Notícias - UNMIT

UNMIT – MEDIA MONITORING - Tuesday, 29 May 2007


National Media Reports

Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
Prime Minister's Office
Media Release
28 May 2007

Prime Minister Estanislau da Silva Visits Victims of Violence in Ermera District

Timor-Leste (East Timor) Prime Minister Estanislau Da Silva has visited hundreds of victims of the recent violence in Ermera district southwest of Dili and promised measures to boost security in the lead-up to the June 30 parliamentary election.

Da Silva, a leader of the majority Fretilin party, said the attacks on people and property in Ermera followed the May 9 presidential election and were aimed at intimidating the Ermera community.

"It is important for the government to know what is happening in Ermera district so we can take concrete measures to restore security and allow election campaigning to take place peacefully," he said.

"The government will also make efforts to arrest the perpetrators of these attacks and bring them to justice.

"The Fretilin government will not tolerate violent behavior of any kind."

During his weekend Saturday visit to Ermera, Da Silva visited 70 people from the Suco (administrative region) of Orahu who have taken refuge in government buildings in the district capital of Gleno.

"Their homes were torched by agitators that want to create instability in the area to prevent people from participating in election campaigning and the 30 June parliamentary elections," Da Silva said.

He also visited about 200 people sheltering in coffee plantations in the Suco of Poetete after their houses were burned or their families subjected to intimidation. Da Silva said Ermera district had been the target of anti-government activities for the past year.

"In early May 2006, a police officer was killed in Gleno when supporters of the army petitioners attacked members of the Rapid Intervention Unit who were protecting the Secretary of State for
Region III on an official visit to Gleno," he said.

"In February 2007, Valente Soares, a 24-year-old orphan, and caretaker of Fretilin's Ermera headquarters were murdered.

"Incidents of harassment and intimidation of the local population have increased recently."

Attached below are pictures of Da Silva's visit to Ermera district.

For more information, please contact:
Jose Teixeira (+670) 728 7080 or send an email to fretilin.media@gmail.com


Nothing alternative, president of republic promulgate alteration law

The president of republic, Jose Manuel Ramos Horta has approved the alteration of electoral legislative, which was amended by the national parliament from ruling party Fretilin.

According to Mr. Horta, prior to making the decision he onsulted with UNMIT, political parties, civil societies and church about the advantages and disadvantages of the changes.

Mr. Horta said there was no alternative. (STL, TP and STL)

529.198 voters will vote in parliamentary election

According to the information gained by DN from STAE on Monday (28/5), there are 529,198 total voters who will vote in parliamentary election on June 30. Of those, 271,671 voters are men and 257,527 are women.

There are also 3% of new registration (3426 voters) and the majority from the members of CPD-RDTL. (DN)

Eric Tan-Alcino Barris: “Police will guarantee security in parliamentary campaign”

The DSRSG, Mr. Eric Tan said on Friday (25/5) while attending the inauguration monument of PNTL in front of ministry of justice, that UNPol and PNTL is ready to assure security in parliamentary election across the country.

In the mean time minister interior, Alcino Barris said that UNPol and PNTL will also guarantee security in during the legislative campaigning period. (DN)

UNMIT will renovate PNTL

The DSRSG, Mr Eric Tan declared that on Friday (25/5) while attending the inauguration monument of PNTL in front of ministry of justice, that UNMIT will renovate PNTL to be the pride for all Timorese in the future. (DN)


UNMIT welcomes political parties’ commitment to a free and fair June 30 election

The head of the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) has welcomed the signing of a document that harnesses the collective will of all political parties to a free and fair June 30 election.

Importantly, the Political Party Accord also covers basic principles of governance after the elections. It commits all parties to a constructive and inclusive democratic process for the new government and opposition.

The Accord has the agreement of all 16 political parties in Timor-Leste.

The head of UNMIT, Mr Atul Khare congratulated all parties for their participation and willingness to reach an agreement.

“The Accord commits the winning party to representing the voices of the majority while listening to and accommodating the needs of the minority. It will also ensure that the minority will adopt a constructive role as a dynamic opposition capable of providing democratic checks and balances.

The new parliament will need a strong and vibrant opposition to ensure that democracy continues to mature in Timor-Leste,” Mr Khare said.

“In the Accord, the pasties commit themselves to ensure that this takes place.”

Also in Dili on Friday, the political parties signed a “Code of Conduct” that commits all parties, their candidates, their representatives and supporters to accept the results, or to challenge them only in competent courts; and to campaign positively through programmes of action not personal criticism of other candidates.

The Code of Conduct was drafted and approved by the national authorities charged with running the parliamentary election.

“Today’s signings demonstrate clearly the agreement of all political parties to play their role freely, fairly and transparently not just during the campaign and voting period, but in the formation of the new parliament and the opposition,” Mr Khare said. (STL)

PDC campaigns in Ainaro

The Christian Democratic Party (PDC) held its first campaign in Ainaro today specially in Rau Husar Suco Aituto; sub-district Maubisse.

