East Timor Press Review

Thursday 13 June 2002

· A Timor Post front-page article reported on yesterday’s speech by President Xanana Gusmão that focused on three main points: internal security, dialogue to end conflicts, and the law of amnesty and pardon.

· The Timor Post also reported comments by FRETILIN Member of Parliament Eusebio Guterres, who said that Australia is putting pressure on East Timor to sign the Timor Gap Agreement. He said that East Timor would benefit little if the agreement is signed.

· Suara Timor Lorosae’s front page reported Bishop of Dili Carlos Ximenes Belo as saying that amnesty should be granted to those who committed crimes in 1999.

· The paper quoted Member of Parliament José Andrade as saying that the people of Bobonaro district are ready to welcome former pro-Indonesia leader João da Silva Tavares and other refugees back to East Timor.

· STL reported that Quiteria da Costa, a Member of Parliament for the UDT party, has appealed to the East Timorese people to respect the RDTL flag and not raise other flags simply as they please.

· The paper said a delegation composed of members of parliament, ETPS, FALINTIL-FDTL, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will travel to West Timor on 14 June to encourage more refugees to return to East Timor. The trip has been coordinated by UNHCR.

· STL ran a story that says that the Minister for Internal Affairs, Rogerio Lobato, has no plans to replace the current ETPS commissioner Paulo Fatima Martins.

· STL reported that the vice-president of the Partido Trabalhista Timorense (PTT), Angela Freitas, has been sentenced to seven days in prison for slapping a man.

· East Timor will reportedly host the South Pacific Forum in 2006. Government officials participated in the last forum, which was held in Bali last week.

· STL reported that youths are complaining that the Portuguese language is very difficult to learn.

· STL reported Dili District Administrator, Ruben Braz de Carvalho, as saying that he has raised the issue of traffic light installments with the department of Public Works to stop further accidents. Carvalho has also requested street vendors to use the facilities in the three markets in the capital to sell their goods and give the town a better image.

· STL reports that contract extensions for 13 local judges have not been renewed. The judges have not been working since May 20, the paper said.

· STL reported that two members of FALINTIL-FDTL slapped a man who had teased them following a driving incident in Dili. Fernando Carvalho, the defender for both soldiers, said he want his clients to appear only in a military court.

· The Commission for Popular Economic Development will hold a training session for coffee farmers in the districts of Maliana, Suai, Ermera, Baucau, Viqueque and Same next month in order to encourage diversification.

· STL reported that Helder da Costa, the Director for Scientific Investigation Centre, says the government must make a decision urgently on economic regulations in order to maintain the circulation of the US dollar in East Timor.

· The paper says Western Union plans to expand its offices next month to the districts of Suai, Baucau, Liquiça, Viqueque, Manatuto and Oecussi.

· Bishop Belo reportedly said that those who criticize the church are also criticizing themselves. STL reported the Bishop saying, “If we speak about separation, it is a complex issue. One cannot separate the body from the spirit. Therefore we cannot totally separate the church and the state. These two things have always existed in this society, and all the citizens of East Timor are members of the church and the state.”

· STL reported that Minister of Finance Maria Madalena Boavida will present the budget for 2002-2003 at Friday’s Council of Minister’s meeting.

· The dean of East Timor’s university, Miguel da Silva, has reportedly said that the Indonesian curriculum is still in use because the Department of Education has not yet produced a regulation changing the curriculum.

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