Timor-Leste Daily Media News Six months provisional sentence for two homicide suspects ? Radio Timor-Leste, 23 September

Suai District Tribunal decided Tuesday (23/9) to hand in six months provisional sentence to two suspects involved in the murder of a teenager in Raifusan sub-village in Betano, Same.

The decision to give the provisional imprisonment was made during the first hearing on the killing of Jorge dos Santos Reis.

The body of 18 years old man killed last Sunday (21/9) has been handed back to the family to be buried after the post mortem autopsy. The two suspects have been transported to the Becora Penitentiary Center.

Govt submits proposal of penal codes to Nat?l Parliament ? Radio Timor-Leste, 23 September

East Timor?s Justice Ministry L?ia Lobato submitted proposal of penal codes to the National Parliament Tuesday (23/9).

After the submission of the proposal, Lobato said the Government wanted to listen to various opinions from the members of the parliament.

She also mentioned that in the near future, the ministry would organize series of public hearings in order to have opinions from various entities regarding the proposal of the Penal Codes.

The proposal will be firstly discussed by the standing Commissions of the Parliament.

Recruitment for new soldiers can be postponed, says state secretary for defense ? Televisaun Timor-Leste, 23 September

State Secretary for Defense, Julio Thomas Pinto, said recruitment for new Timorese Defense Force soldiers could be postponed to January next year if the law for the recruitment was yet to be approved.

?If law for the recruitment is yet to be approved by the Parliament, the recruitment can be postponed to January next year. If it would be approved soon, the recruitment would be held this year,? Pinto said.

Pinto said draft of the law was still in the Council of the Ministers and later to be submitted to the Parliament for approval.

According to the Government?s plan, the defense force will recruit only 150 military officers this year.

Three PDHJ staffs head off to the Philippines for comparative studies – Timor Post, 23 September

Three staffs of the Office of Human Rights and Justice Ombudsman working in the area of human rights went to the Philippines on Friday (19/9) to attend one-month- comparative studies there.

Silverio Baptista Pinto, Vice Ombudsman for Human Rights Division, said the objective of the comparative studies is to learn from other nations their systems and procedures and how to work in partnership with Non-Governmental Organizations.

He explained, the office of the Ombudsman and the Philippines Human Rights Commission have cooperation and the comparative studies for the staff is a fruit of such cooperation.

Pinto also said the current dispatch is the third group to the Philippines and the program is supported and financed by the UNDP and the UN Human Rights Commission.

The participants of the comparative studies are Silvino Saldanha Pereira, Antoninho da Silva and Maria Verdial.

Timor Telecom not to negotiate with Govt ‘bout change - Timor Post, 23 September

East Timor’s Finance and Planning Minister Emília Pires said Monday (22/9) though the government had tried its best to negotiate with Timor Telecom (TT) Company regarding the possibility of bringing in other new telecommunication operators to compete with it, the TT decided not to negotiate with the government.

“For the part of the government, we already sent them (TT) a letter to do negotiation but the Timor Telecom did not want to negotiate with the government,” said Pires.

She also said that in the near future the government would consult with civil society organizations with the view whether to go on with the existing telecommunication operator or to liberalize telecommunication sector.

She explained, if Timor-Leste wanted liberalization of telecommunication, then we would like to see more than one operator in the country so that there is no monopoly of telecommunication is allowed here.

Task Force Police in protest – Timor Post, 23 September

Task Force Police of Timorese National Police (PNTL) has protested police command, urging to provide them per diems of joint operation for the manhunt of former rebel leader Gastão Salsinha and followers.

The Police Task Force officers said they had not received any per diem during and after the joint operation was held.

They also unpleased with the police command, as based on the fact the Task Force Police had been successfully doing their tasks, mainly in responding emergency situation, yet they had received nothing.

They therefore urged the police command to give their right and called on the Dili Police Commander to respond their demand.

Police commander should not be appointed based on feelings, says MP Nunes – Timor Post, 23 September

President of Parliamentary Committee B for Defense and Security, Duarte Nunes has urged Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão to not use feelings in appointing someone for Timor-Leste’s police commander.

Nunes said in nominating someone to become the country’s police commander ought to be based on criterion and internal law within the police force.

“The law can define criteria how someone could be nominated as police’s top commander,” Nunes said.

Nunes was referring to the Government’s plan of appointing general commander for Timorese police in the upcoming November.

Poland to train future F-FDTL’s Air Force – Suara Timor Lorosa’e, 23 September

Polish Ambassador to Indonesia, who is also accredited Timor-Leste, Tomasz Lukasz has promised that his country is ready to train the future Air Force of the East Timor’s Defense Force (F-FDTL) to develop the institution as a proper modern defense force.

