ABC Radio Australia
Last Updated 07/02/2007, 14:49:24
East Timor's former Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, says he is considering legal action against some Australian media outlets, claiming they put pressure on him to resign last June.
East Timor's Prosecutor-General has dropped investigations into the allegations that Dr Alkatiri set up a hit squad to eliminate his political opponents.
The allegations, aired on the ABC's Four Corners program - the parent organisation of Radio Australia - contributed to the intense pressure for his removal as Prime Minister.
Dr Alkatiri says the allegations were broadcast with extreme political bias and ill-will, but were found to be baseless. He says the prosecutor's decision clears the way for him to seek legal redress for the injustice against him.
He also wants an apology from President Xanana Gusmao and Prime Minister Jose Ramos Horta for using the allegations to demand his resignation.
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quarta-feira, fevereiro 07, 2007
Former ETimor PM considers suing Australia media
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REPÚBLICA DEMOCRÁTICA DE TIMOR-LESTE
GABINETE DO PRIMEIRO-MINISTRO
_____________________________________________________________________
COMUNICADO DE IMPRENSA
Dili, 06 de Fevereiro de 2007
Referensia ba deklarasaun ne’ebe publika ba imprensa ohin loron, atribui husi Sekretáriu Jerál Partidu Fretelin no eis Primeiru Ministru, Dr Mari Alkatiri, ho ida ne’e, Gabinete Primeiru Ministru, Dr Jose Ramos-Horta haruka transkrisaun husi intervista ida ho the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC- TV) ne’ebe hala’o iha 8 Julhu 2006 no notisia ida husi ajensia AFP ne’ebe fo sai iha 12 Julhu 2006.
Em face das declarações publicadas na imprensa de hoje, atribuídas ao Secretário Geral da Fretilin e antigo Primeiro Ministro, Dr Mari Alkatiri, o Gabinete do Primeiro Ministro, Dr José Ramos-Horta, envia parte da transcrição de uma entrevista concedida à rede de televisão Australiana, ABC, em 08 de Junho de 2006, e uma notícia difundida pela agência AFP em 12 de Julho de 2006.
In reference to statements published in today’s press attributed to the Secretary-General of Fretilin and former Prime Minister, Dr. Mari Alkatiri, the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr. José Ramos Horta, has issued part of the transcript of an interview to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) TV Network on 8 July 2006 and a piece of a AFP news line on 12 July 2006.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
TV PROGRAM TRANSCRIPT
LOCATION: http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s1658939.htm
Broadcast: 08/06/2006
Probe needed into death squad claims: Ramos Horta
Reporter: Tony Jones
TONY JONES, PRESENTER: And I spoke to East Timor's Foreign Minister and newly appointed Defence Minister, Dr Jose Ramos Horta, in Dili just a short time ago. Jose Ramos Horta, thanks for joining us.
JOSE RAMOS HORTA, EAST TIMOR FOREIGN AND DEFENCE MINISTER: It's a pleasure.
TONY JONES: Now, how do you intend to respond to the claims that Prime Minister Alkatiri and the former Interior Minister Rogerio Lobato have set up a death squad with instructions to terminate political opponents?
JOSE RAMOS HORTA: Well, obviously, it is not up to me to confirm or deny these allegations. It will be up to the Prime Minister and the former minister Rogerio Lobato to answer these allegations. I find them absolutely serious, to be very serious allegations. An opportunity, I believe, has to be given to the PM to respond, to clarify these allegations. The allegations are allegations until they are proven to be correct through an investigation, but they are very serious matters. I have heard them before, a week or so ago, and I find it very hard to believe that our own Prime Minister would armour civilians, individuals, and particularly give orders to assassinate others, no matter who they are. The Prime Minister is a lawyer, a well-tested lawyer, and he obviously knows that this kind of action is absolutely illegal, not to say unethical and immoral and absolutely counter-productive and dangerous. So, I find it very hard to believe, knowing the Prime Minister - he might be a very tough person, tough political opponent - but I would find it very difficult to believe that he would have given specific orders to carry out this kind of actions.
