UN hands power back to East Timor police

By Sara Everingham and staff

Updated 7 hours 13 minutes ago

PHOTO: The United Nations is planning to accelerate the draw-down of its mission in East Timor over the next month. (Bay Ismoyo: AFP)

AUDIO: Discussion on the end of the UN mission in East Timor (ABC News)

MAP: East Timor

The United Nations has handed over full control of policing operations to the East Timorese National Police Force (PNTL) at a ceremony in Dili.

The current UN deployment - the United Nations Integrated Mission in East Timor (UNMIT) - came in 2006, after a political crisis in which dozens were killed and hundreds-of-thousands displaced.

Police Officers from more than 40 countries, including Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Philippines, arrived to help with police duties, restore order and conduct training.

The head of UNMIT, Finn Reske-Nielsen, says the bulk of peacekeepers will now leave over the next six weeks.

"We expect that most of our personnel will leave by the middle of December," he said.

"We will still have a handful of people left here by 31 December in order to sort of formally close what would be then be almost 13 years of UN peacekeeping and political missions in this country."

Mr Reske-Nielsen says a recent evaluation by the UN and East Timor found the PNTL was ready to take back control, but still needed improvement in several areas, including discipline.

"Although the way of dealing with problems might not be up to international standards, in the Timorese context they are really ready to do their job," Nelson Belo, director of the security organisation Fundasaun Mahein, told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program.

East Timor's Government says it plans to keep developing its security forces with continued help from countries like Australia after the UN withdrawal.

The 20 Fastest Growing Economies In The World

#7: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

 

Est. 2012 GDP: +10.00% 

Est. 2013 GDP: +10.00%

Est. 2013-2017GDP CAGR: +11.92%

Economy: Offshore drilling for oil and gas is the principal source of government revenues. The government has increased spending on infrastructure to continue to repair damages caused by Indonesian troops in 1999. Unemployment and dependence upon O&G are roadblocks to growth.

Sources: IMF World Economic Outlook, CIA World Handbook

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-fastest-economies-2012-10?op=1#ixzz2AZqHPn2S

Timor may walk away from gas treaty with Australia

Stephanie March

Updated 2 hours 10 minutes ago

VIDEO: East Timor may walk away from Australian oil treaty (ABC News)

PHOTO: East Timor is considering walking away from its treaty with the Australian government and Woodside Petroleum. (7pm TV News WA)

MAP: East Timor

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-15/an-timor-to-walk-away-from-treaty/4313128?section=australianetworknewsEast Timor is considering walking away from its treaty with the Australian government over the development of oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea.

The three parties are signatories to an agreement that governs the rights each have to the resources under the Timor Sea.

Timor has been pushing for a pipeline to be built from the Greater Sunrise gas field in the Sea to a yet-to-be-built processing plant on its south coast.

It believes the pipeline would create much needed jobs and infrastructure for East Timor.

But resources giant Woodside says this would not be commercially viable, wanting to build an offshore floating platform instead.

Timorese government lawyer Pierre-Richard Prosper has been in Australia lobbying government officials in Canberra to support Dili's position over a pipeline.

"This is not simply an issue between Timor and the operators," he said.

"When you look at the treaty there is also another party, that is the Government of Australia, so they have a voice, and they have the opportunity to speak up and cite a preference."

Mr Prosper says East Timor is mulling leaving the treaty when it expires in February next year.

"Timor could easily find a new partner that would be willing to have a pipeline to come through," he said.

"Up in the northern part of Asia there is a big country there that I am sure would be very interested in an opportunity to have some gas."

PHOTO: East Timor may walk away from its treaty with Australia and Woodside Petroleum over the development of oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea. (ABC TV)

Changing boundaries?

East Timor would spark a battle for a new maritime boundary if it walks away from its treaty with Australia,

The boundary presently in place between East Timor and Australia only exists because of the oil and gas treaty.

An international law expert at the Australian National University, Professor Donald Rothwell, says the changes may be drastic.

"There could in fact be quite a radical shift in the way in which the boundaries are aligned if a permanent boundary were settled," he said.

