| Subject: For East
Timorese -- no passports yet, but just fill out a form For East Timorese -- no passports yet, but just fill out a form DILI, East Timor, Nov 15 (AFP) - East Timorese wanting to travel abroad have no passports yet, but for now they can just fill out a form and get a UN travel document. "If somebody wants to take a trip, he's entitled to. They simply have to fill out a form at UNTAET (UN Transitional Administration in East Timor)," said spokesman Orlando Gomez. He said the document was a single sheet of paper containing the normal information that would appear on any regular passport. The catch at the moment is that like everyone else they still need visas, and so far only Australia has a consulate in Dili, Gomez said, adding that in time UNTAET would be issuing proper passports. "It (the travel document) is a sort of passport if you like," senior spokesman David Wimhurst told AFP. Wimhurst said several of the travel documents had already been issued, one to a refugee child who needed emergency surgery and another to a pro-independence Falintil commander who had suffered a stroke. East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia on August 30 and became the world's newest country after some 23 years of virtual militiary occupation. It is expected to be under UNTAET control for two to three years before gaining full independence. Back to November Menu Note: For those who would like to fax "the powers that be" - CallCenter V3.5.8, is a Native 32-bit Voice Telephony software application integrated with fax and data communications... and it's free of charge! Download from http://www.v3inc.com/ |