Monday's opening session of the ninth meeting of entrepreneurs for economic and commercial cooperation between China and the Portuguese language countries, which closed on Wednesday, Gusmao highlighted that East Timor is an emerging economy with a free and open market receptive to foreign investment and with some of the world's lowest tax rates.

"Our goal with this fiscal policy is to attract investors who together with the private sector can drive the economy forward," Gusmao said, as reported by Portugal's Lusa news agency.

From 2007 to 2012 East Timor grew at an average annual rate of 11.9 percent. The International Monetary Fund has forecast that two-digit growth will continue. Investment partners should focus on the areas of "human resources training and specialisation, construction of basic infrastructures and development of the economy, especially the oil, agriculture and tourism sectors," the East Timorese prime minister said.

During the meeting the participants from China and the Portuguese-speaking countries stressed to East Timorese authorities the advantages of having a national currency. Since national independence in 2002 the US dollar has been the only legal tender for business transactions in the country.

The head of the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), Jackson Chang, said that East Timor should have its own currency, as using the monetary symbol of another country always causes problems, especially with respect to inflation.

The vice-governor of the Banco Central de Timor-Leste, Nur Alkatiri, said that a thorough study should be conducted before the country makes a decision on the issue and that his institution had already begun that process.

The gathering was organised by the Specialised Agency for Investment in East Timor in collaboration with the East Timorese embassy in Beijing, the Institute for the Support of Business Development in East Timor, the Forum for Economic and Commercial Cooperation between China and the Portuguese Language Countries, and the IPIM. (macauhub)

Timor Leste still awaiting bird-flu certification for chicken imports

Jakarta Post - July 3, 2013

Kupang – Timor Leste's plan to import chicken meat from Indonesia, specifically East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), has been impeded by the absence of an official notification from the province's administration stating the province is free from bird flu.

The Timor Leste Consul in Kupang, Feliciano da Costa, said it had been importing chicken meat from Brazil to meet demand.

"We will try [to import from Indonesia], because we've heard from poultry breeders that NTT is free from bird flu," said da Costa in Kupang on Tuesday, as quoted by Kompas.com.

"Therefore, we want a certificate or recommendation saying that poultry products from NTT are free from bird flu so that we can work together," he went on.

Da Costa said that quarantine regulations in Timor Leste were very strict and there was a plan to revise them. It was hoped that under the revised regulations, there would be more opportunities for partnerships with its neighboring region, in particular in the animal husbandry sector.

"In the future, Timor Leste has a dream that NTT and Timor Leste can develop an economic zone," said da Costa. He said Timor Leste with a population of 1 million and NTT with 6 million could become a strong economic power because they had similar cultures.

To accelerate the trade cooperation, Timor Leste should first develop economic zones. In this regard, da Costa said, Timor Leste had prepared a trade economic zone in Oekusi district which directly bordered with Timor Tengah Utara regency, in NTT. (hrl/ebf)

Japan, East Timor agree on deeper cooperation in nation-building

Kyodo News - July 1, 2013

The foreign ministers of Japan and East Timor agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in developing basic infrastructure in the violence-wracked Southeast Asian nation, during talks Sunday on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations-related meetings in Brunei, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and East Timor Foreign Minister Jose Luis Guterres also agreed to make preparations for President Taur Matan Ruak to visit Japan by next March, according to the ministry.

After gaining independence in 2002, East Timor sought international assistance as it faced a full-scale collapse of civil order in 2006. The nation occupies the eastern half of the island of Timor, whose western half is part of Indonesia.

During their meeting, Kishida praised the progress the East Timor has made in building the nation and said Japan will continue to provide economic support and help develop human resources by inviting youths to Japan.

While calling for more private-sector investment, Guterres expressed appreciation for Japan's assistance in the fields of infrastructure development and defense, according to the ministry. East Timor has also received help from the United Nations to ensure peace and stability.

East Timor is striving to become a member of the ASEAN framework, a bid that Kishida said Japan supports.