He says the shift could also affect both countries resources and fishing rights.

"That would extend to both sea bed resource rights, living column resource rights, such as fish and also other rights to associated activities within that region which could prove to be quite valuable in terms of biodiversity for example," he said.

Professor Rothwell says the relationship between Australia and East Timor will also be at stake should Dili leave the treaty.

"When a treaty has been concluded in good faith between two countries, if one of those countries is to unilaterally break the terms of that treaty, that in my view does have a significant impact upon the ongoing relationship between two counties and will inevitably lead to a lack of confidence as to the ability of those countries to reach a new treaty arrangement," he said.

The Australian Foreign Minister and Resources Minister have declined to comment on the issues raised by East Timor

Soares holds meeting with PR TMR

Roberto Soares

*Radio Timor-Leste October 10, 2012 language source: Tetun

State Secretary for ASEAN Roberto Soares has a held meeting with President of the Republic Taur Matan Ruak to inform him about his future plans and preparations.

Soares said the plan that he would implement next year would focus on socialization about joining ASEAN to all citizens.

He added 2013 was important for Timor-Leste to begin its integrated plans to better prepare itself before joining ASEAN.

"I use this opportunity to meet with president TMR to inform him about the plan and preparations that my secretariat will carry out in 2013."

"The plan that we will realize in 2013 firstly we will hold concentration and maxim explanation about ASEAN to our citizens," Soares said.

No China influence in Timor: Ramos Horta

Dr. Jose Ramos Horta

EAST Timor's former president Jose Ramos-Horta has dismissed what he says are Australian suggestions that his country is growing closer to China.

David Benluk, AAP

Delivering a lecture at the University of Tasmania, Dr Ramos-Horta said East Timor had snubbed the offer of cheap loans from China, joking that the emerging superpower had more influence over Australia.

"In Africa everybody rushes in to have cheap loans with China ... we are making ourselves a bit too difficult to get," he said.

"So it's not what academics at the ANU (Australian National University) suggest, (that) it's growing Chinese influence."

The Nobel Laureate said the only Chinese contribution to his country had been help with the construction of three government buildings - the defence and foreign ministries and the presidential office.

"Does that make a country under the influence of China?" he asked.

"How about Australia? They sell almost everything to China.

"ANU is not worried about that.

"They're worried about three buildings that China put up in Timor-Leste."

But Dr Ramos-Horta said his country had an excellent relationship with the Asian giant.

"I've met Timorese in China speaking Mandarin better than Kevin Rudd," he joked.

The former foreign minister, prime minister and president, who survived an assassination attempt in 2008, said the country's "new generation" government under national hero Xanana Gusmao had no choice but to succeed.

He said improvements in education, health and the reduction of poverty were vital.

"He has to deliver," Dr Ramos-Horta said.

"Our people have been waiting for far too long for simple clean water, to have a few electric bulbs at home to be able to study at night.

"Will he be able to? I believe so, as long as the cabinet is absolutely loyal to him and as long as our development partners redirect their attention, energy and resources to where it can make a difference."

Japan provides US$ 97 thousand for installing clean water in Oe-Cusse

Japanese Ambassador Hanada

*Independente, October 8, 2012 Language source: Tetun

The Japanese Government works together with Non-Government Organization (NGO) Y-ACT has inaugurated clean water project in Oecusse which spent more than US$ 97 thousand in which the project uses Solar panel System.

Japanese Ambassador, Yoshitaka Hanada appreciates and proud of the opportunity for helping Timor-Leste's development through several projects that they have offered.

"I am happy because the Japanese Government has the opportunity to contribute to this project since rural development as an important area from Japanese's assistance in Timor-Leste," he said.

Taxing Times in Timor

By Andrew Fowler and Peter Cronau

Timor-Leste, or East Timor, is one of the smallest and poorest countries in Asia. Its only economic hope for the future lies in massive reserves of oil and gas in the Timor Sea. Having fought a bitter battle with Australia over seabed borders and mineral rights it's now taking on some of the world's biggest private energy companies, demanding they pay their fair share of tax on the resources they're extracting.

