From UNMISET

Dili, 06 October 2003 Daily Media Review

Convicted Paedophile Held in Timor-Leste over Child Porn

A convicted Australian paedophile has been put under detention and remained in custody in Timor-Leste after being found with pornographic images of Timorese children. Wilfred Mentink, 56, is also facing charges of entering the country illegally after defying a deportation order issued in June. Mentink was arrested by PNTL and UPOL last week when they searched his yacht and found nearly 40 items relating to child pornography, including photographs, CDs and two laptop computers. He was remanded in custody for 30 days by a local court while further investigations are carried out. Mentink was jailed for six years in Queensland in 1993 after pleading guilty to child sex abuse charges. (ABC)

President Gusmão Scheduled to Meet the Pope (TP)

Soon after arriving in Dili from his visit to Singapore and Malaysia on Sunday, President Xanana Gusmão told the media that he could not attend the Southeast Asean meeting in Bali in order to prepare for a visit to Europe, where he is scheduled to meet with Pope John Paul II and members of the English Government. (TP)

Portugal Discusses Future UN Mission

The Portuguese news agency LUSA reported on Friday that the Portuguese Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Antonio Lourenço dos Santos, will be discussing in Canberra the "future of the UN mission in Timor-Leste and the possibilities of a triangular cooperation between Portugal, Australia and Timor-Leste on security and defense matters". Quoting a communiqué issued in Lisbon, the news agency added that Lourenço dos Santos, who paid an official visit to Dili last week, will be in Australia from 6 to 9 October, for a series of meetings with the Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, the Parliamentary Secretaries of Cooperation and Defense and other Australian authorities. (LUSA)

PKF Arrested Five Indonesians for Smuggling

PKF has arrested five Indonesians for infringing on East Timorese territory to smuggle in cigarettes and canned soft drinks, a military officer told the Indonesian news agency ANTARA in Kupang. According to ANTARA, Col. Moeswarno Moesanif, commander of the Wirasakti military command confirmed on Friday that the arrest took place in the East Timorese village of Memo, on October 1. "The arrest is significant progress and I expressed my gratitude to the UN-PKF which had foiled the smuggling attempt," Moeswarno said. (ANTARA)

Police Officer Dismissed

PNTL Interim Deputy Commissioner Julio Hornai told the media on Friday that a Timorese police officer by the name of Paulo Fernando had been dismissed from his duties for severely beating a member of F-FDTL while in detention at Dili District Police Station. Hornai said PNTL and UNPOL decided to dismiss the officer because he violated the police ethics and acted in a criminal way. (TP)

ADB to Give 1.2 Million Dollars Aid to Timor-Leste

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Friday it will give 1.2 million dollars to East Timor next year to improve the country's economy and public infrastructure, reported AFP on Friday. According to the news agency, the grant is aimed at building local capacity for economic and financial management, improving public infrastructure to support private sector growth, and to generate income at the community level. "While the country is not borrowing any funds, ADB's technical assistance is crucial for Timor's overall advisory and institutional capacity building," the ADB statement said. (AFP)

Timor-Leste Seeks Continued Assistance from Malaysia: FM

Timor Leste has expressed hope that Malaysia will continue to assist the country in its development efforts, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. He added that this was conveyed by President Xanana Gusmão in his meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. He said that Gusmão, during his private visit to Malaysia, has taken the opportunity to call on Abdullah to discuss bilateral issues and matters of common interest including the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Gusmão also expressed his appreciation to Malaysia for extending support to Timor-Leste and hoped for continued and enhanced collaboration, he said. Syed Hamid said that Malaysia is very happy with its relationship with Timor-Leste and will help in any way it can to provide assistance for its capacity-building initiative. Prime Minister Mahathir is scheduled to pay a three-day official visit to Timor-Leste starting from Oct. 22. Some memoranda of cooperation will be signed. Malaysia sent 125 police officers and men to Timor-Leste in August this year for a one-year United Nations (UN) peace-keeping mission in that country. (Xinhua)

Australian Riles Timorese

East Timorese workers are planning industrial action against an Australian company that rejected directives from the fledgling country's Government to reinstate delegates sacked during wage negotiations, reported workers online Australia. In the most recent instance, Timor Aviation Services which provides freight handling and charter services to the Australian Defence Force, Zantas and Harvey World Travel, refused a September 30 directive from East Timor's Department of Labor to reinstate Sabino Adornio and Clementino Pereira. The pair were workplace delegates who had represented Timor Aviation Services in negotiations on a collective agreement. The East Timorese Transport Workers Union and the country's Trade Union Confederation have accused the company, run by Australian nationals, of showing "little respect" for Timorese or Australian law. The issue began when employees set out to negotiate a new contract after a three-year wage freeze. "The Union and Confederation have exhausted all available options to reinstate the two and have now issued TAS a final opportunity to avoid industrial action," the Transport Union said in a formal statement. "This declaration follows four weeks of combined efforts by the union, the confederation and the East Timor Government's Department of Labor to return the two employees to work. "The company has so far ignored its obligations and refused to reinstate the workers, despite receiving a Government directive to do so on three separate occasions." The East Timorese Union has formally filed the following claims on the Australian company: reinstatement of the two delegates; that it sign the collective agreement, as negotiated; and that it pay outstanding salary increases due to employees. (Workers Online)

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