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Timor-Leste International and Local Media Monitoring July 29, 2004

Timor Post

95,30% of students graduated

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport announced (Wednesday) the national results for the final exams for 2003/2004 where 95.30% of students graduated. Primary schools 98.14%, pre-secondary schools 97.19%, secondary schools 79.04% and technical schools 97.93% of students graduated.

National Parliament will not rectify the AUI

A Member of the National Parliament for Klibur Oan Timor Asu?uwain (KOTA), Manuel Tilman, said that for Timor-Leste to not lose its resources the National Parliament will not ratify the International Unitization Accord (AUI) signed in 2002. Mr Tilman announced this at a meeting between civil society and members of the Petroleum Company in Timor-Leste Woodside Energy Ltd.

L7 would not take up guerrilla action, says Ruak

The F-FDTL Commander Brigadier General, Taur Matan Ruak, said he does not believe that the former combatant L-7 would take up guerrilla or any action to destabilize the nation. The Brigadier said that there is no Timorese like L-7 who had fought for 24 years and want to destabilize Timor-Leste. L7 would do nothing to betray his sufferings and the sufferings of others. He added that he's been trying to get in touch with L-7 since July 20 to resolve the problem, and adding that that not everything can happen overnight, unless through a miracle and patience is the essence to achieve one's goal.

Australian PM blasts Labor over East Timor boundary

Australian Prime Minister, John Howard (Wednesday) accused opposition Labor Party leader Mark Latham of damaging Canberra's negotiating position with East Timor as the neighbors try to thrash out an agreement on a permanent maritime boundary. Latham?s comments that talks may be restarted under a Labor Government have made the future of multibillion dollar gas and oil projects in the Timor sea less certain, with the chief executive of Woodside Petroleum Ltd due to visit East Timor shortly to discuss the future of the Sunrise project, according to one source. ?What Mr Latham has done by implying that East Timor would get a better deal under a Labor government is to undermine the Australian government?s negotiating position and that is against the international interest,? Howard told reporters. ?This is another example of his ill-thought-out approach to foreign affairs; he hasn't thought through the consequences,? said Howard, who is touring various mining projects in Western Australia. Howard said Canberra has been ?patiently negotiating? with Dili and wants to bring the talks to a conclusion that is fair to East Timor and consistent with Australia's national interest.

Change of mentality from women in Bobonaro

The Vice-Administrator of the District of Bobonaro, Beatriz Ximenes Martins, said that the violence in households in the District between husband and wife has reduced considerably. The Vice-Administrator said that many times women don?t report the problems they face daily, and prefer to keep quiet. Mrs Martins said that during Sunday mass the Church has always raise the issue but it has to come from us as Christians and we need to be responsible for our moral attitudes.

Suara Timor Loro Sa'e (STL)

Women's contribution during the struggle never raised

A member of the woman organization - Organização Popular da Mulher Timorense (OPMT), Liberate Xavier, said at the National Women?s Congress that no one has talked about the role of the women during the struggle for independence. She said many women died, others were tortured and now that Timor-Leste is independent they were simple forgotten. Mrs Xavier said that because of this, many of the women feel that they were used for the struggle only, and at the end they are treated as just another piece of rotten cloth.

Jose Filipe External Affairs World Bank, Dili Office

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