Four Corners' reporter Andrew Fowler travels to Timor-Leste to detail a no holds barred struggle that involves billions of dollars and the promise of investment and jobs from energy processing. Will Australia's smallest northern neighbour triumph in this battle or will the corporations win out?

"Around the world, multinational companies always fight for their interests and they fight tooth and nail, it's their job, they have shareholders ... we expect the fight to get even harder, because we're talking about a lot of money, but what's changed here is that Timor is fighting back."Advisor to Timor-Leste Government

Timor-Leste's first task is to cut a deal with energy giant Woodside that would see a pipeline and a gas processing plant built on the country's southern shore. If that happens it would mean development, investment, construction and processing jobs, plus more money in taxes. There is a catch though. The company is playing hardball while the government claims the negotiations have involved bullying and double dealing.

As Four Corners discovered, the immediate battle is to audit the energy companies that the government claims are not paying their share of taxes. The centre of this struggle can be found in an office building where a small group of public servants have been meticulously going through contracts and tax returns. This is a contest the country's leaders say they cannot afford to lose, because if they do they will consign an entire country to poverty.

"...all the babies that were born after the Indonesian occupation in 1999 are going to be looking for jobs ... if there's no economy that they can work in, it's going to be a huge drain on society." Charlie Scheiner, NGO Analyst of Government Finance

But it will not just be a drain on Timor-Leste. Australia too cannot afford a failed state on its northern border. Timor-Leste's battle with the corporations is a contest that every country in the region is watching with concern.

"Taxing Times in Timor", reported by Andrew Fowler and presented by Kerry O'Brien, goes to air on Monday 1st October at 8.30 pm on ABC 1. It is replayed on Tuesday 2nd October at 11.35 pm. It can also be seen Saturday at 8.00 pm on ABC News 24, ABC iview and at abc.net.au/4corners.

Tags: oil-and-gas, pipelines, government-and-politics, foreign-affairs, world-politics, fraud-and-corporate-crime,money-and-monetary-policy, east-timor

Timor Language debate to hang on for a while

Timor Hau Nia Lian
Photo: Sapo.pt

By: Acacio Angel

The debate on Portuguese language in Timor Leste re-emerges in public discussions as Politician, students, journalists, lawyers as well social activists are affected by the challenge the language presents. The debate intensified as the President of the National Parliament, Mr. Vicente Guterres, called all the state officials to speak the language instructed by article 13 of the RDTL Constitution. Despite the call, Portuguese remains a challenging language among other Parliament members as well as the youth who find it difficult to speak the language.

The vice president of the Parliament, Mr. Adriano Nascimento, who commented on the speech to be ineffective, as only small elite politicians would understand, soon criticized Mr. Guterres’ call. Although Mr. Nascimento himself later on encouraged all Timorese to exercise their civic duties by learning the language, his earlier comment was nonetheless an inflammatory remarks to the existing dissatisfaction with the language policy in the country. A youth group soon posted an online referendum for choosing either Portuguese or Tetum to be the only official language. Consequently, at least 30.124 people voted in the preliminary referendum posted in the Facebook by Mr. Renato Costa. The majority of the voters preferred Tetum to be the only official language used to facilitate the official communications among government institutions. This somewhat survey, of course, cannot be a base for any policy changes but it certainly has a point to be discussed further.

The call to live up to civic duty and its hostile criticism has been a long time dilemma that faces the country. The debate (an informal debate) has been a public sensation since the beginning of 2002 when the constitution was approved by the then FRETILIN-led parliament and promulgated by the then president Xanana Gusmao. Since then, the consecutive governments have maintained the importance of Portuguese language in Timorese culture and society but little has been done to promote the language nationwide.

The youth have reasons for criticizing the language and country’s leaders. For Timorese born during the Indonesian occupation, Portuguese is a difficult language compared to Bahasa Indonesia or English, partly because they did not have the chance to learn it. This generation has since restlessly argued that the Iberian language is the language of small elites of Timorese society and a symbol of neo-colonialism, etc.  

