[Poster's note: International and other articles already sent out to the east-timor list (info@etan.org) have been removed from below.]

Daily Media Review Thursday, 14 September 2006

National Media Reports

One Youth Death and Three Injured Following Attack

One youth died following attacks by an unknown group in the area of Kintal Bo’ot on Wednesday evening around 19:00hrs. The victim identified as Abento was hit on the forehead by the dart-Like weapon known as rama ambon. According to Timor Post, three youths were injured following shootings by the UN police. The population in the areas of Kaikoli, Mascarenhas, Balide, Matadouro and Mercado Lama claim to be in shock and are traumatized by the actions of the UN police for arbitrary shooting at the population. One of the injured, Mateus Droga who was treated at the Canossian Sisters Residence in Balide said before the problem started he and some youths were sitting in a kiosk, opposite the President’s Palace, and upon hearing information of the conflict they went to the vicinity of the incident and saw Ambeno on the floor. As they tried to help him, Mateus said the international police arrived and rather than chase after the attackers they started shooting at him and his friends. He further said they fled from the scene and started yelling that the international police were supposed to provide security for the people and not to harm them. Mateus Droga said the police composed of GNR chased him and his friends all the way into the President’s Palace, where one of them had already been injured in the head from a bullet wound, and then as they approached the vicinity, Mateus claims that the police shot him in the in the neck. The three injured received medical treatment at the Canossian Sisters Residence in Balide. According to Timor Post, the UN police commander has not confirmed the actions of the police and it is reported police used rubber bullets. (TP)

700 PNTL Registered

About 700 PNTL have registered with the Commission of Evaluation in a first phase of screening process for PNTL officers, Minister of Interior, Alcino Barris said on Wednesday. Barris further said PNTL Commander General Paulo Martins, Operational Commander Ismael Babo and Deputy Administration Commander Lino Saldanha will also take part in the screening test. The Minister of Interior further said some members of PNTL have not yet handed in their weapons and pistols because they are scared. He said the police have the original list and know who still have guns. In the meantime, Paulo Martins has reportedly said the International Forces have not considered him as Commander of PNTL and searched his house in Bairro Pité without notifying him. (TP, DN)

Commission of Inquiry Collects 3000 Documents

The UN Independent, Special Commission of Inquiry headed by Paulo Sergio Pinheiro held a press conference on Wednesday to update the public on the progress of their work. According to Pinheiro, the Commissioners have visited the country for the second time and in the last 10 days have worked intensively with members of the commission’s team and the information gathered from interviews and follow-up interviews. The Commissioners are scheduled to leave the country at the end of the week and resume their work towards the end of September in order to finalize the report which would be handed in to the UN Secretary General, and the Timor-Leste National Parliament. (DN, TP, STL)

Ramos-Horta Blames Media Partly For The Crisis

Prime Minister Ramos-Horta reportedly said if he steps down as the head of the government the journalists would receive the burden and the consequences for their acts, reported STL Thursday. Ramos-Horta also blames the journalists partly for contributing to the crisis, noting some of the reports have not been accurate and appealed to them to verify their reports as it can have an impact on the destabilization of the country. He further said ‘it is not only the politicians misinforming but also some journalists sometimes provides wrong information. The Minister added, some of the journalist reports instigate the leaders and destabilize the situation.

RTTL Headlines, 13 September 2006

Bilateral Police to UNPOL

The International Police from Australia, Malaysia and Portugal, who have been on the ground in Timor-Leste on bilateral arrangements, have been transferred to the UN Police on Wednesday. Speaking at the ceremony, SRSG Sukehiro Hasegawa said that the International Community would continue to support Timor-Leste. Meanwhile, PM Ramos Horta stated that the presence of the UN police was important for peace and stability in this country as well as the re-establishment of the national police, PNTL.

Humanitarian Assistance continue

The Minister for Labour and Community Reinsertion, Arsenio Paixao Bano, has reportedly stated that the government would continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the IDPs in the camps throughout Dili. Speaking to journalists at the airport IDP camp, after accompanying the Prime Minister on a visit to the camps, Minister Bano said that the assistance will continue until there is adequate conditions for the return home of the IDPs.

