Por Pedro Morais Fonseca, da Lusa Montevideu, 05 Nov (Lusa) - O Presidente português, Cavaco Silva, afirmou hoje que pediu ao secretário-geral cessante das Nações Unidas, Kofi Annan, que sensibilize o seu sucessor no cargo sobre a necessidade de apoiar a consolidação do Estado de Timor-Leste.
As palavras do Presidente da República foram proferidas no final da XVI Cimeira Ibero Americana, em conferência de imprensa, na qual também estiveram presentes o primeiro-ministro, José Sócrates, e o titular das pastas de Estado e dos Negócios Estrangeiros, Luís Amado.
Na conferência de imprensa, o chefe de Estado português fez um balanço sobre os resultados de três dias de cimeira em Montevideu, mas destacou a sua reunião com o secretário-geral das Nações Unidas na quinta-feira.
"Eu e o primeiro-ministro pedimos a Kofi Annan para transmitir ao seu sucessor todo o seu conhecimento e experiência sobre Timor- Leste, de forma a ajudar à paz e à consolidação deste Estado", declarou Cavaco Silva.
Em Janeiro, Kofi Annan será substituído pelo coreano Ban Ki-Moon no cargo de secretário-geral das Nações Unidas.
Ainda sobre a reunião com Kofi Annan, o Presidente da República disse ter agradecido o seu apoio em causas que envolveram Portugal, como a independência de Timor-Leste e o processo de diálogo com a Indonésia.
PMF-Lusa/fim
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I have just read the World Bank's report about fragile or failing nations and Timor-Leste is on the list. As Timorese I am ashamed of this category, however I should say that all politicians and leader in Timor-Leste should bury their head in the sand for their mistakes. Furthermore, they, the politicians and leaders need to restrain themselves in making statements that further inflame the violance. Because if the country is broken appart, they will only govern the shits.
ResponderEliminarIt seems that at the moment Timor is governed by criminals and gangs. This is shameful for the PR and PM, as they cannot do anything to resolve the current crisis. More naive, the PR and PM have are internationally recognised figure, yet they cannot even overcome gangs and violance.
By the end of of the mandate of the Current PM, if the situation is getting nowhere and next year Timor still listed as Fragile or Failing state, it should be a paintful to PM in his story or memoir. As he will be remembered as the only Noble Peace Prize Laurate, candidate for UN Secretary General, that ever governs a country and cannot improve the situation.
Canberra Times: Tripping over the region
ResponderEliminarNovember 3, 2006 Friday
FOR PRIME Minister John Howard, the recent Pacific Forum meeting must
have been a rather uncomfortable experience. It should also have been
a learning experience, a warning that Australians cannot take these
small states for granted.
While the Government's declared aim to improve governance should be
pursued, its officials and troops, it would seem, need to proceed
more sensitively, respecting the independent status of these
countries, while pursuing their lofty aim of improving governance. If
they fail to do this, Australia's efforts could turn out to be
counterproductive.
Howard and Alexander Downer should heed the words of Sir Michael
Somare, leader of the largest of the Pacific states and the region's
elder statesman. Sir Michael is the only leader who bridges the gap
between the era of colonial experience and today's political scene.
That journey has not been an easy one, for reasons which most
Australian politicians seem not to understand, for it is a journey
that we have no experience of. For example, most South Pacific states
suffered the World War II upheavals we were spared. Also their
national cohesion and unity have been undermined by the fact their
national boundaries were formed by European colonial expansion and
rivalry rather than natural evolution. Howard may have handled the
Forum calmly, but whether he was encouraged to reach out and
understand its background is another matter. It is not enough to call
on these states to lift their game as if they were business
enterprises. There is more to the problems facing Pacific states like
Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Solomon Islands than mismanagement by
weak, corrupt and irresponsible administrations. Australia will no
doubt continue to play a leading role economically, but it will not
necessarily win the respect and trust of the peoples of the region,
on which success depends.