The location was chosen for the because Ainaro is the center of “ancient” Timor-Leste and also the home of the party’s parliamentary leader Euclides G da Silva. (STL)

Branco: “nothing facts of Leaders’ communists ideology implementation”

In response to accusations from Alfredo Reinado Alves that communists ideology is being implemented in Timor Leste, the KOTA member of national parliament, Clementino dos Reis Amaral has said that some leaders’ attitudes seem like the doctrine of communists.

However the member of the national parliament from the ruling party Fretilin, Francisco Miranda Branco, said that there aren’t facts or evidence related to such an accusation. (STL)

International Media Reports

Goff to go on night patrol while in East Timor
5:05PM Monday May 28, 2007
Phil Goff
New Zealand Herald

Defence Minister Phil Goff will go on a night patrol with the army while in East Timor.

Mr Goff heads to East Timor tonight to visit New Zealand Defence Force personnel and police working there, as well as East Timorese officials.

Mr Goff said he would visit Defence Force troops and police officers who had been working to achieve security and stability in East Timor.

"While with the New Zealanders I will accompany New Zealand army personnel on a night patrol in Dili."

Mr Goff will meet with newly-elected President Jose Ramos-Horta, whom he has known for almost 20 years, care-taker Prime Minister Estanislau da Silva and senior military and United Nations officials.

This will be Mr Goff's second visit to East Timor in his role as defence minister.
"... I am looking forward to returning and getting a first hand understanding of the current political and security situation."

He will be in East Timor from May 29-31.

Mr Goff will then go to Singapore for the 6th Asian Security Summit, commonly known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, from June 1-3.

The dialogue was the key forum for discussing public policy on defence and security in the Asia-Pacific region, Mr Goff said.
Delegates from 26 countries were taking part and he would meeting with counterparts from Australia, Singapore, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and Germany. NZPA


Peacekeeper from Philippines injured in East Timor clash
May 28, 2007 3:21 pm
Davao Today

MANILA — The Philippine Mission to the United Nations announced that a female Filipino police officer serving with the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Timor Leste was reported injured in a civil disturbance in the capital Dili on 20 May 2007.

In his report to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo, Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Hilario G. Davide Jr., identified the injured peacekeeper as Jimeli Valera Acuna, 32, of Taytay, Rizal, and a member of the Philippine police contingent serving with the UN Integrated Mission in Timor Leste (UNMIT).


Ambassador Davide said the Philippine Mission learned about the incident from the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), which reported on 24 May 2007 that Acuna suffered bruises in the shoulder after she was hit by a rock from a crowd of displaced Timorese who attacked UN peacekeepers in Dili on Sunday, 20 May.

Ambassador Davide said the incident took place shortly after UN peacekeepers responded to reports of fighting and stone throwing between two local groups near the former Chinese Embassy in Dili before 3:00 p.m.

Acuna and another Filipino peacekeeper, Joel Doria, the acting police district commander of Dili, were among the first to respond to the scene and tried to control the crowd. However, one of the groups turned against the UN police officers and began attacking them with rocks.

Quoting the DPKO report, Ambassador Davide said four UN police officers, including Acuna were injured while four UN vehicles were damaged as a result of the incident. He said one civilian died from a head injury, another was hurt, while 50 were arrested.

This is the second violent incident that resulted in an injury to a Filipino peacekeeper serving in Timor Leste. A year ago, Filipino police officer Edgar Layon was wounded when UN peacekeepers were caught in the middle of a gun battle between East Timorese factions also in Dili.

There are 155 Filipino police peacekeepers serving in UNMIT, making it the biggest UN peacekeeping mission where the Philippines is involved. UNMIT’s police component is also led by a Filipino, retired General Rodolfo Tor, who sits as UN police commissioner. END


Indonesia reopens border with Timor-Leste
Updated: 15:39, May 28, 2007
Source: Xinhua

The Indonesian military has reopened the land border with Timor-Leste, after a three-month closure due to political tensions in the neighbour, an officer said Monday.

"In accordance with instructions form the president and the military commander, we have reopened the border since yesterday ( Sunday)," Maj. Gen. Syaiful Rizal, chief of the Udayana Military Command overseeing eastern Indonesia, was quoted by the national Antara news agency as saying.

The traffic of people and goods has returned to normal, he said.

Indonesia shares land border with half-island Timor-Leste in East Nusa Tenggara province.
The government ordered the border closure amid violent rallies and potential conflicts involving policemen and military officers in Timor-Leste that drew the presence of the Australia-led international peacekeeping operations.

"We reopened the border because the situation (in Timor-Leste) is now safe," said Syaiful.


