Daily Media Review

Friday, December 30th 2005

National Media Reports

Eurico Guterres: Reconciliation the main alternative

Former Aitarak Commander Eurico Guterres has said that solving the Timor-Leste problem through reconciliation is the best alternative. Speaking to journalists after meeting with President Xanana Gusmao, Guterres said that he hopes for everlasting peace for Timorese. He said that in the meeting the President told him that he would like to build a large monument to reconciliation that would have inscribed the names of all heroes, both pro-independence and pro-integration, including the names of Indonesian military officers who had died in Timor-Leste. He added that he believes reconciliation requires a long process, and that it is normal that there are for and against opinions regarding his impending visit to Timor-Leste. (Suara Timor Lorosae)

TL Consulate a communications centre

President Xanana Gusmao has said that the Timor-Leste Consulate-General in Kupang, West Timor, will become a communications centre for the government and people of the two regions that will tighten the bonds between the two communities and their governments. "The Timor-Leste Consulate-General in Kupang represents a step forward?it will facilitate communication between these two neighbouring governments", said President Xanana, speaking at the inauguration of the Consulate. He said that he hopes that problems concerning Timor-Leste citizens living in West Timor, including visiting home, will be able to be handled by the Consulate. (Suara Timor Lorosae)

Ximenes: Deportation of Lee Weng Ong by immigration police is illegal

MP Antonio Ximenes told media that the decision taken by immigration police to deport the owner of Timor Block Building Industry is illegal because the unauthorized action took place without any court process. He argued that article 64 states that the act of deportation is only executed through the court. It was also mentioned that only the court can decide whether to deport some one or not and the police or immigration police only have the right to arrest but not to deport. MP Ximenes added that the immigration police act already sets an example to foreign investors that the law in this country does not allow freedom of movement and that it is just a curtain. (Timor Post)

Heavy rain: Two lives lost and a disappearance

Diario Tempo quoted PNTL Superintendent Paulo Martins as saying that three hours of heavy rain on December 27 in Timor-Leste led to the deaths of Gioavni Cristoven, a two and a half year old boy who passed away in Aimutin, Comoro, and Joana de Fatima Borges, a 16 year old girl who passed away at the National Hospital after she was drawn into a water canal for more than an hour. Meanwhile, another child was reported missing after being seen for the last time playing with friends a couple of hours before the heavy downpour. (Diario Tempo)

Defamation article limits people to convey their aspiration

The President of Lawyers' Association, Benevides Correia Barros, told media that the articles on penal code process 172, 173 and 174 regarding defamation which the government recently approved through the council of ministers would only limit people's freedom to express their aspirations. The above three penal codes would only create problem and limit democracy within civil society. He added that when the law is implemented in 2006, anyone who criticizes the government of Timor-Leste would certainly be arrested based on the three referred penal codes since it would be considered a criminal rather than a civilian case. He then reminded that it would be a main concern for Timor-Leste's lawyer association and civil society to tackle. (Timor Post)

Regional Media Reports

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]-