Right now the most serious problem of this nature is further west in
East Timor, where more violence erupted last week. In a way, the
Timor situation is by far the most serious international challenge
posed by our small neighbours. Australia may be a big player there,
but our influence is not unchallenged. The Timorese leaders may have
close links with us, but their cultural preferences are elsewhere.
The Timorese Government has cultivated close relations with the
leading Portuguese Community states, especially Portugal and Brazil.
Despite past problems there are still close links between the East
Timorese and Indonesians. Bahasa Indonesia is still more widely
spoken in East Timor than Portuguese. Then there are strong links
with Japan, now the leading aid donor, South Korea, China, Singapore
and Malaysia. Timor also maintains special links with the European
Union and the US, especially the US Congress some of whose leading
figures in the past supported East Timor's quest for independence.
Most East Timorese politicians, especially the current Prime
Minister, Jose Ramos Horta, accord the Australian relationship
fundamental importance, but they have not forgotten those dark
corners of the past, our dismal performance in relation to Indonesian
moves to annex the colony and, more recently, our greedy response in
relation to the Timor Gap treaty. If Australia's embrace becomes too
close, it will not take a lot to arouse some resentment and
suspicions. That is inclined to happen when our official
pronouncements are insensitively paternalistic, or are laced with
Cold War prejudices. It was evident, for example, that Mari Alkatiri
was seen by some in the Howard Government as a left-winger, who could
be leading the new nation in the direction of a Marxist political
format. The fact he persuaded Cuba to send some 300 doctors to East
Timor did not pass unnoticed. But there was nothing particularly
Marxist about Alkatiri's administration. In fact, his readiness to
follow World Bank guidance caused Paul Wolfowitz to praise his form
of administration earlier this year.
Timorese were impressed with the internationalism of UNTAET, the
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor, with its
sensitive rules of engagement, and most do not agree with Australia's
insistence that our forces there remain independent of the UN, in
effect directly under Australia's control. From our military's point
of view, it was really a mistake, for Australians, instead of the
international community, now have to face hostility for the
occasional incidents that are bound to occur during the outbursts of
violence. A belief by some that Australia may have been behind Mari
Alkatiri's removal also persists. It has just been aired by Defence
Force Chief Brigadier-General Taur Matan Ruak. Although Ruak was
criticised in the UN report he remains a highly respected figure in
Timor Leste.
It is fair to assume the popularity our troops enjoyed five years ago
when they displaced the hated TNI forces has declined somewhat. The
media has reported the outbursts of hostility from street gangs, but
these hostile attitudes go beyond the politics of the street. A
number of Timorese parliamentarians have joined with the defence
chief in calling for an investigation into incidents involving
Australian troops.
During my stay I was impressed with the discipline and professional
conduct of our soldiers, but it needs to be acknowledged that a few
cases of overreaction, leading to some harassment, have occurred and,
although these have been dismissed by the Horta Government, they have
led to criticism that will not go away.
While the incidents are not serious, neither the Government nor our
defence force commanders should dismiss them without a careful
investigation. As our military contingent stands apart from the UN
mission, it needs to take care to avoid any political alignment,
bearing in mind the tribal character of the street gangs, a number of
whom have links with East Timor's leading political parties. These
gangs are a mixed bunch. Some are led by former Falintil guerrillas;
a few have former TNI militia as members, while others function as
protectors of the security of political or community bodies.
Unfortunately, while our forces and the UN mission cannot stem the
violence, it will be impossible to disarm and disband them. James
Dunn is a former Australian diplomat and advisor to the government in
East Timor
I Totally agree with the above writter. Current situation is somehow very confused. With the fall of former PM Mari Alkatiri , a few other members should have gone with him amin , such as Domingos Sarmento the ministre for Justice, Madalena Boavida for the Finance and to certain extent I also think that Ana Pessoa should not have remain in the cabinet as she played a role in Alkatiri's government . Both belongs to the same line and both were the most umpopular figures in the previous team. ALkatiri's line was a very dictatorial line for a country like Timor-Leste. Its people still did not overcome the 25 years of opression with Indonesia , so the minimum pressure any government use they will always compare with those 25 years and will not cooperate to improve the situation by
ResponderEliminarby mantaining those figures in the same team playing the same role . I think the decision was wrong and is not helping Ramos Horta in his work as they always interfere with him. As I undersatnd every decision RH takes he still has to consult this three people and Alkati . Specially Alkatiri as he is the general secretary of the Governing Party , FRETILIN. This way things cannot move as the same line continues. We should never forget that the people were very unhappy with those gov members.
