UNMISET Daily Press Review

Compiled by the Public Information Office from national and international sources

Daily Media Review Friday, 25 February 2005

Foreign Minister confident UN will stay in Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste's Foreign Minister, Jose Ramos-Horta, is confident the presence of the United Nations will be extended in the country. Dr Ramos-Horta told ABC that he expects a presence will be maintained, but on a smaller scale. "The Timorese side will provide a modest, but credible UN presence," he said. "We still need some 60 international police advisers, besides some of the police advisers we already have, bilaterally, from Australia," he added. (ABC)

Government prepares to distribute food aid

Timor-Leste's Government is preparing to distribute food aid to sections of the population in need. Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri said that the food aid is to be given to those who need it most and must not be distributed at random. According to Alkatiri, real hunger is when someone eats only once a day. He said that there has been a lot of talk about people dying of hunger, but the Government has not yet been able to identify who or where these people are. He added that the population must be clever and be able to produce enough food to sustain them for the whole year. (Timor Post)

Maritime Border Negotiations pending

The next maritime border negotiations between Australia and Timor-Leste will be held from 7-9 March in Australia. Australia is currently proposing to increase Timor-Leste's royalties if Timor-Leste accepts that there will be no changes to the current border for the next 100 years. Mari Alkatiri yesterday told Timor Post that in this round of negotiations Timor-Leste will be sticking with its previous position on the maritime border. (Timor Post)

Lu-Olo issues notice to faction heads

The President of the National Parliament, Francisco Guterres, has issued a notice to all political party leaders in the National Parliament to put forward their candidates for the Provedor for Human Rights and Justice. Guterres said that it had been planned that they would present their candidates last Monday and Tuesday, but other events had arisen and it had not been possible. He added that some of the political parties have also not yet been able to reach a consensus on their candidate. Guterres said that it was the responsibility of the Parliament to create this body because of its importance for Timor-Leste. (STL)

Fifty children without education

At least 50 children in the village of Raihun, Tilomar sub-district, Covalima, cannot attend primary school because of a lack of school buildings and teachers. The problem has already been conveyed to the Department of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth, but has not yet been resolved. The local sub-village head of Baer, Maria Lopes Amaral, told STL that those children whose families are more financially able and have family members in the towns are attending school, but others have been left with no education. The children are then forced to spend their time helping their parents in the fields. (STL)

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