| Subject: UNMISET Daily Media Review 12
April 2005
[Poster's note: Long repeats of international articles already sent out
to the east-timor list have been removed.]
UNMISET Daily Press Review
Compiled by the Public Information Office from national and
international sources
Daily Media Review Tuesday, 12 April 2005
Catholic bishops blast government on religious teaching in schools
An increasingly bitter dispute between the government of Timor-Leste
and the country’s Catholic Church over plans to demote religious
teaching in schools has escalated after two bishops accused the government
of causing “great offence” to their church.
In a joint press release, Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva of Dili and
Bishop Basilio do Nascimento of Baucau said a 24 March government
statement attacked “the conviction and fundamental references of the
Timorese” and “diminished the sacred scripture”.
Last month’s criticism by the government against the Catholic Church
was in response to what Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta has described as
“unwanted interference” in state plans to make religious instruction
in public schools as optional subject. Under the scheme being piloted in
32 schools, Timor-Leste’s various established churches will take
responsibility for teaching religion.
In the communiqué, the two Roman Catholic bishops also criticized the
recent creation of the Truth and Friendship Commission being planned by
Dili and Jakarta. They claim the body will neither give moral compensation
to victims of war crimes nor punish those who committed them. “The
people will not accept impunity for crimes against humanity. The victims
who suffered these crimes, their families and the people in whose name the
crimes were committed deserve more than this.” (Lusa, STL, Timor Post)
TL Foreign Minister to call on Ireland for more aid
Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta has called on Ireland to expand its
aid programme to Timor-Leste. Despite international aid totalling more
than $1-billion since 1999, Mr Ramos-Horta said “immense needs remain”.
Arriving in Dublin yesterday for a four-day official visit said he hoped
that donor countries, rich friends, do not leave in haste because there
are some oil and gas revenues coming in the future. (The Irish Times)
Aniceto Guterres on roles of Commission of Experts and CAVR
The Director of CAVR, Aniceto Guterres, has stated that the UN’s
Commission of Experts and the Commission for Reception, Truth and
Reconciliation (CAVR) have each got a separate missions and roles. Mr
Guterres made the above statement after he was questioned following his
meeting with the Commission of Experts last week. He said the role of the
Commission of Experts is to evaluate a process, while CAVR is seeking to
find the truth, which is then forwarded to the President and the National
Parliament before it is made public.
When asked about the meeting between families of victims and the
Commission of Experts, Guterres responded by stating that the meeting was
sponsored by human rights groups as well as UNMISET’s Human Rights unit,
not CAVR. (Timor Post)
MP Guterres: Indonesians have lost their rights over assets
MP Eusebio Guterres claims that Indonesians no longer have any right to
reclaim their assets in Timor-Leste. Guterres says that according to
Timor-Leste’s constitution, private and company assets belonging to
Indonesians and Portuguese individuals are now under the ownership of the
state. MP Guterres is urging Timor-Leste’s government to enforce the
existing law. He said the deadline for Indonesians to reclaim any assets
or property ended on 10 March 2004. However, he concluded by saying that
private assets could legally be reclaimed through a court process and
based on paragraph 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Meanwhile, MP Leandro Izaac expressed similar sentiments, arguing that
if the Indonesian government wants to reclaim their assets then Timor-Leste
should do the same. (Timor Post, STL)
Coverage on protests during President SBY’s visit
Timor Post runs various headlines on the reactions on a demonstration,
which national police prevented from taking place during the visit of
Indonesia’s President to Timor-Leste on Saturday. The newspaper quoted
the Socialist Party of Timor-Leste’s (PST) representative, Nelson Thomas
Correia, who criticised the attitude shown by the national police (PNTL)
for preventing them from protesting.
Meanwhile, Fretilin’s Fransisco Branco was reported by Timor Post as
saying that PNTL’s attitude in preventing demonstrators from expressing
their opinion during the visit of the Indonesian President SBY was
undemocratic and that the group should have been allowed to protest
peacefully. (Timor Post)
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