Timor-Leste News

Timor-Leste Subscriber News

Local and International Media Monitoring

For June 1, 2010

In this edition

National News Headings:
*Situation in Ermera is under control: PNTL Commando
*Indonesia's TNI soldiers destroy social houses in Oe-cusse
*PM Gusmao should apologize to Fretilin's 55
*Fretilin questions police commander's comments on insecurity
*Indonesian TNI raises Merah Putih flag in Oe-cuse
*PNTL identifies illegal armed group in Ermera
*Fretilin calls on President Horta to dissolve Parliament
*PM Gusmao cancels high way project plant
*Timor-Leste prepared to halt gas and oil contract
*MPs want police commander to appear in Parliament
*UN proud of being partner for Timor-Leste
*Residents allege police of engaging in theft
*PM Gusmao leads Meeting of Council of Ministers to discus state additional budget
*Fretilin-AMP considers Commissioner Monteiro is alarmist
*CODRT calls for new recruitment for PNTL


International News? Headings:
Note to Subscribers: No International News Stories were Located Today (1/6)

National News:
*Situation in Ermera is under control: PNTL Commando
*Televizaun Timor-Leste, June 1, 2010 language source: Tetun

The Timorese National Police Deputy, Commissioner Police Afonso de Jesus, said that the current security situation in Ermera was under control.

Commissioner de Jesus made the comments yesterday in a press conference regarding rumors widespread saying that there was an illegal armed group doing illegal activities and intimidating local residents in the area.

There are many people concerned about situation in the country, particularly in Ermera District; therefore we would like to respond to it. Based on the information we have that on the last 26 May we had information from some local residents saying that there were some people masking their face like ninja and were maltreating a local resident and we have investigated the victim,? de Jesus said.

The Police Commanders will continue collecting information to have more information about this case. We know that at this time there is an illegal group in Ermera in which they masked their face and intimidated the local residents. We are now making efforts to have more information and we will hand this case over to the legal bodies to have further legal process.?

De Jesus added that the security situation in the country was under control.

He also said the resident had not identified what type of weapons were used or carried by the masked people as ninja during the night to intimidate the local residents.


*Indonesia's TNI soldiers destroy social houses in Oe-cusse *Radio Timor-Leste, May 31, 2010 language source: Tetun

28 of the Indonesia's TNI soldiers have illegally entered Timorese area and destroyed two social houses in Beneufe village of Oe-Cusse district on last Saturday (29/5).

Oe-Cusse Border Police Commander, Arlindo Cofe said the TNI soldiers were from the security post of Oe-poli of Kupan [West Timor] and said all were armed.

They are from 742 battalion based in Natauka, they said these two buildings should not be constructed here. I do not know the reason why, but this case should not be resolved with the Timorese Government's policy,? Cofe said.

Oe-Cusse residents said this case happened in relation to the border demarcation that about to be resolved by Timor-Leste and Indonesia.


*PM Gusmao should apologize to Fretilin's 55 *Radio Timor-Leste, May 31, 2010 language source: Tetun

Fretilin bench in the Parliament has urged Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao to express his apology to Fretilin Coordinator, Antonio 55 who is alleged of distributing illegal weapons to civilians in Ermera district.

During a parliamentary plenary session, MP Arsenio Bano said the allegation made the prime minister during his strategic planning consultation was baseless and was falsehood.

Bano stressed that the allegation could not be proved; therefore Gusmao should apologize for the false allegation he made.

He added that Gusmao should not allege those who had fought the country's liberation including Mr. 55 who had contributed to Timor-Leste's independence.


*Fretilin questions police commander's comments on insecurity *Radio Timor-Leste, May 31, 2010 language source: Tetun

Fretilin has questioned the recent comments made by the National Police Commander, Commissioner Longuinhos Monteiro saying that there are some illegal armed groups moving around in Ermera district.

During the parliamentary plenary session on Monday (31/5), MP Arsenio Bano from Fretilin said such statement was irresponsible and said the rumors mongering was aimed at frightening the residents in Ermera.

Bano stressed the commander's comments was like scenario of instability, because there had been no insecurity situation discovered by the police.

According to the Fretilin bench, the recent comments made by the police commander shows irresponsibility, such attitude is unacceptable the people and he should give correct information to the people,? Bano said.


