[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 Wednesday, 2 March 2005

Japan gives 1.5-million to improve maternal and infant care

Japan strengthened its position as the largest contributor to Timor-Leste's health sector by announcing a donation of more than $1.5 million to improve maternal and infant care. Medicine and equipment will be bought with Tokyo's aid, which is being channelled through UNICEF, allowing 45,000 children under the age of 12 months and their mothers to be vaccinated at 65 health centres. This is the third time that Japan has donated money to the Ministry of Health project facilitated by UNICEF.

Timor-Leste's infant and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the developing world, according to UNICEF. (Lusa, Timor Post)

BPU Commander involved in illegal smuggling

A Commander from the Border Patrol Unit, entrusted with the task of combating illegal activities along the border, has himself been caught red-handed engaged in an illegal transaction involving beverages. PNTL Operational Commander Ismael Babo Soares told Timor Post that the case is currently under investigation, and he emphasized that whoever is deemed to be involved in such activities, whether it be a Commander or a police officer, will be processed according to the law. (Timor Post)

UNPOL and UNMISET meet with PNTL and F-FDTL

UNPOL, UNMISET, PNTL and F-FDTL yesterday attended their periodic meeting together at the Falintil-FDTL Headquarters in Tasi Tolu. Chief of Staff of the Falintil-FDTL, Colonel Lere Anan Timur, speaking to Timor Post after the meeting said that the main issue discussed during the meeting was the security situation and how best to coordinate security between the armed forces and the police in the event of a disturbance. Lere added that one of the possibilities for better security coordination could be for the police and armed forces to carry out coordinated patrols. (Timor Post)

Thousands of youth out of work

Approximately 7000 youth, who registered at the Ministry of Labour and Solidarity between 2000 and 2005 as looking for employment both inside and outside the country, have not yet found work. Many of the youth registered at the Ministry when they completed their secondary school studies, and while a small number have found work, most have not. (Timor Post)

Church not the enemy of the state

The Social Democrat Party (PSD) has appealed to the government not to view the Catholic Church as an opponent or enemy. According to PSD, considering that the majority of East Timorese are Catholic as well as the large contribution that the Church has made to development in this new nation, the government should recognize and treat the Church as a partner. In their political statement read out during Parliament's plenary session on Monday, PSD said that they reaffirm their commitment to support the Church in its position that religion should be a obligatory and not an elective subject in the national school curriculum. (STL)

PSD declines to present Provedor candidate

The Social Democrat Party (PSD) has declined to present a candidate for the post of the Provedor for Human Rights and Justice. PSD member, Joao Goncalves, told STL that they have already presented their candidate many times previously, but the person has never passed the final voting. He said that the majority party in the Parliament refuses to vote for PSD's candidate, and therefore they have decided not to present a candidate. This is despite the fact the President of the National Parliament recently issued a notice to all faction heads in the Parliament to present their candidates. (STL)

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