Nonetheless, the reasons are obvious. Anybody who is familiar with the country’s history and its present situation would agree that the founding fathers’ choice on adopting Portuguese language to assist Tetum in its development to be a standard language was not a mistake. The lack of political will in implementing the language as well as the failure to develop Tetum as an alternative are mostly to be blamed.

In “A lingua Portuguesa em Timor Leste”, Bishop Belo acknowledges the challenges and proposes ways to do it otherwise. But neither government nor the CPLP communities have been committed to the official language in the country, wrote the Bishop. The politicians often find it difficult to agree with one another, sending mix-messages to the public on the official language. For instance, on one hand Mr. Guterres appealed the office-bearers to speak Portuguese, on the other hand, President Taur Matan Ruak reaffirmed President Cavaco Silva saying “Portugues está para ficar” or Portuguese is here to stay” (Sapo.pt) yet to be thought as a foreign language. How would, then, the country overcome the challenge when only small percentage of the population speaks the language?

Various sources indicate there are only about 20% of the population who could speak Portuguese while majority speak Tetum and local dialects. What makes the matter worse is that there is no statistic that shows the percentage of people speaking Portuguese at home or at least communicating it in the offices. Tetum is so far used widely in the country but even so, very little efforts have been made to develop it to be a standard language.

There was a symposium at the Seminario Nossa Senhora de Fatima Balide back in 2010, to assess if Tetum was ready to be used across different fields such as literature, science, technology and philosophy. The three groups that are working on developing Tetum: the National Institute of Language (INL), the Dili Institute of Technology (DIT) and the Major Seminary of Fatumeta - Dili, hardly come to agree with one another on spelling and punctuation.  Hence, it makes the matter worse because both languages are facing challenges in the country.

The government has to play an important role here. It has to start from within its institutions where its pubic recruitment office, for instance, set the criteria clear to making it compulsory for office-holders to be fluent in Portuguese language. Otherwise, it goes around affecting the other institutions and weakening the language policy. Interviewing in Portuguese, for instance, in the recent presidential debates between Lu-Olo and Taur Matan Ruak, would send the signal that the demand for language proficiency matters. Furthermore, the government should follow up its policy in education by providing further teacher trainings, Portuguese-proficient teachers, teacher’s manual and student textbooks for education and learning process to take place.

Hence, the call to the state official to speak Portuguese is a call to mission-impossible; the debate is going to hang on until the government delivers its promises. 

United Nations News Centre - Timor-Leste leader tells UN debate of plans to become medium-high income country

United Nations News Centre - Timor-Leste leader tells UN debate of plans to become medium-high income country

Brazil set to represent East Timor’s interests at International Monetary Fund

Brazil will represent Timor Leste’s (East Timor) interests at the International Monetary fund (IMF) starting on 1 November, the Timorese government said in a statement issued Tuesday in Dili.

Under the terms of the statement, Timor-Leste will become part of the Brazilian board (constituency) at the executive council of the IMF, and will become the first Asian country to be represented by Brazil, which already represents nations from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Timor Leste will be represented by Brazil as of the next elections for the Fund’s Executive Council.

According to the statement, the move will increase cooperation between the two countries, both on a bilateral and multilateral level, in both economic and financial terms. (macauhub)

Source: www.macauhub.com 

*PM Gusmao calls on Banki Moon to clean up Timor-Leste from UN agenda

Xanana Gusmao
Photo: www.zimbio.com

*Independente, September 21, 2012 language source: Tetun

The State of Timor-Leste through Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao has made a
request, asking the UN Secretary-General to clean up Timor-Leste from the
Security Council’s agenda when the UN ends its mission in December this
year.

Timor-Leste’s request was handed over to the representative of UNMIT, Finn
Rieske Nielsen after high level meeting at the Palace of the president
yesterday.

Speaking to journalists, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said the decision was
made based on a profound consultation with President of the Republic Taur
Matan Ruak, the Catholic Church and opposition leaders.

Gusmao affirmed that after UNMIT mission in December, the UN would have some
activities which more focused on cooperation of development.