*Indonesian TNI raises Merah Putih flag in Oe-cuse *Diario Nacional, June 1, 2010 language source: Tetun

MP Vital dos Santos from the Democratic Party (PD) has said that the Indonesian TNI on Wednesday 26, May passed the border of Timor-Leste about one kilometer away in Naktuka sub-village of Deloupe village, Oecuse district raising their Flag of Merah Putih.

I have information that on last Wednesday 26 of May, the Indonesian Military infiltrated to Timor-Leste area about one kilometer away in Naktuka sub-village of Deloupe village in Nitibe sub-district (Oecuse),? MP dos Santos said.

MP dos Santos called on the state bodies to seek for solution to resolve this case soon and try to search for more information about their reason of raising the flag in the area of Timor-Leste.


*PNTL identifies illegal armed group in Ermera *Suara Timor Lorosa?e, June 1, 2010 language source: Tetun

Timorese Deputy Police Commander, Commissioner Afonso de Jesus has confirmed that the National Police really identifies illegal armed group in Ermera District.

The commander said the illegal group masked their face like ninja and held its activity during the night and intimidated the local residents.

We know that illegal group masked their face like ninja and moved around during the night and intimidated the local residents. Investigation is going on to have more information and we will hand this case over to the legal institutions for further investigation purpose,? de Jesus said.

De Jesus made the comment yesterday during a press conference held at the HQ  of the National Police in Kaikoli, Dili.


*Fretilin calls on President Horta to dissolve Parliament *Diario Nacional, June 1, 2010 language source: Tetun

MP Francisco Miranda Branco from Fretilin, yesterday called on the President Jose Ramos Horta to dissolve the National Parliament as it has not functioned well due to the absences of the MPs in the plenary.

We used to say MPs have no car and therefore the Parliament purchased cars for them including money for fuel to facilitate them in carrying out their work, but on the contrary the activities in the Parliament is not going well and therefore I am calling on the President Horta better to dissolve this Parliament,? MP Branco said.

He added that actually the MPs should feel ashamed as they were well-paid by the Government since they had never undertaken their work optimally.


*PM Gusmao cancels high way project plant *Timor Post, June 1, 2010 language source: Tetun

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said he had cancelled high way project plant which would be constructed from Com of Lautem to Batugade. The project is cancelled, due to certain people would use the opportunity to corrupt.  It would spend about US $ 600 million and that would be borrowed from Qatar.

The prime minister stressed that during his political campaign in 2007's general elections he stated that he disagreed with such project might appear corruption.

Gusmao also said when the Parliamentary Majority Alliance (AMP) was in power, they asked the Qatar Government to help rehabilitate Dili's international airport. But no longer the Qatar Government changed its mind to support the high way project; therefore PM Gusmao rejected it.

Meanwhile, MP Estanislau da Silva Fretilin who was also the ex-deputy prime minister said the plan of borrowing money from the Qatar Government made during the Fretilin ruling party's office term.

He added that the Government at that time refused to sign the agreement, because the amount of money needed to be borrowed was a lot.


*Timor-Leste prepared to halt gas and oil contract *Timor Post, June 1, 2010 language source: Tetun

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao has pledged to firmly defend his Government's policy of building the Greater Sunrise gas and oil field's pipelines to Timor-Leste. Gusmao seems not to continue the project which would cost billions of US from the Greater Sunrise in the Timor Sea.

The prime minister made the comments in relation to the Woodside Company's floating plant proposal to explore the Greater Sunrise.

Many developing countries become victim, because the company wants to seize the sovereign country's natural resources and explore them recklessly,? Gusmao said.

Gusmao also criticized the Woodside Company, because it appointed the Australian former diplomat, Brendan Augustin to become the company's manager in the country.


*MPs want police commander to appear in Parliament *Timor Post, June 1, 2010 language source: Tetun

Some of the parliamentary members have urged Timorese National Police Commander, Commissioner Longinhos Monteiro to appear in the Parliament for responding to the issue of illegal armed groups in Ermera district.

The MPs also called on the State Secretary for Defense, Julio Thomas Pinto and State Secretary for Security, Francisco Guterres said to appear in the Parliament in relation to the illegal armed group issue.

MP Ruis Menezes from the Democratic Party (PD) called the parliamentary president to contact the state secretary for defense and security coming to explain about this issue,? Menezes said.

MP Natalino from the CNRT said the politicians should not politicize the country's security situation.

He added that the police commander's recent comments on the illegal weapons might be true; therefore he should come to explain it.