Election Agreement in Timor-Leste
By SOPnewswire
Posted 11 hours, 51 minutes ago

The head of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) has welcomed the signing of a document that aims to foster a free and fair election at the end of June.

In a statement, UNMIT chief Atul Khare congratulated all 16 parties for their participation and willingness to reach an agreement.

“The Accord commits the winning party to representing the voices of the majority while listening to and accommodating the needs of the minority,” he said. “It will also ensure that the minority will adopt a constructive role as a dynamic opposition capable of providing democratic checks and balances.”

Mr. Khare also said the new parliament “will need a strong and vibrant opposition to ensure that democracy continues to mature in Timor-Leste.”

The Political Party Accord covers basic principles of governance after the elections, committing all parties to a “constructive and inclusive democratic process for the new government and opposition,” UNMIT said in a news release.

Also in Dili on Friday, the political parties signed a “Code of Conduct” that commits all parties, their candidates, their representatives and supporters to accept the results, or to challenge them only in competent courts; and to campaign positively through programmes of action not personal criticism of other candidates.

The Code of Conduct was drafted and approved by the national authorities charged with running the parliamentary election.

UNMIT has been helping to support all aspects of the 2007 presidential and parliamentary electoral process in Timor-Leste, which the world body helped to shepherd to independence in 2002.


Timor-Leste: UN welcomes new election agreement
28 May 2007
The UN News Center

The head of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) has welcomed the signing of a document that aims to foster a free and fair election at the end of June.
In a statement, UNMIT chief Atul Khare congratulated all 16 parties for their participation and willingness to reach an agreement.

“The Accord commits the winning party to representing the voices of the majority while listening to and accommodating the needs of the minority,” he said. “It will also ensure that the minority will adopt a constructive role as a dynamic opposition capable of providing democratic checks and balances.”

Mr. Khare also said the new parliament “will need a strong and vibrant opposition to ensure that democracy continues to mature in Timor-Leste.”

The Political Party Accord covers basic principles of governance after the elections, committing all parties to a “constructive and inclusive democratic process for the new government and opposition,” UNMIT said in a news release.

Also in Dili on Friday, the political parties signed a “Code of Conduct” that commits all parties, their candidates, their representatives and supporters to accept the results, or to challenge them only in competent courts; and to campaign positively through programmes of action not personal criticism of other candidates.

The Code of Conduct was drafted and approved by the national authorities charged with running the parliamentary election.

UNMIT has been helping to support all aspects of the 2007 presidential and parliamentary electoral process in Timor-Leste, which the world body helped to shepherd to independence in 2002.


East Timor Parties Commit to Democracy before Election, UN Says
Last Updated: May 28, 2007 21:04 EDT
By Ed Johnson

May 29 (Bloomberg) -- East Timor's political parties agreed to respect the results of next month's parliamentary election and build a strong democratic process in the Southeast Asian nation, the United Nations said.

Candidates in the June 30 poll also signed a code of conduct committing them to positive campaigning and only challenging a disputed result through the courts, the UN said.

“The accord commits the winning party to representing the voices of the majority while listening to and accommodating the needs of the minority,'' Atul Khare, head of the UN mission in the country, said in a statement yesterday. ``It will also ensure that the minority will adopt a constructive role as a dynamic opposition capable of providing democratic checks and balances.''

The former Portuguese colony, also known as Timor-Leste, has been unstable since 37 people were killed a year ago in clashes between groups from the western and eastern regions. The violence drove 150,000 people, or about 15 percent of the population, from their homes. Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos Horta, who was sworn in as president earlier this month, has pledged to heal divisions in the country.

Clashes between political activists in the nation are common, as is violence between martial arts gangs in the capital, Dili. International peacekeepers, led by Australian troops, were deployed last year to restore order.

East Timor borders part of Indonesia on an island about 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of Australia. East Timorese voted in a 1999 referendum for independence, 24 years after Indonesia invaded the territory.

The vote triggered a campaign of violence by militias, backed by the Indonesian military, which left hundreds of civilians dead. The country became independent in May 2002 and Ramos Horta is East Timor's first democratically elected president.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ed Johnson in Sydney at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net .

NZ Defense Minister visits Timor-Leste
Source: Xinhua

New Zealand Defense Minister Phil Goff said Tuesday he expects security in Timor-Leste will be an issue for some time.

According to Radio NZ, Goff is on a three day visit to Timor- Leste involving meetings with New Zealand troops and the country's new president, Jos Ramos-Horta. He will then go to Singapore for a regional security conference.

Goff told the radio violence in Timor-Leste can flare in an instant and New Zealand's presence in Dili is intended to keep it to a minimum.

He said keeping peace in the country is a priority with parliamentary elections due on June 30.
"This will be my second visit to Timor-Leste as Defense Minister and I am looking forward to returning and getting a first hand understanding of the current political and security situation," said Goff.

