10/02/07 18:12

Timor Leste speeds up imposition of border crossers pass

Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - The Timor Leste government under President Ramos Horta has declared its commitment to speed up the introduction of border-crossing passes, a spokesman said.

"The case has become the priority of the Timor Leste`s 4th Constitution and we are very sure that it will be imposed in the near future," Head of the Timor Leste Consulate here Caetano de Sousa Gutteres in an interview here on Tuesday.

He added the imposition of the pass has actually been agreed by the two administrations in 2005 but it was delayed until now as the Timor Leste was still considering the side impact of the pass.

The Timor Leste saw that the imposition of the pass should be able to create a good and harmonic relation among the people of Timor Leste living along the border areas, he said.

Hence, he continued, the unrest broke out in the bordering areas of the two countries have once raised tension between the two countries after the signing of the pass use.

"The pass is one thing that would help much the people living along the border areas, but the government (of Timor Leste) still needs time to assess the possible negative effect that might occur as it might lead to a bad relation between the two," he said.

From the assessment, he added, the government of Timor Leste has decoded that the imposition of the pass as the priority that should be imposed in the near future.

He also expressed a hope the recommendations made by local people figures of the Kupang and Oecusi districts might be good basis for the Timor Leste government for not be hesitant in taking decision for the imposition of the pass.

He said all the complaints accepted by the Consulate here would be handed to the Timor Leste government to speed up the pass imposition and later coordinate with the Belu, Timor Tengah Utara and Kupang districts to open the traditional markets having been established.

"The Indonesian government has been ready with the traditional market, but the Timor Leste government has yet been ready top issue the national policy on the pass. BUt we are very sure that the Timor Leste government will announce the use of the pass in the near future and the people could go the traditional market then," he said.