*UN proud of being partner for Timor-Leste *Timor Post, June 1, 2010 language source: Tetun

UN Secretary General's Special Representative Deputy, Finn Rieske Nielsen said the UN was proud of becoming partner for all state bodies in Timor-Leste and was pleased to help facilitate governance democratic forum.

Nielsen stressed that the Parliament was one of the state bodies like presidency, government and court; therefore talking on constitutionalism was a topic in governance democratic forum.

Nielsen also said that the most important aspect in the constitution was organization of political institutions of the state.

He added that one other important role of the Parliament was to debate and approves laws and discussion on proposed legislation as well as controled the Government in doing its task.


*Residents allege police of engaging in theft *Suara Timor Lorosa?e, June 1, 2010 language source: Tetun

A resident of Leber village of Bobonaro District, Jose da Costa, has alleged the National Police Officers of engaging in shooting dead illegally 28 of his buffaloes.

Da Costa reported this case to the National Parliament, because he was dissatisfied with the culprit as their attitude was a crime and therefore he called on them to pay the buffaloes shot stolen.

I am calling on them to pay my buffaloes and who steal my buffaloes should be charged legally as they shot and stole my buffaloes,? da Costa said.

In his official letter to the Parliament, da Costa stated that two of the National Police officers with the initial JR and AL were asked by Leber chief of village Joanico da Silva to shoot da Costa's buffaloes in Hol-fhara betun-Til with the reason that the buffaloes were not domestic ones.

Meanwhile, the Timorese Operational Police Commander, Superintendent Chief Mateus Fernandes, has called on the local residents to show facts or evidences if it was found that the national police officers shot and stole buffaloes belonged to the residents.


*PM Gusmao leads Meeting of Council of Ministers to discus state additional budget *Suara Timor Lorosa?e, June 1, 2010 language source: Tetun

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao yesterday led the meeting of the Council of Ministers to discus about the country's additional state budged.

The Ministries were enthusiastically to participate in the meeting, adding that the Ministers also presented their ministerial planning so the Government could allocate additional budget into their plans.

Meanwhile an unnamed source said that the recent information widespread in the media saying that the Prime Minister Gusmao's health conditions were bad was untrue.

The recent information widespread saying health condition of PM Gusmao is bad is false, because in fact that PM Gusmao is leading the meeting of the Council of Ministers at the mean time to discus the state additional budget,? The source said.


*Fretilin-AMP considers Commissioner Monteiro is alarmist *Suara Timor Lorosa?e, June 1, 2010 language source: Tetun

MP Osorio Florindo from Fertilin has considered the recent statement made by the Timorese Police Commander Commissioner Longuinhos Monteiro saying there was a gun shot in Ermera was a threat as it made people to worry about the country's security situation.

He said that the statement of Monteiro was different from the Ermera operational Police commander said there was no gun fire in Ermera.

MP Florindo added that the recent comment of Monteiro was a political statement that aimed to frighten the local residents in Ermera.

We don?t know he gets information from where, because we have information that Monteiro got the information from some ex-petitioners in a telephone call,? MP Florindo said.

Meanwhile, MP Paulo Fatima Martins, from the National Congress for the Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) said that he had visited Ermera himself on Friday 28 of May and he observed that the security situation in the area was normal.

There are no complaints from local residents, because I have met with the URP Department Commander, Duarte Martins and he told me that situation is going well,? MP Martins said.


*CODRT calls for new recruitment for PNTL *Suara Timor Lorosa?e, June 1, 2010 language source: Tetun

National Secretary for the Timorese Defense Resistance (CODRT), Reis Cadalac and CODRT? President Francisco ?Metin? Salsinha have called on the National Police to hold new recruitment process for the Timorese young people as it was part of strengthening security in the country.

Cadalac also called on the National Police officers to carry out their tasks more optimally in the future in order to better maintain security in the country.

Meanwhile, the State Secretary for Security, Francisco Guterres said the new recruitment process for the PNTL was yet to be realized because they were waiting for recruitment law approval to guarantee process of recruitment.

A resident of Zumalai, Maliana, Marcelino Soares said it was important to recruit new police officer for increasing their numbers, so that the commando could deploy them in the rural areas to maintain security to the local residents.



(The contents of this service do not reflect the views of TLMDC. News and opinion is summarized; and headlines are edited in English to give the best possible sense of the original headline. For more detailed information about any story in this bulletin; or for tailored sector-specific monitoring contact: francisco@tlmdc.org; alberico@tlmdc.org


 

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