So your comments are somehow right, Horta cannot do anything the way he wants to control the gangs and those who are behind them. He cannot even mention the names of people behind this trouble. I read somewhere that Horta said tha he knows not only who are the people behing this but whic party as well. Oh Well if knows why not mentione the names so people can protect themselves and prevent more violence . Being marginal for me are not only those who are throwing stones and burn houses but also those who motivate this sort of actions.. Those who are behind ? Those are the bigest marginal we can have here in our country.
I read more than once in this blog some acusations of corruption involving the minister of justice, Domings Sarmento in relation to property ownership. If this is truth why those people do not come forward with evidence and denounce the situation. All these alegations in relation to these problems, if they are thrut , are c ontributing to the unhapiness of all of us Timorese People.
These are also the sort of things Ramos Horta should address, and urgently... and beleive he is trying to do something . He needs help from all Timorese people in order the restaure peace in our country.
Maracuja ( said with the violentce in our country)
I Totally agree with the above writter. Current situation is somehow very confused. With the fall of former PM Mari Alkatiri , a few other members should have gone with him amin , such as Domingos Sarmento the ministre for Justice, Madalena Boavida for the Finance and to certain extent I also think that Ana Pessoa should not have remain in the cabinet as she played a role in Alkatiri's government . Both belongs to the same line and both were the most umpopular figures in the previous team. ALkatiri's line was a very dictatorial line for a country like Timor-Leste. Its people still did not overcome the 25 years of opression with Indonesia , so the minimum pressure any government use they will always compare with those 25 years and will not cooperate to improve the situation by
ResponderEliminarby mantaining those figures in the same team playing the same role . I think the decision was wrong and is not helping Ramos Horta in his work as they always interfere with him. As I undersatnd every decision RH takes he still has to consult this three people and Alkati . Specially Alkatiri as he is the general secretary of the Governing Party , FRETILIN. This way things cannot move as the same line continues. We should never forget that the people were very unhappy with those gov members.
So your comments are somehow right, Horta cannot do anything the way he wants to control the gangs and those who are behind them. He cannot even mention the names of people behind this trouble. I read somewhere that Horta said tha he knows not only who are the people behing this but whic party as well. Oh Well if knows why not mentione the names so people can protect themselves and prevent more violence . Being marginal for me are not only those who are throwing stones and burn houses but also those who motivate this sort of actions.. Those who are behind ? Those are the bigest marginal we can have here in our country.
I read more than once in this blog some acusations of corruption involving the minister of justice, Domings Sarmento in relation to property ownership. If this is truth why those people do not come forward with evidence and denounce the situation. All these alegations in relation to these problems, if they are thrut , are c ontributing to the unhapiness of all of us Timorese People.
These are also the sort of things Ramos Horta should address, and urgently... and beleive he is trying to do something . He needs help from all Timorese people in order the restaure peace in our country.
Maracuja ( said with the violentce in our country)
Como timorense sinto imenso a situacao do meu pais. Mas, nao tendo nem capacidade intelectual nem visao politica para avancar com qualquer sugestao ainda que modesta, limito-me a pedir a Deus para que de coragem e forca de vontade aos actuais governantes e lideres politicos e religiosos, a fim de juntos trabalharem para se acabar com a actual crise!...
ResponderEliminar"While the incidents are not serious, neither the Government nor our defence force commanders should dismiss them without a careful investigation"
ResponderEliminarInfelizmente, o comandante australiano não é da mesma opinião de James Dunn...