……………
TONY JONES: Now, you said you had heard of these allegations before. Had you actually heard of allegations of FRETILIN effectively setting up its own militia and its own death squads?
JOSE RAMOS HORTA: No. I never heard of death, as such, that FRETILIN had set up its own death squad. I find it just unbelievable that FRETILIN would do that. What I heard is a week or so ago allegations that the Minister of Interior with the knowledge of the Prime Minister had distributed weapons to a number of civilians and what I heard is consistent with your story that these individuals took part in a shooting incident with our Defence Force in which some of them were killed and when they were killed by our Defence Force they were angry that they had been given a certain assignment and they ended up being shot by our own Defence Force. So that part I heard, but I never heard of the full story. Exactly who they were, whether they were part of an ongoing long-term group with FRETILIN. That I never heard and I find it very, very difficult to believe that a legitimate democratic political party would sit in a Parliament, a ruling party running this country would have an armed wing, an clandestinely illegal armed wing. I heard about these allegations by these individuals a week ago or so and I still find it difficult to believe and so there has to be a serious investigation before we pass judgment on anyone.
……….
TONY JONES: While this investigation goes on, as you say, clearly there will be an investigation. The allegations are so serious, do you believe the Prime Minister should step aside from office while these most serious of allegations are investigated?
JOSE RAMOS HORTA: Well, that is obviously a decision that has to be made by himself and by my president, preferably by the Prime Minister himself. But, I have learnt throughout my life, particularly as an adult, living in the US, in Europe and Australia, particularly about one principle, and that is presumption of innocence. Innocent until proven guilty and I personally have been always, always throughout my life tremendously hesitant, refusing to judge anyone, to pass judgment before there is absolute proof that the individual has sinned that the individual is guilty. So, what if the Prime Minister stepped aside and we find out that after all these were exaggerations, coincidences or fabrications or maybe someone else was involved like the Minister of Interior, but not himself. He didn't know. Well, I prefer to wait for an investigation and all I can agree is that the investigation has to be an impartial one and has to be carried out almost right away.
E Timor rebels surrender arms
AFP, LIQUICA, EAST TIMOR
Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006
East Timorese Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta launched into his new job yesterday with a symbolic start, collecting weapons from civilians as the nation tries to rebuild from a spate of violence.
The Nobel laureate was sworn in as the tiny nation's premier on Monday in a move that has raised hopes of stability returning after unrest rocked the capital in May, leading to the deaths of 21 people.
Ramos-Horta, who has been lobbying for the surrender of weapons that went missing in the mayhem, accepted assault rifles from Vicente "Railos" da Conceicao and dozens of his followers.
"Today is a very important day in the history of our country. We are moving forward in the process to restore peace and order in East Timor," he said in a speech to hundreds attending a ceremony for the weapons handover.
"The Railos group has given us an example of patriotism because they know that their possession of weapons was against the Constitution and law and they did not use the weapons against the people, the government and their friends in the army and police," he said.
Railos has accused Ramos-Horta's predecessor as prime minister, Mari Alkatiri, of paying his group to eliminate Alkatiri's political rivals.
Alkatiri resigned last month amid pressure to take responsibility for the crisis. He faces questioning over allegations he agreed to have his interior minister Rogerio Lobato distribute the arms. Lobato faces criminal charges.
Da Conceicao said he was sorry for having kept the weapons.
"We apologize to the people, the government, the president and the bishops and the United Nations special envoy," he said.
"We are sorry and we are ready to be punished for not carrying out the orders of Mari Alkatiri and Rogerio Lobato and for any mistakes we have made," he said.
Ramos-Horta has said there was not a "shred of evidence" that Alkatiri deliberately misled the country, but that he could have failed to check Lobato's activities.
He told state-run television late on Monday that his immediate priorities as prime minister were to restore order and strengthen the economy and that he would not embark on a major overhaul of the government.
