Subject: Timor-Leste Local Media Monitoring March 26, 2004
Timor-Leste International and Local Media Monitoring March 26, 2004
Timor Post
Members of PSD threatened due to bribery allegation
A Member of Social Democratic Party (PSD) at the National Parliament, Maria
Paixão, told the National Parliament that two members of her party (PSD)
received messages on their mobile telephones, advising them not to raise the
subject of the bribery allegations involving the Prime Minister. "If you
speak again, we will fix a place for you", said the message sent to the
mobile telephones of MPs Lucia Lobato and Joao Goncalves, reported Timor Post on
Thursday. Mrs Paixão said Timor Telecom has been approached to provide
information on who might be the sender of the messages.
I have no time to threaten them, says Mari
The Prime Minister, Dr Mari Alkatiri, said that he has no time to threat
people and he doesn't know anything about threats against other people related
to accusations of alleged bribery. He said that such talk has always been the
tactic of the opposition.
Australia is stealing our petrol, says PM
The Prime Minister, Dr Mari Alkatiri, said that Australia has stolen USD$1
billion of Timor's oil and gas, and according to the international law,
Australia has no right to it. The Prime Minister said that if international law
is applied Sunrise field belongs to Timor-Leste. Dr Alkatiri said that the
Government has to set up an strategy to defend the country's position on the
issue.
Bid for Timor billions in trust
A lobby group supporting East Timor wants Australia to put the billions
flowing from some of the Timor Gap oil and gas fields into a trust fund until
the boundary dispute is solved. East Timor Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri said
this week that Australia was breaching international law by taking billions of
dollars worth of oil and gas from the Timor Gap fields, which East Timor says it
owns. Representatives of the Timor Sea Justice Campaign appeared before a Senate
inquiry in Canberra (yesterday) saying legislation now being considered would
give Australia control over huge fuel supplies that belonged to the impoverished
country. Spokesman Dan Nicholson said the bill to implement the Timorese
agreement would give 82 per cent of its revenue to Australia even though the
deposit was half the distance from East Timor as it was from Australia. Dan
Nicholson group wants Australia to negotiate a deal more beneficial to East
Timor.
WSS will implement tariff
The Minister for Transport, Telecommunication and Public Works, Ovidio de
Jesus Amaral, said that Water and Sanitation Service (WSS) will apply a tariff
to consumers from June, 2004 to cover the costs of delivering clean water to
each household. He said that consumers will pay 0.20 cents for every 14
milliliters of water consumed. Mr Amaral said that new water meters soon will be
installed in every household and the tariff will start in FY05.
Valuable report presented by UNTL, says Ximenes
The Vice-Minister for Development and Environment, Abel Ximenes, said that
the investigation done by the National Investigation Centre and National
University of Timor-Leste (UNTL) on the land and proprieties is very positive.
He said that the result of the investigation was presented by UNTL in a report
with recommendations for the Government to study.
STL
Wiranto hits back on UN allegations
Former Indonesian military chief and prominent presidential candidate General
Wiranto has challenged United Nations prosecuters in East Timor to come to
Indonesia and discuss their allegations that he is guilty of gross human rights
abuses. Acting as General Wiranto's spokesperson (yesterday) former Indonesian
Justice Minister Professor Muladi said General Wiranto would meet the leaders of
the UN's Serious Crimes Unit if they agree to visit Indonesia before the
election, which will take place on April 5. Professor Muladi accused the UN
prosecutors of "character assassination" and released a document,
approved by General Wiranto, which argues that attempts by UN prosecutors to
obtain a warrant for General Wiranto's arrest are a breach of international law.
Jose Filipe External Affairs World Bank, Dili Office Ph: 723 0554 Tel: 332
4649 Email: ffilipe@worldbank.org
