Subject: UNOTIL's Daily Media Review 6
December 2005
[Poster's note: Long repeats of international articles already sent out to the east-timor list (info@etan.org) have been removed.] UNOTIL Compiled by the Public Information Office from national and international sources Daily Media Review Tuesday, 06 December 2005 National Media Reports Babo: CTF to hold dialogue with public Speaking to the media following his meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Horta, the President of the Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF), Dionisio Babo told media that the organisation would hold a dialogue on Saturday, 10th December, with the victims and civil society in Dili to discuss the work of CTF, Timor Post reported. He clarified that in the dialogue, which will be held at the Don Bosco Meeting Hall in Comoro, Dili, the commissioners will explain the mandate and work of CTF to the civil society and victims. Mr Babo also hopes that the dialogue would clarify the various perspectives on CTF. He further confirmed that as of January 2006, the Indonesian team of CTF would visit Timor-Leste as the place of the 1999 mayhem. The report also mentioned that Mr Babo would also talk to the government officials regarding the space or site needed as an office for CTF, and has requested the use of the former CAVR office. (TP) - Minister Bano: Indonesia asks for more time to compensate former civil servants in Timor-Leste Minister of Labour and Solidarity, Arsenio Bano told media on 05/12 that the Indonesian government has asked for more time in order to finalise the on-going preparations to pay former civil servants, police, military in Timor-Leste, reported Timor Post. The paper reports that based on the request by Timor-Leste government, the payments were supposed to be processed in December. The Minister added that his department has received information from the Indonesian Embassy that the Indonesia government is asking for an extension until January and February of 2006 from the Timor-Leste government. The reason for the extension is because the government of Indonesia is still studying documents of the ex-civil servants of Indonesia. Bano stated that the total of ex-civil servants in Timor Leste is about 17,300 people. (TP p1, TVTL) President Gusmão Officially Opens Medicine Faculty at the National University President Gusmão officially opened the Faculty of Medicine at Timor-Leste's National University on Monday. The faculty has been established with the support of the Cuban government. President Gusmão expressed his gratitude for the support by stating "I would also like to thank the cooperation from Cuba and a big hug to commandant Fidel Castro who has been giving his support by providing doctors to attend to the health of the Timorese people". 60 medical students will participate in the courses taught mainly by Cuban doctors. In a separate article, Timor Post reported that in order to better the health system of Timor-Leste, 1,500 Timorese doctors are required according to plans of the Ministry of Health for the future into the year 2020. Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri who also attended the opening of the faculty reportedly said that he is happy because in five years time the health conditions in Timor-Leste would be improved adding, "I'm happy because this is a big challenge. It is not easy to establish a faculty of medicine; therefore like I said today, we managed to open it today due to the tremendous support from Cuba in sending doctors, to assist in establishing this medicine faculty. (TP) Prosecutor's Office Should Be More Effective On Monday, President Gusmao reportedly conveyed a message to the Prosecutor General Longuinhos Monteiro to improve upon the services currently provided by the prosecutor's office. According to Timor Post, the message was transmitted during an introduction meeting between an international prosecutor and Monteiro on Monday. Monteiro added that he took the opportunity to also explain to the President the overall work of the prosecutor. (TP) Steele: Public Figures Should be Criticised Speaking during a one-day discussion with the heads of Timorese media on Monday, Janet Steele, Journalism Professor from Washington University as well as the teaching staff for Jakarta-based Journalism Institution Dr. Soetomo, had been reportedly quoted as saying that public figures should be criticised but he or she should not bring the media to court. Moreover, Steele said that in a democratic country, media plays an important role in providing information to the public, adding that the slogan 'the press is free but it should be responsible' should not be used [by anyone] to limit the freedom of press. It is reported that the discussion, facilitated by the Timor-Leste Media Development Centre, produced some agreements, among others, which emphasised that the media of Timor-Leste should collectively refuse any regulation that tends to limit the freedom of press. For the future, Steele expects that the authorities of Timor-Leste should really understand the freedom of press because any criticism launched by the media towards the Government [and other institutions] is part of the freedom of press that needs to be guaranteed. (STL) Thirty PNTL officers received certificates on Basic Forensic Investigation It is reported that 30 PNTL officers successfully completed a five-week training course of Basic Forensic Investigation, conducted under the Timor-Leste Police Development Programme. The programme is a cooperation between Timor-Leste and both Australia and British governments in developing the capacity of PNTL. Speaking during the speech of the graduation ceremony