"In my opinion ... the current government should not change much. It would take too much time to remodel or restructure it completely because we are dealing with security, refugees and the budget issue," he said.
During the violence, rival security force factions battled on Dili's normally sleepy streets and in the surrounding hills while some 150,000 refugees converged on makeshift camps. Most have since remained there, too uneasy about security in spite of the presence of around 3,200 foreign peacekeepers to return home.
Later yesterday, Ramos-Horta also accepted a report on transparency prepared last year from UN representative Sukehiro Hasegawa, according to a UN statement.
The delivery, due in April, had been delayed due to the "deteriorating security situation."
Hasegawa said that Ramos-Horta had "pledged his intention to place the highest importance in ensuring transparency and accountability in the conduct of his administration."
The new government was to be installed today and will meet tomorrow to discuss the 2006-2007 budget, he said.
Ba informasaun ne’ebe detalhu, bele kontaktu ho
For more details information, please contact ;
Para outras informações, por favor contactar ;
Joel Maria Pereira
Information / Media Officer
To the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste
Dr Jose Ramos Horta
Email: riko_joel@yahoo.com or riko.joel@gmail.com
Telephone: +670 7254740
Ivana Belo
Information / Media Officer
To the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste
Dr Jose Ramos Horta
Email: unugina2004@yahoo.com
Telephone: +670 724 3559.
Antonio Ramos Andre
Media Advisor
To the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste
Dr. Jose Ramos Horta
Email : antónio.m.andre@gmail.com
Telephone: +670 7319905
The level of defamation was intense and immense. In Dili where the DVD and CVD industry flourises thanks to unscrupulous Indonesian business men, thousands of DVDs and CVDs of the Four Corners program were reproduced and distributed to embarrass and pressure Alkatiri. Te question from many in Dili as been who financed this mass reporduction? But I would go further. Australian political leaders and foreign affairs officials including diplomats should also be sued by Alaktiri and should also be uncovered in the discovery process which will eventuate when action is taken in Australia, which appears to be impending.
For the rule of law to prevail in countries like Timor it is important that countries like ours, Australia, also be beacons for that notion. It has been far from it. Howard and Downer pre-judged Alkatiri as a payback and so be it. If for nothing else neither will be able to visit Timor-Leste again lest Alkatiri sues them there.
Te International Commission of Jurists prior to te crisis were working on legal action against the Commonwealth of Australia in a Dili court for crimes against humanity for its complicity in the Indonesian invasion and occupation. The recent halted that. I hope it recommences with vigour.
Tradução:
Antigo PM de Timor-Leste considera processar media da Austrália
ABC Radio Australia
Última Actualização 07/02/2007, 14:49:24
O antigo Primeiro-Ministro de Timor-Leste, Mari Alkatiri, diz que está a considerar acção legal contra alguns media Australianos, afirmaram que eles fizeram pressão para ele resignar em Junho passado.
O Procurador-Geral de Timor-Leste encerrou as investigações às alegações de que o Dr Alkatiri tinha montado um esquadrão de ataque para eliminar os seus opositores políticos.
As alegações, emitidas no programa Four Corners da ABC – a organização responsável da Rádio Austrália – contribuiu para a pressão intensa para a sua saída do cargo de Primeiro-Ministro.
O Dr Alkatiri diz que as alegações foram emitidas com parcialidade politica extrema e má vontade, mas que se concluiu que não tinham qualquer base. Diz que a decisão do procurador abre caminho para ele procurar reparação legal pela injustiça feita contra ele.
Quer ainda um pedido de desculpas do Presidente Xanana Gusmão e do Primeiro-Ministro José Ramos Horta por terem usado as alegações para pedir a sua resignação.
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Numa célebre entrevista a propósito das negociações do Mar de Timor, Howard disse que poderia dar algumas lições de política a Alkatiri.
Sempre achei que Howard fala demais, como foi o caso. Espero que ele tenha aprendido a lição com esta derrota humilhante em que o tiro lhe saiu pela culatra.
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