[Poster's note: Repeats of international articles already sent out to the east-timor list (info@etan.org) have been removed.]

Friday, 30 November 2007

UNMIT – MEDIA MONITORING

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National Media Reports

TVTL Summary News Lu-Olo: raising Fretilin's flag is not a crime: President of Fretilin Francisco Lu-Olo Guterres said that raising Fretilin's flag on the Independence Day of November 28th is not a crime, but it is a way for the people to honor the history of the struggle. 'It is not different to when our president Ramos-Horta went to ASDT and commemorated the day with that party," said Mr. Lu-Olo.

4 members of F-FDTL imprisoned: The Dili District Court on Thursday (29/11) found four members of the F-FDTL guilty of manslaughter. The members have been jailed for 10 to 12 years for the killing of a policeman during last year's wave of factional violence.

One of the defendants said that as military people, they are ready to accept any decision of the court.

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Prime Minister Xanana asks Alfredo to be modest Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao is asking Alfredo Reinado - who is now gathering the petitioners in Gleno, Ermera - to be modest, in order to give the Government the opportunity to make the dialogue happen.

Related to the court decision that there will be a judgement on Alfredo Reinado on 3 December, Prime Minister Xanana reflected that even though there are problems which exist for a long time, there are always ways to solve them.

The Prime Minister said that the court works independently, but the government is also looking for a way to have a dialogue with Mr. Reinado. (STL)

May 25th case: 4 members of F-FDTL imprisoned The Dili District Court on Thursday (29/11) found four members of the F-FDTL guilty of manslaughter. The members have been jailed for 10 to 12 years for the killing of a policeman during last year's wave of factional violence. One of the defendants said that as the military forces, they are ready to accept any decision of the court.

F-FDTL Commander Brigadier Taur Matan Ruak also said that F-FDTL sees that there is no option other than to agree with the decision of the court.

"Our soldiers are well prepared to accept any decision taken. There is no way other than to accept the decision of the court," said Brigadier Taur Matan Ruak on Thursday (29/11) in Tasi Tolu, Dili. (STL, DN, TP and TVTL)

Lu-Olo: raising Fretilin’s flag is not a crime President of Fretilin Francisco Lu-Olo Guterres said that raising Fretilin's flag on the Independence Day of November 28th is not a crime, but it is a way for the people to honor the history of the struggle. 'It is no different to when our president Ramos-Horta went to ASDT and commemorated the day with that party," said Mr. Lu-Olo. (STL and TVTL)

Security Council to extend the UN Mission in Timor-Leste The mandate of the current United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) will end in February 2008, but it is planned that the Security Council will extend the mission further.

The plan to extend the UN Mission in Timor-Leste was discussed in the Headquarters of UNMIT, Obrigado Barracks, Caicoli, Dili, by the Security Council Delegation and the political parties in Timor-Leste.

Participants of the meeting said that they all agree with the plan to extend the UN Mission in Timor-Leste until the country has recovered.

"The UN Security Council has come here to support the government and people of Timor-Leste.

We have come to strengthen the government and offer support to its working in the right way," said the Head of the Security Council Delegation, Mr. Dumisani Kumalo. (STL)

Bishop Basilio: F-FDTL has capacity, reduce UN forces Bishop Basilio Nascimento of Baucau Diocese said that if F-FDTL still has no capacity then the United Nations' forces in Timor-Leste should be extended, but if they have capacity then the number of UN forces might be reduced in order to strengthen our defence forces.

After meeting with the Security Council Delegation, Bishop Basilio said that Security Council was concerned with the problems facing Timor-Leste.

The Bishop told the SC Delegation that Timor-Leste's problems will be solved by the Timorese themselves, not the UN or other countries. (DN and TVTL)

Prime Minister Xanana: Alfredo and the petitioners' case are different Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmao affirmed that the problem of Alfredo Reinado Alves and petitioners are different, and so they will be solved in different manner.

"The process with regards to Alfredo Reinado is ongoing, you all know that the government has a commitment to solve the problem, and we don't need to mix up the cases of Reinado and the petitioners," said the Prime Minister after meeting with President Jose Ramos-Horta on Thursday (29/11) at the presidential palace in Caicoli, Dili.

The Prime Minister also said that this week the Task Force of the government will contact Alfredo Reinado, since the government has committed itself to having a dialogue with him.

With regards to the petitioners' case, the Prime Minister said that the dialogue in Aileu might be the failure of the government, but this does not permit the petitioners' spokesperson to perform military parades everywhere. (DN)

Zacarias Albano: visit of UN SG, a honor for Timor-Leste The Minister of Foreign Affairs Zacarias Albano da Costa said that the visit of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon in December (next month) is an honor for the people of Timor-Leste.

"The visit is a strong reflection of the importance of establishing peace in Timor-Leste. It will be a particular honor for the people to welcome him in his first official visit to Timor-Leste," said the minister.

International Media Reports

Ban Ki-moon to participate in next month's climate change conference in Bali UN News Center

29 November 2007 – Seccretary-General Ban Ki-moon is heading to the Indonesian island of Bali next month, where world leaders will gather for a major conference on climate change, to try to press for a breakthrough in the international negotiations on devising a comprehensive agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr. Ban will take part in the Bali conference from 12 to 14 December, United Nations spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today, saying he wants to maximize the opportunity provided by the summit to make progress on his signature issue.

"He feels we need a breakthrough in Bali as a critical first step," she said. “If we are to meet the challenge of global warming, we need a new and comprehensive agreement that all nations can embrace.

"We do not expect world leaders to walk away from the summit with a new global accord to succeed Kyoto," Ms. Montas added, referring to the internationally agreed Protocol for reducing emissions that is due to expire in 2012. "But the Secretary-General would expect them to agree to an agenda of issues and set a timetable for reaching such an accord."

During his time in Bali Mr. Ban will hold bilateral meetings with key heads of State and government who are also taking part in the conference, as well as with major players in the field of climate change.

The Bali conference is one stop on a three-nation trip by the Secretary-General that will begin with an official visit to Thailand, where he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont and have an audience with King Bhumibol Adulyadej. While in Bangkok the Secretary-General will visit the headquarters of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP ) and meet UN staff working in the region.

After attending the conference in Bali, Mr. Ban will head to Timor-Leste to visit the UN peacekeeping mission in the tiny nation (UNMIT ), address the National Parliament, visit camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs ) and hold talks with senior Government officials.

The Secretary-General will then fly to Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, before heading back to UN Headquarters in New York.

Ms. Montas confirmed that on 17 December in Paris Mr. Ban will also be attending the international donors’ conference for the Palestinian territories, co-hosted by France, Norway, the European Commission and the Special Representative for the Middle East diplomatic Quartet, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

NATIONAL NEWS SOURCES: Timor Post (TP) Radio Timor-Leste (RTL) Suara Timor Lorosae (STL) Diario Tempo (DT) Diario Nacional (DN) Semanario Televisaun Timor-Leste (TVTL)

UNMIT MEDIA MONITORING