| Subject: UNOTIL Daily Media Review 3 May
2006
UNOTIL Compiled by the Public Information Office from national and international sources Daily Media Review Wednesday, 3 May 2006 National Media Reports President Xanana: Together we restore our national unity + Intervention of F-FDTL is legal In relation to the violence last Friday, President Xanana Gusmăo appealed to all the people of East Timor who had previously come together as a force to gain independence from the Indonesian occupation to restore national unity. “Together we will restore our national unity and everyone must hold on to it tightly,” President Gusmăo said. He also appealed to the petitioners to return home saying that he guarantees their security. “I understand that you feel insecure but the Government has guaranteed your security to bring you home so you can go on with your daily life to help your own family”. In response to the rumors that PNTL and F-FDTL would fight against each other, Xanana told the reporters that PNTL and F-DTL will always work together to maintain security, so the rumors are false. After meeting with the Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri yesterday, the President said that the situation was under control, so PNTL and FDTL will go back to their barracks. In response to the comment from MP Jose Nomiado from PD party that the intervention of F-FDTL was illegal and unconstitutional, a spokesperson from the Fretilin party MP, Francisco Miranda, told the reporters at National Parliament that the intervention is legal as F-FDTL will cooperate with PNTL in a crisis situation based on decree law from the Government. “After what happened in Dili, we were in a crisis situation so F-FDTL had to intervene to maintain security in this country” said Miranda. (DN, TP, STL) Salsinha: “Government Only Knows to Kill” Spokesperson of the Petitioners of F-FDTL, Gastăo Salsinha, said that Mari Alkatiri’s Administration has no good political will to solve their problems, adding that the Administration only knows how to kill and destroy, STL reported. Speaking to STL from his secret hiding place during a phone interview on Tuesday, Salsinha said, “Frankly speaking, we are upset with Mari Alkatiri’s Administration. They only know how to escalate problems, therefore we do not trust PM Alkatiri.” It was reported that since last Friday’s incidents, the whereabouts of Salsinha are unknown. “My whereabouts are secret. There is no need for you to know where I am at the moment,” he said. Moreover, Salsinha said that the incidents in front of the Government’s Palace would not have happened if Mari Alkatiri had the good will and readiness to cooperate with the Parliament, President of Republic and the Court of Appeal to respond to petitioners’ demands. Salsinha stated that during the demonstrations there was no Government authority willing to come and talk to demonstrators to explain the measures to be taken with regards to their problems. Because of this, he said, it triggered the anger of the demonstrators and they lost control which in the end, resulted in incidents [on Friday, 28 April]. “We, the petitioners have no desire whatsoever to overthrow the Government. We only want our problems to be solved. We only want justice, “ Salsinha added. (STL) Investigation of dead bodies in Tasi Tolu + To identify the victims of Friday incident, the government creates new commission In relation to the rumors that many people have been killed in Rai Kotuk, Comoro and other places, President Xanana held a meeting on Sunday with the Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, Minister of Interior Rogerio Lobato, Commander of F-FDTL Taur Matan Ruak and Commander of PNTL Paulo Fatima Martins to agree to allow access to the Ombudsman of Human Rights Timor-Leste to the places where the incidents occurred. Vice President of Ombudsman of East Timorese Human Rights Silveiro Pinto Batista told a TP reporter that even though the leaders have agreed, they could not access the place where incidents have happened because the F-FDTL did not allow them to do so. “As a human rights organization, we want to investigate whether the issue of killing is true or false”, Pinto said. Spokesperson of Council Ministers, Antonio Bianco, said that Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri has created a new Commission to identify how many people were killed and injured and also identify the victims of the Friday incident. The Commission will include two representatives from East Timor Red Cross, two from the Ministry of Health and two from PNTL and the District Administrator of Dili. It is reported that the Commission will also work together with the Ministry of Labour and Solidarity to identify people who will need assistance from the Government. “ The Government will provide new places for those people who lost their houses” Bianco added. (TP, STL) Regional News 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 Back to May menu |