The Secretary of State for Defense Júlio Tomás Pinto made the statement Monday (22/9) after holding an official meeting with the Polish diplomat.

“We will send our force to be trained in the area of air force in Poland according to the 2020 plan,” he explained.

He said, the training for the defense force would be an important step in the creation of the country’s Air Force.

Ambassador Lukasz said the cooperation is important to help developing the defense sector in the country, hoping to see a better future for the Defense Force.

However, the Memorandum of Understanding for the cooperation is yet to be elaborated by the counties Defense Ministries in the future.

He explained, the Defense Ministry had also proposed for the participation of the Timorese Defense Force in the Peacekeeping Operations in the world.

Longuinhos should resign, says Luta Hamutuk – Suara Timor Lorosae, 23 September

East Timor’s Attorney General should resign because he is not serious in carrying out his functions according to the Constitution, says Luta Hamutuk’s Program Manager Merício Akara Monday (22/9).

Akara made the statement in relation to the results of the case of the December 4 and other cases that are still not known to the public.

Akara argued that the resignation of Longuinhos Monteiro is also because the current Prosecutor General lacks integrity and he has cast public doubt over the Public Prosecution Office.

He said only the resignation of Longuinhos will secure the public trust in the institution and the access of the public to important cases affected the country such as December 4 and February 11.

He stressed that a person with moral integrity and capacity is needed to maintain the office’s function according to the Constitutions.

However, he said the case of December 4 is the responsibility of the UN.

Caritas holds dialog for youths – Televizaun Timor-Leste, 23 September 23

Australian NGO Caritas yesterday held one-day-dialog for youths in the Capital Dili, aimed at strengthening the Government’s program of reintegrating the IDPs with residents.

The dialog involved youths from Comoro and Lahane suburbs to build good relations between them, mainly how the youths could create peace and stability.

Caritas Project Officer, Carlito Gonsalves said this program they made for supporting the Government in returning the IDPs homes.

Comoro Village Chief, Eurico da Costa, said he was pleased with the dialog, because it could strengthen relationship among the youths and how could they trust in each other.

Govt to hold public consultation on new telecommunication operator – Televizaun Timor-Leste, 23 September

Government has planned to invite other telecommunication company, coming to invest in the country, but should consult first with the public, Minister for Planning and Finance, Emilia Pires says.

The minister made the comments yesterday in connection with the Government’s plan to invite new telecom operator in Timor-Leste.

Pires said the Council of Ministers had made plan to set up a task force looking at policy for new operators in the country.

Pires stressed if the country only had one telecommunication company, it would be harder for the people, because it was too expensive.

She added draft of telecommunication policy had been made and later to be consulted with the public for feedback.

Government also has officially urged Timor Telecom Company to get involve in negotiation, but there was no response.

Police seizes illegal beverages – Radio Timor-Leste, 22 September

Liquiça District Police has seized 150 boxes of illegal beverages on board of a truck on last Saturday in Liquiça.

Police District Commander, Inspector Afonso dos Santos said the police seized the referred beverages from two businessmen who attempted to smuggle them into the Capital Dili.

Dos Santos stressed those beverages were illegal, because there were no supporting document, such as invoice from the Department of Customs.

Those beverages with the trade mark known as “General” comprised 100 boxes and 50 boxes of wine.

Government postpones debate on the Penal Code: Deputy parliamentary president – Radio Timor- Leste, 22 September

Deputy Parliamentary President Maria Paixão, said the Minister for Planning and Finance, Emilia Pires who was one the speakers in the Penal Code session had postponed coming to the Parliament, because she had to attend overseas meeting.

“Unfortunately we cannot hold the debate on the Penal Code, as the minister has no time and she should attend an oversea meeting,” Paixão said. She added Minister for Justice, Lucia Lobato would come to the Parliament for defending draft of the Penal Code.

MP wants the results of Dec. 4 2002 case be released – Televizaun Timor-Leste, 22 September

A Democratic Party’s Member of Parliament, Rui Menezes, called on the current government to release the result of the investigation into the case of December 4 2002 if the country is committed to establishing justice and peace in the nascent democratic country.

Menezes made the statement in relation to the public outcry for the release of the results of investigation into the February 11.

He stressed, we should not only demand for the results of February 11 but demand also for the other related cases such as December 4 because it is considered as the beginning for those cases.

He said that the most recent cases such as 2006 crises and even the February 11 case are not independent of the December 4 and therefore if the people really want to seek justice, then they should demand also the release of the results of the case to the public.