New Zealand has been deploying troops in Timor-Leste. Another contingent of New Zealand troops departed for Timor-Leste last week for a six month tour of duty. The 105 troops are the third rotation to take up peace keeping duties in Timor-Leste in the past year.

Goff said the troops will be there as long as they are wanted and needed to stabilize the situation.

This is a broadcast of the UN Police in Timor-Leste to provide you with information about the security situation around the country.

Tuesday, 29 May 2007

The security situation in Dili has been generally calm. However, a 60-year-old woman has been murdered in Same.


Yesterday at about 1425 hrs, UNPol received information from the PNTL Commander that a 60-year-old woman had been murdered in Haturae Village, Same. UNPol and PNTL patrol teams were immediately dispatched to the scene to investigate. Two suspects have been identified and are being sought by police.


Today in Dili, UNPol conducted a total of 43 patrols and were required to attend six incidents. One incident involved a report of fighting near Comoro Roundabout. UNPol attended and dispersed the crowd. Separately, at about 1400hrs, UNPol and ISF carried out a joint search operation in the Delta area of Dili and recovered spears, knives and machetes. No arrests were made.

Yesterday in Dili, the window of an UNPol vehicle was smashed at around 2000hrs by an unknown assailant near Obrigado Barracks. No-one was hurt in the attack.

In Ermera, investigators from UNPol’s Forensics Unit and Ermera District HQ conducted an investigation at the scene of the fire in Gleno Market. Forensic officers inspected, sketched, photographed, and measured the scene. Interviews also conducted indicate that the fire was probably started by accident.

The Police advise to avoid traveling during the night to the most affected areas. Report any suspicious activities and avoid traveling the areas affected by disturbances. Call 112 or 7230365 to contact the police 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This has been a daily broadcast of the UN Police in Timor-Leste, for +the people of Timor-Leste


UNMIT Pays Tribute to Peacekeepers Around the World


Dili May 29, 2007 - A ceremony to mark International Peacekeepers’ Day was held this morning to honour the 3,195 peacekeepers from 86 countries currently deployed in Timor-Leste.

Also today, the staff of UNMIT paid tribute to the 71 people who have been killed while serving for the United Nations since 1999 through a flower-laying ceremony.

In a speech this morning, the Acting Special Representative of the Secretary General for Timor-Leste, Eric Tan, recalled that UN personnel have been deployed continuously in Timor-Leste since 1999.

As mandated by Security Council Resolution 1704, UNMIT peacekeepers are contributing to Timor-Leste in the areas of security, electoral support, development and the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law.

“Today we are here to fulfill a very different role compared with the one before. We first assisted an emerging country to rebuild itself and recover from a long struggle.

Now we are assisting the second democratically elected President, and soon a new Government, to solidify, stabilize and make this young democracy sustainable. The evolution of our mandate is sure a most tangible sign that progress has been made,” Mr Tan said.

Mr Tan thanked all of those currently serving and paid tribute to the civilian, police and military peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice “in the service of peace”.

International Peacekeepers’ Day is celebrated across the world where there are more than 100,000 nationals from 115 deployed in 18 peacekeeping missions.

The ceremony was attended by the President of Timor-Leste Dr José Ramos-Horta, other representatives of the Timorese leadership, as well representatives from the diplomatic corps.

Dr Ramos-Horta said that the presence of the United Nations would be needed for some time, specifically in the areas of electoral support, reform of the security sector, the judiciary and other state institutions.

For more information please contact UNMIT Spokesperson Allison Cooper on +670 7230453


This is a broadcast of the UN Police in Timor-Leste to provide you with information about the security situation around the country.


Wednesday, 30 May 2007


The security situation throughout the country has been relatively calm in the last 24 hours.


Today in Dili, UNPol conducted a total of 41 patrols and were required to attend six incidents. Two were minor traffic accidents, and one other was a report of a failed stabbing, in which the victim was unable to identify the attacker.

In Ermera sub-district, UNPol responded to reports of suspected arson and discovered that eleven houses had been burnt in Urahou early in the morning of the 29th. UNPol has questioned one of the victims and is investigating further.

In Ainaro, twelve villagers from Maubisse sub-district visited the UNPol District headquarters to seek refuge after allegedly being threatened by other villagers for political reasons. The matter is being investigated.

Finally, investigators from the Major Crime Investigation Unit are making good progress in the case of the attempted murder of PNTL Officers on 25 May 2007. They have been linked to several good witnesses and will interview them shortly.

The Police advise to avoid traveling during the night to the most affected areas. Report any suspicious activities and avoid traveling the areas affected by disturbances. Call 112 or 7230365 to contact the police 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This has been a daily broadcast of the UN Police in Timor-Leste, for +the people of Timor-Leste

**Translation of the Briefing into Tetum will continue tomorrow**