http://tl-dailymedia.blogspot.com/2008_09_14_archive.html

217 UNPOL posted in Dili – Diário Nacional, 15 September

Dili District PNTL’s Acting Commander sub-inspector Delfim da Silva said that there are about 217 United Nations Police (UNPOL) posted in the district of Dili.

He added, UNPOL are working closely with the National Police in doing patrolling. Da Silva said generally Dili is back to normal though there are still sporadic skirmishes in the district.

UN urged for adoption of law on domestic violence – Diário Nacional, 15 September

The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in East Timor, Atul Khare said during a women’s congress in Dili that as a developing country East Timor should adopt a penal code in relation to domestic violence in order to reduce violence against women in their life time.

According to Khare, domestic violence against women is a violation against fundamental human rights.

He then encouraged the National Parliament to quickly start the legislative process of the law. In relation to the question, Fernando Lasama de Araújo said the National Parliament would remind the government to process again the law to be approved by the National Parliament.

Horta: “Woodside should stop being too big mouth” – Timor Post, 15 September

East Timor’s President José Ramos Horta said Friday (12/9) Woodside Company should stop being too big mouth by claiming that the pipelines from the Greater Sunrise would be taken to Darwin, Australia because the decision on whether to land the pipelines in Darwin or in Timor would be determined by technical and commercial factors.

“I therefore ask the Woodside Company not be big mouthed because this has to be in line with technical and commercial data; there should no unilateral decision,” he said.

Horta also said he had not get any information from the country’s Prime Minister if there was any discussion on pipeline issues during his current visit to Australia.

However, he stressed he is firm on his position, the position he previously held when he was still the country’s Foreign Minister.

He said that leaders of the country are united in defending the legitimate national interests to bring pipelines to East Timor.

“Any big county should not impose their own decisions, neither do any big oil companies,” Horta said.

He said, often times big companies make a lot of money but they contribute almost nothing to East Timor.

Horta also said he had no friendship relationship with oil companies.

TL condemns US economic embargo against Cuba: Horta – Timor Post, 15 September

President José Ramos Horta said Friday (12/9) that he is against the economic embargo of the United States against Cuba as the embargo had negatively affected the country of Raul Castro.

“Every year, Timor-Leste votes in favor of Cuba against the embargo of the United States” said Horta.

He said, the economic embargo of the United States against Cuba had given huge negative impacts on the Cuba’s economy, which has also exacerbated by the recent hurricane.

He also said that in the near future he would have meeting with Nobel Peace laureates such as Nelson Mandela to send a letter to the new elected president of the United States to make changes in its foreign policy in relation to Cuba.

The government of Timor-Leste recently decided to give US$500,000 to Cuba as part of its humanitarian assistance to the socialist country.