Timor-Leste International and Local Media Monitoring May 27, 2004

STL

ETAN urges international support for justice and control of resources on newest nation' birthday

On the second anniversary of East Timor' independence, the East Timor Action Network (ETAN) called on the international community to actively promote justice and a just boundary for the new nation. "wo years after independence, the people of East Timor still lack any semblance of justice for decades of atrocities. They still lack the unquestionable ability to develop their own natural resources,"said John Miller spokesperson for ETAN. "Without vigorous international support, Australia will continue to steal East Timor's resources and high-ranking Indonesian officials responsible for directing horrendous human rights crimes will remain free to violate others' rights and run for high office." "We urge the Australian government to respect the sovereignty and resource rights of East Timor by promptly and fairly negotiating the maritime boundary between the two countries," said Miller.

Ainaro without clean water

A Member of the National Parliament, Alexandre Corte Real, said that one of the major problems for the people in the District of Ainaro is not having access to clean water. He said that the Government needs to pay attention to people's necessities in the District and provide them with an adequate water system. Apart from water problems, people in the District of Ainaro have been sitting in the dark for two months without electricity, because of broken wires and electrical posts that have fallen down which the electrician are not able to repair, said Mr Corte Real.

Frontier of the unknown

In theory they can go home to see friends and family, but they have to sneak across the border unless they can buy an Indonesian passport and a one-month East Timor visa, which costs $USD 25 ($A 36), a prohibitive price for people without jobs and land. Many of them, like Fernande?s neighbour Luis Barreto, also have a darker reason for not going back. "People there want to kill me because I supported staying in Indonesia. I was a member of the militia,? the 30-year old admits. Donatus Akur, from the Jesuit Refugee service in Atambua, knows many of the hundreds of former militia members living in the border camps and the UNHCR funded resettlement villages. But despite their past, Akur rubbishes suggestions that the militia groups are still functioning. "No, no, no, none of them are active." "In West Timor, there are many militias at the moment. They are divided into many groups and they can send people here to find out what's going on," he says. "There are 1000 people in Mota Ain who don't want to come here now but they believe if (former Indonesian military commander) Wiranto becomes president, they will move here." Even as the UN winds down, an agreed border still has not been demarcated between East and West Timor, so no one is certain whose country ends where. Such uncertainty means there is always a risk of a clash neither neighbour can afford.

Timor Post

False Aquase "water cups" illegally sold in Timor-Leste

According to today's edition of the paper a Chinese man was detained by the National Police in Praia dos Coqueiros, Farol, for producing illegally and false detergent 'So Klean" and water cups with Aquase copied labels. The man with AC initials was producing and selling dirty water as Aquase (a brand that is imported from Indonesia). The Secretary of State for Commerce and Trade, Arlindo Rangel, said that the Chinese man was producing these goods without any authorization, and the water used in the cups was pumped from the water channel nearby and sold to consumers.

Major Indonesian party endorses Wiranto's bid

A major Indonesian party officially threw its weight behind presidential contender and former military chief Wiranto after its own candidate failed a medical test for the July 5 election. The move came ahead of a planned meeting between Wiranto, indicted for crimes against humanity in East Timor, with Xanana Gusmão, in a bid to smooth his presidential bid. Endorsement by the Nation Awakening Party (PKB) of former President Abdurrahman Wahid, populary known as Gus Dur, would be a big boost for Wiranto, the nominee of Golkar, the party that won the most seats in parliament in April 5 legislative election, though nowhere near a majority. A PKB official last week said support for Wiranto could change if a court proved charges that the ex-general committed crimes against humanity over East Timor's bloody split in 1999 from Jakarta.

Jose Filipe External Affairs World Bank, Dili Office

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