| Subject: UNMISET Daily Media Review 22
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 Friday, 22 April 2005
President on row in TL over religion in schools
The President’s Chief of Staff, Agio Pereira, has played down
concerns that the dispute between the Church and the State over compulsory
religious education in schools could escalate. Thousands of East Timorese
have been demonstrating in the capital for three consecutive days, upset
over Government plans to run a pilot program in about 30 schools where
religious studies will be taught as an optional rather than a compulsory
subject.
In an interview with ABC radio, Pereira said the protests are not a
major concern. “The President always urges joint efforts to work on
things that are of national interest, and therefore the President
continues to urge that all parties break the barriers of misunderstanding
and reach agreement, even if at the end they have to agree to disagree,”
he said.
The Chief of Staff denied that there is fear or indication that the
protest could be destabilising for the Government of Timor-Leste. “As
long as there’s no violence, and as long as there’s no attitudes that
go beyond what is acceptable by law and democracy, the President thinks
this is a test of our democratic processes of a young nation of less than
three years.”
Meanwhile, President Xanana Gusmão has praised the protestors for the
way they have conducted their demonstration peacefully. Speaking at a
press conference at the international airport before leaving for the
AsiaAfrica Conference in Indonesia, the President said that he also very
much appreciated the work of the police in controlling the demonstration.
However, the President expressed disappointment with the use of religious
icons during the demonstration as well as the fact that the demands of the
demonstration had moved on from that of religion to also include justice
and security, among others. He called for the government and Church to
initiate dialogue to discuss the matter. (ABC, STL, Timor Post)
Indonesian officer accidentally shot in border incident
An Indonesian security officer was accidentally wounded yesterday when
border patrols from both countries were attempting to arrest smugglers
near Timor-Leste’s frontier with West Timor. The incident occurred early
yesterday when the Timorese border police and an Indonesian military
patrol chased the group of presumed smugglers on the road from Maliana to
Balibo, about 70 kilometres west of Dili. An Indonesian lieutenant was
inadvertently shot in the leg during the joint pursuit by the Timorese
patrol.
To defuse the tension between forces, the United Nations’ envoy for
Timor-Leste, Dr Sukehiro Hasgawa, has called a meeting this morning
between Indonesian and Timorese commanders as well as UN military
observers. (Lusa)
TL becomes newest applicant to join UN tourism agency
Timor-Leste, the world’s youngest country, has become the newest
applicant for membership of the United Nations’ tourism agency. The
World Tourism Organization (WTO) is a global forum that plays a decisive
role in promoting the development of responsible, sustainable and
universally accessible tourism. The Timor-Leste application, together with
those of Papua New Guinea, the United Kingdom and Belarus, will be
submitted in November to the WTO’s General Assembly in Senegal. (UN
News)
Timor-Leste participates in Asia-Africa Conference
Timor-Leste’s President and Prime Minister will participate in the
Bandung Asia-Africa Conference today. The United Nations Secretary General
Kofi Annan along with representatives from approximately 46 countries are
expected to participate. Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri will
open the conference. (Timor Post)
Next Donors Conference upcoming
The next donor’s conference for Timor-Leste will be held next week in
order to discuss Timor-Leste’s future development. After meeting with
Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri on Thursday, the UN’s
Special Representative for Timor-Leste, Dr Sukehiro Hasegawa, said the
conference is an important forum for a discussion of the needs of the
people of Timor-Leste and of monetary developments, which will support
areas such as education and health.
Hasegawa added that after the donor’s conference there would be an
international conference on 28 and 29 April to reflect on the peacekeeping
operations of the United Nations in Timor-Leste between 1999 and 2005.
(Timor Post)
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