for the 30 officers last Friday, Vice Minister of Interior, Alcino Barris stated that such training was very important for the police in order to uncover cases related to forensics. "I am proud of the fact that you finally managed to complete the training with success," said Barris, adding that with the completion of the training he hopes the officers who are in charge of forensic units should be ready any time when they are needed to carry out their functions. (STL) TVTL News Monitoring Open Medicine School in National University of Timor-Leste (UNTL) Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri in his speech when open the faculty of medicine in UNTL yesterday, he said that our perspective in the future 2020, we must have our own medical doctors around 1,020. The Prime Minister stated that currently total of 228 Timorese students are studying medicine in Cuba. And the new faculty that starts with 60 students studying nursing in UNTL, is supported by teachers and the government of Cuba. Benjamin de Araujo e Corterial, Rector of UNTL, stated that the new faculty has been opened due to the cooperation between both ministries, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health. Financial support from European Union: Minister of Labour and Reintegrate, Arsenio Paixão Bano, stated that the European Union has provided funds in the amount of over $100,000. He said that the objective of the support was to reduce poverty. He said that the budget would be allocated to three NGOs, namely CCF in Dili, Halarae in Maliana and LAHO in Baucau. Bano stated that these NGOs would be facilities providing skill training but especially for women. Taxes income until 2004: Angelo de Almeida, National Commissaries for the taxes, stated that the income from taxes in Timor Leste until 2004 amounts to $12.5 million. Almeida stated that according to the indication of the income from the taxes, one-year amounts to $10 million but the result of tax income increases more then the indication. De Almeida stated that more comes from tax income than from petroleum and internal tax. Regional Media Reports Nobel Peace Laureates Unite During International Human Rights Week WASHINGTON, Dec. 5/PRNewswire/-- Eleven recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize, including distinguished international leaders such as Former President Jimmy Carter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, and Former Polish President Lech Walesa, have come together to call upon the nations of the world to abide by the UN Declaration of Human Rights and fully recognise and defend workers' freedom to form unions and bargain collectively. In a statement to be released today, the Nobel Laureates express their grave concern about the state of workers' rights around the globe and urge all nations to vigorously protect and defend workers' inalienable human rights to form unions free of discrimination, threats or harassment. The statement, in part, reads: "Protecting the right to form unions...is vital to promoting broadly shared economic prosperity, social justice, and strong democracies." The statement will appear as full-page advertisements in the December 6 editions of the New York Times and the Washington Post. The statement will appear as a full-page advertisement in the December 7 edition of the International Herald Tribune. Former President Walesa, founder of the Solidarnosc trade union movement in Poland, initiated the statement. "It is our common duty to defend the rights of employees, to strengthen the trade unions and act towards proper organisation of labour," said Walesa. "Creating good conditions for working people, enlarging the areas where people can work in peace and cooperate in solidarity, gives our civilization a chance to develop and build a safer world for the next generations." "We are deeply gratified that some of the world's most recognised and esteemed advocates for peace and social justice have joined together to promote workers' rights as a major international human rights issue," said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. "It is incumbent upon our elected leaders in the U.S. to make a firm, unequivocal commitment to protect workers' rights' to organise unions and engage in collective bargaining and set an example for the rest of the world to follow." The statement's release, in conjunction with a massive AFL-CIO-sponsored mobilisation leading up to Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day, touches off a renewed push in the U.S. and worldwide to ensure workers' have a voice on the job and have the freedom to exercise their fundamental human right to form unions. Workers here in the U.S. and abroad will participate in more than 100 actions to highlight the importance of workers' freedom to form unions to the economic and social well-being of communities around the globe. In addition to President Carter, Archibishop Tutu and President Walesa, other Nobel Laureates who have signed the statement are: His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Tibet), Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta (East Timor), John Hume (Northern Ireland), International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Betty Williams (Ireland), Mairead Corrigan Maguire (Northern Ireland), Shirin Ebadi (Iran) and Jody Williams (U.S.). (Newswire) National News Sources Timor Post (TP) Radio Timor-Leste (RTL) Suara Timor Lorosae (STL) Diario Tempo (DT) Diario Nacional Seminario Lia Foun (LF) Televisaun Timor-Leste [TVTL] These Items Do Not Reflect the Position or Views of the United Nations. UNOTIL Public Information Office
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