A Mass for victims of the Crisis

The spokesperson of Dili Diocese, Fr. Dominggos Soares Maubere, held a mass in Gleno, Ermera on Tuesday, reportedly to pray for all those who had fallen victims during the recent crisis in Timor-Leste. Speaking to journalists after the mass, Fr. Maubere said that there is no peace without justice and he called on the leaders of this country to create peace to enable the people to accept each other.

International Media Reports

Man killed in Timor gang clash

From correspondents in Dili

September 14, 2006 03:53pm - Article from: Agence France-Presse

CLASHES between gangs in the restive East Timor capital have left one person dead, an official at the main hospital said today.

The man was apparently struck in the head with an arrow during the clashes late yesterday near the presidential palace, a forensic worker at the hospital in Dili said. The incident occurred on the same day the United Nations took charge of policing in the tiny nation, and underscores the ongoing challenge faced to ensure security in the wake of violence which has rocked Dili since April. Portuguese peacekeeper Helger Oliveira said late yesterday that at least two people had been injured in the violence. About 60 Portuguese troops had intervened in the melee, firing rubber bullets to disperse the rock and arrow-throwing mob, he said adding that no tear gas was fired and nobody was arrested. Bruno de Jesus, 19, from Dili's Caicoli district died at the hospital after being earlier treated in a clinic, the forensic worker, who declined to be named, told AFP. The situation in Dili was calm today, witnesses said. Gangs of thugs and youths aligned along east and west divisions in the half-island nation were behind some of the violence in April and May that left at least 21 dead. The unrest, which also involved warring between factions from the police and military, followed the sacking of some 600 deserting soldiers. It prompted the deployment of 3200 international peacekeepers, but sporadic low-level unrest has continued to plague the capital and tens of thousands of refugees remain in camps, too afraid to return to their homes. (News.com.au)

No single weapon gone missing, TNI says

September 14, 2006

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) stated here on Wednesday that none of TNI weapons had gone missing or stolen by a foreign party, including those used in past operations in East Timor, Aceh and Poso. All the weapons used by TNI personnel are still complete and well kept according to data, TNI Headquarters spokesman Rear Admiral Mohammad Sunarto Sjoekronoputra told ANTARA News. "There have been no reports about weapons lost or stolen," he said in response to questions about the recent discovery of a great number of fire arms by the police. The police on Wednesday and Friday last week received a number firearms, firearm components and thousands of rounds of ammunition discovered on the side of Sedyatmo toll road in North Jakarta. Some of the weapons are of the standard type used by the TNI and the police such as M-16 and AK-47 and SS-2. Sunarto said that although some of the fire arms were TNI standard weapons it did not automatically mean that they belonged to the TNI, and it was not impossible that they belonged to certain quarters who had them in illegal possession. "Not all assault weapons automatically belong to the TNI or the police although the TNI and the police always use them in every operation. It is not impossible that other parties might have owned them illegally," he said. Asked about the possibility that the weapons had been part of those used in the operations in East Timor, Aceh or Poso, Sunarto said that the TNI had always checked its weapons before and after they were used in operations. "A soldier who was able to confiscate a firearm from an enemy during an operation must report it to his chief and may not keep it for himself," he said. Jakarta police chief Inspector General Adang Firman meanwhile had said that the police were still investigating the firearm discovery. "We have established coordination with the TNI to trace the records of the weapons," he said. "We are investigating all the possibilities including whether they had been used in the operations in East Timor, Poso and Aceh," he said. He said he believed the weapons were illegal but "we continue investigating them. We continue coordination with all the parties concerned to find data about them. (Antara)

NATIONAL NEWS SOURCES:

Timor Post (TP) Radio Timor-Leste (RTL) Suara Timor Lorosae (STL) Diario Tempo (DT) Diario Nacional Seminario Lia Foun (LF) Televisaun Timor-Leste [TVTL]

These Items Do Not Reflect the Position or Views of the United Nations. UNOTIL Public Information Office

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