Benghazi Was Not the Beginning of the End

By: Jose Ramos Horta

I share the civilized world's revulsion at the destruction being wreaked by anti-US demonstrators in the Middle East over the past two days, and in particular the savagery of the Libyan extremist militants murdering the US Ambassador. I also feel deeply for the Libyans, Egyptians and others in the Middle East whose hard-won hopes for democracy and a better life are being set backwards by the violence in their midst.

I echo the words of others that there is simply no justification. The Libyans would be still fighting a vicious civil war, slaughtering each other as the Syrians are today, if it weren't for the strong support from the US and others in the West that helped to bring about a speedy end of the Gaddafi regime.

But the tragedy of Benghazi and riots in Yemen do not signal the end of the Arab Spring. Nor is it an indication of any "failed policies," any more than it is justification for the shameful practice of political candidates in the US attempting to make points from a US Ambassador's death.

Setting aside the armchair generals who would throw the US into full-on war in the Middle East, there are limits to what the US can do in any given region and situation to influence the course of events and outcome. The current US administration has used that limited capability prudently and effectively, with well thought out strategies.

It has been more than 200 years since America won its independence -- long enough to forget that fragile countries coming out from under decades of oppression have a long walk to real democracy. Incidents and explosions happen along the way. It was not that long ago that Boris Yeltsin, Russia's first democratically elected President, was firing cannons into the Russian Parliament. My country, East Timor (Timor-Leste), exploded in violence with angry mobs burning homes and shooting in the streets in 2006, four years after becoming a new democracy. Iraq is still spilling blood on that road.

Like Iraq, Libya and Egypt have the added challenge of extremists and Al-Qaeda remnants in their midst, who do not intend to go quietly into history. And these must be separated out from the demonstrators. In Libya the mobs were used as a cover for deliberate, targeted murder -- in the hopes, no doubt, of further inflaming the situation and destabilizing the country.

Each of the examples above had similar elements in their countries, attempting to profit in one way or another by creating mayhem. All had individuals who had been thrown out of power who had not forgotten, as well as criminal elements and external influences look for openings to gain a foothold in a fragile State.

The forces for democracy need serious support, and true leaders, to come out on top of such challenges. They will remain vulnerable, and the country will rest on a precarious edge, until the programs that bring stability can take hold.

Stabilizing these new democracies cannot stop with containing a mob or stopping bloodshed. Once violence is contained, peace must be built. It is built with education, with employment, with human rights education, with the citizenry starting to see a better life for their children ahead. But these take time. They do not come automatically with regime change. The challenge is to keep the instigators at bay long enough for it to happen.

In Timor-Leste one of our peace building priorities has been literacy. As Thomas Jefferson knew, democracy cannot function smoothly with an illiterate population. They are too easily manipulated and open to being inflamed by unsavory elements for political or financial gain -- as we have just seen.

While these young democracies attempt to get on their feet, an idiot American meth cooker who decided to call himself a filmmaker has just handed the extremist elements a birthday present.

Those who would attack Obama for an apology issued by an embassy staff member are either completely naive on foreign diplomacy or have forgotten their own education. What child in a democratic society has not been taught that with freedom comes responsibility, that if one exercises his freedom of speech to yell "fire" in a crowded theatre, he or she must bear responsibility for those injured or killed in the resulting panic?

Any person producing a film -- though the term may be over-complimentary -- such as this one knows the exact reaction it will create. It was not by accident that it was translated on YouTube into Arabic. He or she opened the perfect window for extremists to step through. Almost too perfect.

As one who knows the challenge of trying to walk a nation, however small, out of violence and oppression into a functioning democracy, I recognize the extreme challenge being faced by the administrations of Egypt, Libya and Yemen right now as they work to restore calm and decency, root out the extremist elements attempting to throw gasoline on the fire in their countries, and keep their countries on the road. While they struggle, all of us who enjoy freedom of speech and other basic human rights in our daily lives should be apologizing for the gross abuse of this freedom that just occurred, and the extreme setback it created.

This article was cross-posted on TheCommunity.com.