From UNMISET

May 29, 2003

LOCAL MEDIA MONITORING

LOCAL MEDIA

STL 1. The Minister for Interior Affairs, Mr Rogerio Lobato, said that the Border Police will increase its surveillance of the border between Timor-Leste and Indonesia. Mr Lobato took this decision after he received reports about an increasing number of robberies of Timor-Leste's livestock and sandal wood by its neighbor West Timor.

2. Vice-Minister for Development and Environment, Mr Abel Ximenes, told the press on Tuesday that UNDP will disburse the RESPECT (Recovery Stability for Ex-Combatants and Community in East Timor) fund of $100,000 for each district in order to boost the rural economy, mainly to support those under the poverty line in remote areas. The amount cited above will be given according to proposals submitted by the community and the feasibility of the proposals.

3. The Deputy Coordinator of the Veterans and former Combatants Commission (CAVF_CAAC), Mr Andre da Costa Belo, met with the Speaker of the Parliament, Mr Francisco Guterres Lu-Olo, at the Parliament building to present information about the Commission's work. Mr Belo also asked the former combatants and veterans now in high positions in the Government, Parliament and other Institutions to complete the assessment forms provided by the CAVF-CAAC Commission. In response Mr Lu-Olo suggest that it would be easier for the Commission to carry out their task if the Commission could decide on a time for all the high ranking officials to complete the assessment forms simultaneously.

4. The Director of the Dili National Hospital, Mr Antonio Caleres Junior, said that he has received information from the Department of Health that a SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) carrier arrived from Bali yesterday at Nicolao Lobato's International airport. Mr Junior did not disclose the suspected SARS carrier's identity.

5. The Secretary of State for the Council of Ministers Affairs, Mr Gregorio de Sousa, told the press yesterday that the Council of Ministers has agreed to pass the Draft Bill for Investment. The Bill was proposed by the Minister of Economy, Development and Environment, Mr Mari Alkatiri yesterday during the regular meeting. According to Mr Sousa the Bill will be submitted to the Parliament for approval. (STL did not go into details about the contents of the Bill).

TIMOR POST

1. Representatives of over 90 American religious groups have called on the United States Government to support the creation of an international court to try the perpetrators of violence in Timor-Leste. The issue of the International War Crimes Court has been raised in response to the Indonesian ad-hoc court for Timor-Leste, labeled by many as a "sham". They urged the United States to actively work with its UN Security Council partners to approve a resolution creating an international court for Timor-Leste.

2. The Draft Bill for Investment was finalized by the Council of Ministers as reported in STL.

3. The Speaker of the Parliament, Mr Francisco Guterres Lu-Olo, registered as a member of the Veterans and former Combatants Association as described in STL.

4. The Chairman of the Commission for Internal Security and Foreign Affairs in the Parliament, Mr Jose Manuel Fernandes, told Timor Post that the creation of a new special police force is on the Government planning agenda. According to Mr Fernandes, there needs to be a consensus regarding the definition of the special police force's role.

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