East Timor Press Review

Friday 5 July 2002

· A front page story in the Timor Post reported on President Xanana Gusmão’s return from Jakarta and said it had been a successful and positive visit.

· In related story, the President was quoted as saying that recent difficulties in East Timor’s relationship with Indonesia had been caused by a lack of communication between the two countries. “During the UNTAET period different people would attend different meetings, and thus our attention was often divided. Now we have solved the basic question of East Timor’s statehood and we can move towards better relations with Jakarta.”

· MP Vicente Guterres was quoted as saying that one of the criteria to become an East Timor citizen should be the ability to speak Tetum and Portuguese.

· Cipriano Oliveira, Director of the Youth Communication Forum, says the government must resolve the street children problem because children are the future of the nation.

· People are reportedly worried about the state of the economy due to a recent sales tax increase.

· East Timorese are reportedly suffering from malaria because rubbish is being dumped everywhere.

· Aderito Tilman, head of the Dili District Tribunal, said the court has had to deal with many cases of traffic accidents over the past month.

· Suara Timor Lorosae also ran a front page story on the return of President Xanana Gusmao from Indonesia.

· Four people were reportedly arrested by police in Maliana for illegal possession of 400 kilograms of sandalwood they aimed to sell along the border with West Timor.

· A spokesperson for the Australian Defense Department, Brigadier-General Mike Hannan, was quoted as saying that Australia will send 100 reserve troops to East Timor in October to join the peacekeeping force.

· Judge Cirilio Jose Cristovão is quoted as saying that 13 Dili judges are still awaiting new contracts.

· STL reported that rape is one of the highest reported crimes in East Timor.

· Thirty-three Chubb Security employees who were reportedly dismissed last month and demanding compensation from their former employer.

· The vice-manager of the Banking Payment Authority (BPA), Samuel Robinson, says that the majority of the East Timorese are now using the US dollar.

· East Timor is looking into the possibility of buying a boat from Singapore in case it needs to transport gas and oil to other countries, Minister of Internal Administration Rogerio Lobato is quoted as saying.

· STL reports that many accidents are occurring between cars and motorbikes at night because vehicles are not using headlights.

· Residents of the Caicoli district of Dili are claiming that they are being overcharged for electricity and would like someone from the electricity department to explain the criteria for billing.

· Thirty municipal cleaners in the capital say they are being paid too little, but express hope that the government will soon award them salary increases.

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