Subject: UNOTIL's Daily Media Review 12 January 2006

[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

Thursday, 12 January 2006

National Media Reports

PM Alkatiri: "Timor-Leste is not the culprit of recent border incident"

Speaking before his departure from Timor-Leste on his way to sign an agreement with Australian Government on the Great Sunrise exploration, PM Alkatiri told media that Timor-Leste is not the culprit in the recent border incident that cost the lives of three former militia. He said that It is the responsibility/obligation of Indonesian armed forces and the police to control those Timorese who have decided to live in Indonesia as Indonesians" the Timor Post reported. PM Alkatiri stressed that, "It is forbidden for people to enter Timor-Leste like a family garden, without any necessary documentations, to steal and kill". On a separate occasion, the Chief of PD Bench at the National Parliament, MP Mariano Sabino was reported by Timor Post stating, "the burning of Timorese flag in West Timor protest was an expression of angry former Timorese refugees because a joint investigation has not been conducted". He added that both Timor-Leste and Indonesian governments need to create a peaceful atmosphere around the border areas to enable the communities of both countries to interact. STL reported that the President of the National Parliament, Francisco Guterres alias Lu Olo, stated that an investigation will be conducted to discover who will be held accountable for the incident. (TP, STL)

MP Sabino: TL-Indonesia need to create peaceful border environment & masses meet bodies at Mota-Ain

"The Timor-Leste and Indonesian governments need to create an environment of peace along the border, so that the people of the two countries can interact as friends and not enemies." Head of the Democratic Party faction in the National Parliament, Mariano Sabino Lopes, told journalists on Wednesday. He said that the wish to establish a border market is one such way of fostering such friendly relations, and that border communities must support the BPU and TNI in doing so.

Meanwhile, former Timorese who are now citizens of Indonesia gathered at the border on Tuesday where two of the three corpses of those killed were returned. Some of those gathered expressed their grief and anger because one of the three, Jose Freitas (aka Mausorti) has been buried in Bobonaro, Timor-Leste upon the wishes of his parents, while other family members currently residing in West Timor preferred that he be buried there. (TP, TVTL)

CITT & CJP: Government prioritises business rather than national sovereignty

The Information Centre for the Timor Sea (CITT) and the Peace and Justice Commission (CJP) for Dili Diocese have expressed their opinion in a joint press conference held on Wednesday that the Timor-Leste government is prioritising commercial negotiations over and above that of national sovereignty. Related to the signing of the Timor Sea Accord between Timor-Leste and Australia, Director of CITT Cecilio Caminha Freitas said that the government is not heeding the priority given to national sovereignty as stated in the National Constitution. He also said that the Accord would create difficulties in the determination of a maritime border. (TP, TVTL)

P-G investigates four BPU members involved in border shooting

Four members of the Border Patrol Unit involved in the recent fatal border shooting are being investigated by the Prosecution. The investigation is being directly led by the Prosecutor General Longuinhos Monteiro, and is involving also two international prosecutors and the investigations unit of the PNTL. Monteiro told journalists on Wednesday that he would directly lead the investigation, and would require the four to undertake a 'reconstruction' of the incident. He said that he hoped that this would assist in coming to a final conclusion on the incident, and to then determine whether the case should be taken further. (STL)

MP Menezes on Great Sunrise agreement and Combating corruption should start with Prime Minister

The spokesperson for the Partido Democratico (PD) Rui Menezes reportedly said that although he agrees it is a good idea that PM Alkatiri has asked the United Nations to provide international experts to assist in assessing state and government institutions, the PM must, by right, make public his own assets and bank account in the country and overseas, because combating corruption "must start with the PM and his family and all members of the government" he said. Menezes added that the Timorese leadership must also have the goodwill to cooperate with the whole society to strengthen the commitment to fight against corruption. The MP said corruption is growing and the government is too weak to control and fight against it. Menezes said his party has requested many times for Timor-Leste to ratify the international convention on corruption, since there is no law on anti-corruption. (STL)

Babo: TFC/CTF will present the progress of its report to the government

Timor-Leste TFC Co-President, Dionisio Babo, told media that TFC/CTF would present a progress report of their six months work to both Timor-Leste and Indonesian government to enable both governments to know the substance of their work as well as the approved budget, Timor Post reported. Commissioner Babo made the above statement to the media on Jan 11 at Nicolão Lobato International Airport before heading back to Bali to attend TFC/CTF's 8th meeting. It was also added that the commission could only complete the report after their planned meeting that is scheduled from 12-18 January 2006. He also reminded the press that an Indonesian delegation of CTF/TFC will be visiting Timor-Leste. Commissioner Babo declined to comment on the recent border incident on the work of the Commission of Truth and Friendship/Truth and Friendship Commission. (STL)

TVTL News Monitoring 12 January 2005

Greater Sunrise Agreement between Australia ? Timor Leste: Speaking at a Press Conference at Airport International Nicolão Lobato ? Dili, TVTL reported that Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri stated that the Greater Sunrise agreement to be signed by Timor-Leste and Australian Government will provide a revenue of USD 3-20 billion for 40 years. He added that the 50-50 share would enhance the good bilateral ties between both countries. It was also mentioned that the agreement would provide an opportunity to channel the pipeline of the Greater Sunrise to Timor-Leste.

Regional Media Reports

Australia-Indonesia to form new security pact

Australia and Indonesia will sign a new security pact this year -- replacing one torn up amid the bloody turmoil of East Timor seven years ago -- and formalising warming ties, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said on Wednesday.

The new deal will guarantee Australia will not interfere in Indonesia's affairs -- a move aimed at reassuring the mainly Muslim but officially secular archipelago that Australia will not support provincial independence movements.

The alliance also assures Jakarta that Australia will not undermine Indonesia's territorial integrity, allaying fears of Canberra's stated support of pre-emptive strikes in the region.

"We're physically close anyway. Australians and Indonesians have got to get used to each other. We're going to be side by side between now and the end of time," Downer told Reuters in an interview.

"Neither of us is going to move away, so we may as well build habits of cooperation, including in the security area."

The pact comes after the last security deal was ripped up when Australia led a U.N.-backed force into East Timor to quell violence by pro-Jakarta militias after a 1999 vote for independence. Downer said it would formalise several areas of cooperation in defence and counter-terrorism, but said it was not designed as a replacement for the defunct 1995 friendship agreement.

Australia's former Labor government negotiated a secret pact with Indonesia in December 1995, Indonesia's first security agreement with any country.

But that only committed the two countries to consult each other in the event of a dispute, and Indonesia tore it up in 1999 when Australian troops moved into East Timor.

In recent weeks, Australia and Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, have agreed on joint maritime patrols to stop Indonesian boats fishing illegally in Australian waters. In December, Australia lifted a seven-year ban on military cooperation between its special forces troops and Indonesia's elite Kopassus.

Australian and Indonesian police have worked closely together in recent years, with joint investigations into militant attacks in Indonesia, including the 2002 Bali bombings which killed 202 people including 88 Australians.

Downer said the 1995 agreement, signed by President Suharto and Australia's Paul Keating, was a waste of time and did not work.

"The Keating treaty turned out to be nothing more than a publicity stunt, because when we had a security issue with Indonesia in 1999 over East Timor, Indonesia abrogated the treaty. So it didn't have any value at all," Downer said. He did not say how the new agreement would be better. (Reuters)

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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