[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 Monday, 16 May 2005

Indonesia-TL to discuss border problems

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said that Indonesian and East Timorese governments would soon meet to clearly discuss the border areas of Indonesia and East Timor. "We will hold a meeting of Border Joint Committee with East Timor within this short time," Wirajuda said after a coordination meeting held at the Indonesian Ministry of Political, Law and Security in Jakarta last week. Wirajuda declined to confirm the date of the meeting. (Tempo)

SCU buries unidentified bodies

The Serious Crimes Unit and the Timor-Leste Prosecutor General Longuinhos Martins on Saturday held a burial ceremony for the remains of 33 unidentified bodies from the 1999 violence. The ceremony was held at the Cacaulido cemetery in Fatumeta, Dili, and was attended by senior government officials as well as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste, Sukehiro Hasegawa. Some relatives of the victims were also in attendance.

Acting Deputy General Prosecutor for the Serious Crimes Unit, Marek Michon, said that the Serious Crimes Unit has returned the majority of victims' remains from the 1999 violence to their families, but those remains that were not been able to be identified were buried today. (STL)

Portugal-Australia donate to Peace Memorial

Portugal and Australia have each donated $5000 to the Serious Crimes Unit in support of the construction of the Peace Memorial at Lecidere, Dili. The monument will be a symbol in memory of those Timorese who experienced violence in 1999. The Prosecutor General Longuinhos Monteiro officially accepted $5000 from the Australian Ambassador, Margaret Twomey, and the Portuguese Ambassador, Joao Ramos Pinto, on Friday. (Timor Post)

Malaysia willing to accept female workers

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Jose Ramos-Horta says that the Malaysian government is willing to accept female as well as male workers to join the workforce in Malaysia. Speaking to journalists upon returning from his visit to Malaysia and Singapore with the Secretary of State for Labour and Solidarity Arsenio Bano, Ramos-Horta said that Timorese women maybe able to work in Malaysia as domestic helpers. Ramos-Horta cautioned that the number of Timorese working in Malaysia is not yet certain as Timor-Leste and Malaysia are still negotiating an agreement. (Timor Post)

Martins: Karlele case not a game

National Police Commander Paulo de Fatima Martins said that the detention of ex-Falintil soldier Karlele is not a game being played by the police. Martins said that the pistol found in Karlele's possession is not the same make as the ones that the police use. Martins was responding to claims from Member of Parliament from KOTA party Clementino dos Reis Amaral, that there has been police manipulation surrounding the Karlele case. Amaral commented that Karlele entered the area around the government building exactly at a time when the police were guarding it fiercely. He said that this was illogical and pointed to police manipulation of the case. (STL)

Japan-TL sign clean water accord

The Japanese and Timor-Leste governments have signed an accord for clean water provision in Same and Ainaro districts. The Japanese Ambassador to Timor-Leste Hideaki Asahi and the Timor-Leste Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Olimpio Branco signed the accord at the Memorial Hall Farol on Friday. Ambassador Asahi said the project, worth almost US $10 million, would be implemented over a three-year period. (STL)

Reis: No need for Fretilin to prove themselves

Fretilin's Assistant Secretary General Jose Reis says that the results of the village and hamlet chief elections show that the Fretilin party is still strong and is still very much believed in by the people. Reis said that the initial information shows that Fretilin has won 50% of the votes in the village chief elections in Covalima District and that this reaffirms Fretilin's strength among the Timorese people. (STL)