From West Timor press:

NTT X – “Eliza’s microlet already taken by Bosowa” KEFAMENANU 

 Eliza’s microlet that was taken by Lorentio Moko Soares to Napan – NTT [on the Ambeno border] after the referendum last August 30th with the purpose of securing it since motor vehicles were being burned at that time, has already been taken by PT. Bosowa Berlian Motor in Kupang. Moko told NTT Expres from his jail cell on Thursday (6/4) that he took this microlet along with his own to TTU [North Central Timor, W. Timor] because the car was still being used on credit and 27 million rupiah were still owned on it. Therefore the car was owned by an Indonesian, not an East Timorese. Because no payments were made on the car for 3 months, PT Bosowa returned the car to the dealer last Tuesday (28/3).

ST – “End of Moko’s confession, military police examine two TNI individuals” KUPANG – Apparently Moko’s case, in which he is accused of selling firearms, has a long end. The people who are now said to have sold the homemade M16 on 28 Dec. in Napan are 2 TNI soldiers named Bambang and Zainudin. “I’ve only just heard there are two TNI individuals known as weapons sellers. I will order my members to investigate this information and if it is true the two will be called and asked for an explanation,” said head of military police, Major F. Achmadi.

PK – "Moko caught the moment he was recognized"

KEFAMENANU – The accused Moko Soares, ex-commander of Sakunar militia admitted there was never a written order to catch him. According to Moko, he was captured on 7 Feb. when he was called by the TTU Dandim to be introduced to the Dandim and the Siliwangi battalion. "I don’t understand why I was caught. At that time I was called in a good way to report to the Kodim," Moko said. While at the Kodim the Dandim asked me if I possessed any automatic weapons. Moko answered Pangdam Kiki Syahnakri and Danrem 161 commander, Jurefar, that he didn’t possess any automatic weapons. "If I possess automatic weapons I’m ready to be shot in front of the Kodim," he told the Dandim at that time. Moko admitted that he only had two grenades that he always carried for protection. Furthermore he asked for a guarantee of safety from the Dandim if he surrendered the two grenades. The Dandim agreed so Moko took the grenades, being held by Antonio Gomez, and turned them over to the Dandim. However, about 30 minutes later he was taken to the intelligence room and asked to give an explanation about bullets, homemade weapons and grenades. Then at about 23.00 (11 p.m.) he was forced at gunpoint to get into a car and was taken to the Kefa jail.

Australian businesses told to help East Timor with jobs

MELBOURNE, Australia, April 11 (AFP) - Australian businesses were urged on Tuesday to take a leading role in rebuilding the devastated East Timor, in particular through projects that employed East Timorese.

Representatives from various international organizations told a business seminar that creating employment in public and private sector projects was vital in helping the impoverished new nation recover from the devastation that occurred after last year's independence vote.

Asian Development Bank representative Sirpa Jarvenpaa said creating employment in East Timor was the major priority and would be essential in preventing further unrest.

"I think employment is the number one priority because the communities don't have cash; they don't have resources to obtain the necessary items, particularly in the remote areas," she said.

Joao Goncalves of the National Council of Timorese Resistance said he believed the future economic viability of the fledgling nation depended heavily on private sector investment.

He appealed to Australian businesses to take a leading role in investment and the training of unskilled East Timorese.

A total of 520 million US dollars has been pledged to East Timor in international aid for rebuilding and humanitarian needs.

Fernanda Borges of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) urged Australian firms going into East Timor to "incorporate East Timorese in their businesses at every level."

World Bank representative Graham Barrett said Australian firms were well placed to meet many of the urgent needs in East Timor.

"We regard it as significant, because Australia is very close to East Timor and it has many of the areas of expertise and equipment that are necessary for the reconstruction of East Timor," he said.

"It's literally like a desert island there in both physical and human terms and people need all the help they can get."

The seminar was organised by the Australian government's aid arm, Austrade, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources and Westpac Bank. It will be repeated in Sydney and Brisbane later this week.

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