East Timor Press Review

17 January 2003

E D I T O R I A L (Timor Post)

Militia

The militia is still operational three years since they escaped to Indonesia in 1999. Infiltration in 2000 saw them reaching almost Same, despite unsuccessful it was a prelude to what came to happen in 2003 when they did manage to cause deaths in the population before being captured. This time they were successful in the militaristic approach, managing to infiltrate local communities. They were 100 per cent successful not because of their planning but because they took advantage of political instability in the nation.

We have to recognize that there are still organized groups, each with its own political agenda. There is also the fact that the border region between Timor-Leste and Indonesia is inadequately controlled. This situation becomes the more precarious with the joint decision of the RDTL Government and NTT Government to open a free market in Maliana. People come in and out without legal permits. Infiltration is easy to take place every day this way. There isn’t even a decision on maritime borders starting from Batugade where there are illegal transactions taking place in front of the PKF and they do nothing.

It is time for our borders to be secured, and we must not be too subdued to UN politics, which does not want to empower our armed forces and our police so that they can do their job. Once gain, we must not be victimized by UN politics that was wrong even before then after the referendum ballot on 30 August 1999. The Timorese are still falling victim because of the trust that the UN puts on Indonesia in bringing to justice those responsible for the crimes in 1999. Why does the UN refuse to recognize Timor-Leste’s right for justice?

I ask authorities, our leaders and our leadership in Timor-Leste not to let themselves be subjugated one more time. The events of 4 December 2002 were an eye-opener for our leaders. It should never have happened, and now it seems that investigations on this case have just fallen through the gaps. Thank You.

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