[Poster's note: Repeats of international articles already sent out to the east-timor list (info@etan.org) have been removed.]


Wednesday, 21 November 2007

UNMIT – MEDIA MONITORING

"UNMIT assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the articles or for the accuracy of their translations. The selection of the articles and their content do not indicate support or endorsement by UNMIT express or implied whatsoever.  UNMIT shall not be responsible for any consequence resulting from the publication of, or from the reliance on, such articles and translations."

National Media Reports

TVTL Summary News
No related news covered

-­ -

The Alliance in charge for 100 days: as yet no sign of removing corruption

Director of Lalenok Ba Ema Hotu (Mirror of the People), Christopher Samson, said that after one hundreds days in charge, the Alliance government has shown no sign of reducing corruption and the Prime Minister has said nothing about fighting against corruption.

"In a hundred days the Prime Minister has not spoken about removing corruption, not once, except when submitting the program of the government to the national parliament," said Mr. Samson on Monday (19/11).

Mr. Samson also said that there is conflict of interest in the structure of the government where the wife of a minister has a project and other ministers and state secretaries have companies that might provide the opportunity for corruption. (STL)

Paulo Martins: petitioners should be brave enough to tell the truth
Member of the national parliament for CNRT, Paulo Martins, said that the petitioners should be courageous enough to tell the truth in their meeting with the government to find the solutions to their problems.

On the other hand, MP Riak Leman from PSD, said that the government should pay more attention to the spokesperson of the petitioners, Gastão Salsinha.

Mr. Riak Leman also said that the problem of the petitioners and Alfredo Reinado is different. Reinado left the barracks with weapons while the petitioners were disarmed, so that is why there are two separate dialogues. (STL)

Tara: ready to cooperate with Salsinha

Former officer in the F-FDTL, Major Tara, said that he is ready to cooperate with the spokesperson of the petitioners, Mr. Salsinha, and his group to solve the problems they have faced.

"I think our cooperation is going well, the only differences are regarding location. But currently we are trying to cooperate to solve the problems they are facing," said Mr. Tara on Tuesday (20/11). (DN)

David Dias Ximenes: Dili is a cemetery

David Dias Ximenes, MP from Fretilin considered that the current situation makes the capital city of Timor-Leste, Dili, look like a cemetery.

"I said it's a dead city because there is no daily security, and everyone feels insecure everyday.

Just ask Mari Alkatiri and Mario Carrascalão - previously there were only small number of police, but they would respond to any incident promptly.  Now police are everywhere, but the situation is not secure," said Mr. Ximenes. (DN)

Permanent deployment of police at schools: an important step for UNPol and PNTL
The Operational Commander of the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL), Mateus Fernandes, said that the process to deploy police at unsecured schools is an important step for the PNTL and UNPol.

Commander Fernandes said that this important step will be coordinated with UNPol as all of the PNTL is under UNPol control.

"Children are the future of the nation, they should be kept safe.

There is also plan to encourage the IDPs to go back to their previous residences. We are still in the screening process. Soon after that we will deploy the police in the most affected areas," said Commander Fernandes on Friday (16/11). (DN)

IDP situation not solved: unwanted independence
Fernanda Borges, MP from PUN said that if the current government does not solve the situation of the IDPs in 2008, then Timor-Leste does not deserve its independence.

"Many children, the future of the nation, are living in the camps. If the Alliance government cannot solve the problem then the future of the nation will have no direction," said Ms. Borges on Children's Day, Tuesday (20/11) in the national parliament plenary. (DN)


Fretilin and CNRT about to clash in NP
David Dias Ximenes from Fretilin said the statement of Pedro Martires da Costa from CNRT was an insult against former ruling party, Fretilin.

Mr. da Costa said that the electricity and water problem currently plaguing the capital city is being orchestrated by some people who are trying to bring about the collapse of the Alliance government.

"The statement is made from a technical point of view, not a political point of view," said Mr. da Costa. (STL and DN)

Minister of Justice creating injustice in Timor-Leste

Former Minister of Justice Domingos Sarmento, also an MP from Fretilin, said that Minister of Justice Lucia Lobato was being unjust when she sacked the Director of Land and Property, Pedro da Costa, before his term ended.

According Mr. Sarmento, the decision made is unjust because Mr. da Costa's position is not a political post, but a technical post, as national director of public servants. (DN)

International Media Reports

UN says ETimor calm despite Dili incidents
Last Updated 21/11/2007, 14:46:08
ABC News

The United Nations police say the security situation in East Timor is generally calm, despite nine incidents in Dili this week alone.

In one incident, a police officer was overpowered by a crowd, who took his pistol, which was subsequently recovered.

Elsewhere, forty youths threatened police with steel darts and rocks, after a 17 year-old teenager was arrested for allegedly causing a disturbance.

A UN spokeswoman, Alison Cooper, has told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program, while the incidents are concerning, they should be treated as individual incidents and not as a collective culture of violence.

"All incidents of violence are a concern to us, but we're also realistic and pragmatic, and no society in the world has a zero balance on crime or violence," she said.

Ms Cooper says the UN mandate provides a maximum of 1708 troops in the country, and that number of troops has provided adequate security through tenser times, including controversial parliamentary elections.

She says four months after the elections, tensions have abated, but there are still some spikes of tension.

"We certainly don't believe there's a need to increase our current policing capacity here, but we wouldn't be looking to draw that down in the near future, either," she said.

NATIONAL NEWS SOURCES:
Timor Post (TP)
Radio Timor-Leste (RTL)
Suara Timor Lorosae (STL)
Diario Tempo (DT)
Diario Nacional (DN)
Semanario
Televisaun Timor-Leste (TVTL)

UNMIT MEDIA MONITORING
www.unmit.org

[This message was distributed via the east-timor news list. Write info@etan.org.  Support ETAN. For more info: http://etan.org/etan/donate.htm ]