Various: Timorese Media Snippets

News from the Timorese Media (Source: UNOTIL Media Review)

7th of December Commemorated with Demonstration

7 December is the date that Indonesia invaded Timor-Leste in 1975. On that day this year, Timorese and in particular Timorese youth in Dili commemorated the with a range of activities, including a demonstration, a speaker's podium, and scattering of flowers at the port, the site of many Timorese deaths in the past. Spokesperson for the Timor-Leste Students Front, Sisto dos Santos said that the objective of the speaker's podium was to put forward a range of perspectives on the struggle for justice, and to demonstrate to thepublic and the United Nations that the Timorese people are very concerned with the struggle for justice. He said that the Timorese people and in particular the students believe that justice is not just represented in self-determination but that the perpetrators of the crimes must be taken to an international tribunal. He added that justice should not be a political compromise but that it must be something based on the law. (Timor Post)

MP Paixão: Veterans' bill should be socialized

Speaking to the press last Tuesday, MP Maria Paixão of the Social Democratic Party had been reportedly quoted as saying that the Veterans' bill should be socialized among the communities in the districts, adding that this is due to the fact many community members are not aware of the information on the bill, and arguing that her party does not want any bad precedent from the resistance members to happen because they feel that there are so many items that are not incorporated in the bill. "I find it pertinent to have public hearings in the districts on the bill. This will show that we really uphold our democratic principles," Paixão said. (Timor Post)

MP Buras :Timor-Leste and Indonesia have no will to solve the problem of former Timorese public servants

Speaking to the media last Friday, MP José Buras of Democratic Party noted that both Timor-Leste and Indonesian governments have no good political will to solve the problem of former Timorese public servants who had been abandoned after the 30 August 1999 referendum. Moreover, Buras argued that the two governments should have resolved the matter because the former public servants are part of the Timorese community who still have the working relationship with Indonesian government, adding that during the Indonesian period they had served the Indonesian government. Therefore, he said, the Indonesian government should have had the great desire to keep paying the salaries of its former employees even though now they are no longer Indonesian citizens.

In addition, Buras said that if both governments manage to solve the problems of refugees and the former public servants, Timorese citizens who are now in West Timor will come back to Timor-Leste, and they will not
become the burden for the people and the government of Indonesia. (Suara Timor Lorosae, Diaro Tempo)

Land Dispute Problems in Baucau.

TVTL reported on Friday that some 25 students have temporarily stopped going to their schools and moved to the military camp in Baucau, due to a land dispute problem between the villages of Bahu and Buibau, in Baucau.

These students originally come from Bahu village and are unable to attend school because they were reportedly being threatened by the people from the village of Buibau. Raimundo Xavier Lakuani, spokesperson for the Internal Displaced People, at the military camp in Baucau reportedly told journalists that PNTL Baucau District Commander was not neutral in this issue because he was alleged to have backed the villagers from Buibau. Lakuani further alleged that Baucau District Coordinator of FRETILIN party, João Capristão (Ajino) also involved. He appealed to the leaders to find the solution to enable their return to their homes. (Television and Radio Timor Leste)

TFC Closes Eye to RDTL Constitution (DN)

The organizing committee for the national dialogue, Fr. Martinho G da Silva Gusmão reportedly said, according to him there are manipulations in interpreting the Constitution and legislation of Timor-Leste, which would
become worst to the legal system citing as an example the TFC neglect of the article 160. Fr. Gusmão said that to date the National Parliament has not ratified the CVA and that the commission has not mentioned the possibilities of establishing a formal justice in order to realise substantial justice. He noted that CVA has only put their interest on politics and into one group and are only interested in the truth and friendship between the peoples, Indonesia and Timor-Leste. "We see a political arrogance from TFC to write about the truth as a new paradigm of which they are the only ones that want and trust. Fr. Martinho Gusmão said the social impact
upon the people is that TFC want to forget and close the victims and their families wounded hearts relating to 1999 and the commission is not looking to the victims interest about the "truth". He said the "establishing of the National Committee is to focus on the political of discourse to find and open a better process and political
communication with conditions for compassion between those in the TFC and the victims and their families and all the people who has goodwill to speak correctly and from the heart".

END