UNMIT Daily Media Review 3 January 2007

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

UNMIT MEDIA MONITORING THE UN INTEGRATED MISSION IN TIMOR-LESTE DOES NOT VOUCH FOR THE ACCURACY OF THESE REPORTS

The Money that we Have Does Not Have Any Value if we are Not United: PM Ramos-Horta

Speaking to journalists, PM Ramos-Horta reportedly said that the revenue earned from investment in the petroleum sector has increased significantly compared with previous years. This year Timor-Leste will gain almost US$100 million every month. However, the Prime Minister added, “this money does not make any sense if we are not united. Both the First and Second Constitutional Governments completed some good jobs, although some have not been achieved as yet. However, we believe that with the assistance and cooperation from all East Timorese people, we can finish the uncompleted jobs”, stressed Horta. (DN)

2006 Annual Report from the Ministry of Labour and Community Reinsertion, Many tasks of 2006 have not been completed yet: Bano

Speaking to journalists, the Minister of Labour and Community Reinsertion, Arsenio Paixão Bano reportedly said that many tasks have not been completed in his ministry because a lot of time has been devoted to helping the victims of the ongoing crisis. He added that four main areas were prioritised in 2006 including Professional and Capacity Building, employment, Social and Veterans issues. But on top of that, the ministry also focused on provision of humanitarian assistance to IDPs in the country. In the area of employment for example, the ministry planned to employ more people both inside and outside the country, but because of the crisis, they had to put this programme off. However, many tasks were reported to be successfully completed by the ministry. This includes providing scholarships for 2,900 primary and secondary students, providing employment through the US$2 Employment Programme (Cash for Work programme) for more than 10,000 people, establishing youth centres, and creating more employment opportunities for the youth in the future. Mr. Bano emphasised that with 104 permanent and 150 temporary staff only, the ministry will try its best to continue serving the IDPs and to provide humanitarian assistance for the country in the future. On the other hand, capacity building was still very important for all staff of the ministry, stressed Mr. Bano.

Speaking to journalists after chairing the New Year Mass at the Cathedral on 1 January, Bishop of the Dili Dioceses, Mgr. Arlberto Ricardo da Silva reportedly delivered his message to the people saying this New Year would bring hope for development and added that sometimes good plans could be damaged by other unexpected things. “This could be learned from the experience of last year where we had good plans, but we could not realise them due to various reasons including the ongoing crisis. But with the arrival of 2007, we pray to God to help our leaders, authorities, and all East Timorese people to extend our hands to each other and show our good will, courage and bravery to create a good atmosphere for the future development of Timor-Leste”, he said.

Ministry of Labour and Solidarity has identified 142 families from different IDP camps who want to return home this week. Among them, 9 families are not welcome by their neighbours in Kakaulidun, while the others would be welcomed by their neighbours. One of the community members said that they are happy to accept their friends in IDP camps because they feel that all of them are victims of this crisis and blame the leaders as the actors of this present political and security crisis. They also appealed to their friends in the IDP camps to return to their homes.

Sr. Guilarmina who is the responsible for the IDPs in the Canossian Sister compound in Balide Raihun has expressed her discontent towards the office of the Minister of Labour and Community Reinsertion yesterday for evacuating IDPs without proper coordination with the Sisters. She said that the number of IDPs in their compound from April until October 2006 has dropped from 28,000 to around 13,000 people because people have returned to their homes. They came by themselves and returned to their homes by themselves too. They were looking for a safe place to stay and we offered them what we could. So, they should inform us before going back home, added Sr. Guilarmina. She also appealed to the offices of the Minister of Public Works and Labour and Community Reinsertion to coordinate with the Sisters before removing IDPs from the compound.

The National Front for Justice and Peace has lamented on the Judiciary System of Timor-Leste. They said that the Government of Timor-Leste does not pay any attention anymore to justice in the Country. It seems the effort of the Government to bring justice to the people is going backward and becoming more and more silenced by the leaders. This was the main concern for the one day workshop of NFJP on Saturday, 30 December 2006. The participants of the workshop came from 13 districts, leaders of Political Parties and some members of NGOs. The aim of the workshop was to evaluate the justice system in Timor-Leste, and the office of the Prosecutor-General.

An Australian soldier serving in East Timor has been injured after a stun grenade apparently exploded in his hand during a training exercise. A spokesman for the Defence department said the man was flown to Royal Darwin Hospital on Saturday for treatment.

The soldier has since been shifted to a medical facility at the Robertson Army Barracks in Darwin. He was said to be in a stable condition, with unspecified injuries to his hand.

The grenade, known as a flashbang, is designed to seriously disorientate its victim by producing a blinding flash and deafening bang. The department said the incident was being investigated. There are about 800 Australian Defence Force personnel serving in East Timor who are providing security in the aftermath of last year's political unrest. (The Age)

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

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