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FIRST SENTENCE CARRIED OUT
A 28-year man was sentenced to 15 years in jail for the murder of a 12-year old child in March. The case has been heard in four court proceedings since 26 July.
The prosecution heard four witnesses. The public defender did not present any witnesses.
The convicted man has been sent to Becora prison to serve his sentence.
The defence has the right to appeal to the Courts of Appeal within 14 days of sentencing.
The sentence was carried out in the same room in the Dili District Court where resistance leader Xanana Gusmão received his sentence in 1993.
FINAL SELECTION OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS
The final round of interviews for East Timorese District Administrators will take place next Monday and Tuesday. Currently, only international staff have District Administrators positions, but once the final selection is over, those positions will be handed over to Timorese administrators. This is a crucial part of the on-going Timorization process.
A panel of two Timorese and two international members of the Public Service Commission will interview the shortlisted pool of candidates.
The interviews for Deputy District Administrators have already taken place.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS OUT FOR TENDER
UNTAET is currently inviting companies to register their interest in the building, operating and transfer of a complete telecommunication system in East Timor. Bidding for all, or part, of these services is envisaged.
The telecommunications system would consist of, among other things, a cellular mobile network, a transmission network and customer access network.
As an integral apart of the system, full support services are included in the tender, such as maintenance, operator assistance, centralized billing and training.
UNTAET will make available assets, such as fiber optic cables, a digital electronic switch and 23 steel towers located throughout the territory, to interested companies, should they choose to use them.
Expressions of interest must be delivered to UNTAET by 4 October 2000.
REGISTRATION OF STREET CHILDREN
One hundred and sixty five Dili street children aged between five and eight years have
been registered by UNTAET’s Civil Registry Unit and the Social Services Unit.
The two units carried out the task in collaboration with the Dili-based Salesian Sister on 18 and 19 August at a building next to the Dili District Administration headquarters.
The aim of the registration, in which CNRT was consulted, is to assist the children in tracing their parents. It was later discovered, however, that a majority of the children lived with their parents, but spent most of their time in the street.
A “children walk-in centre” will be set up soon. A building in Lahane has been offered by a Portuguese company for the purpose.
The centre is expected to start operating in late October this year. UNICEF will assist financially in the rehabilitation of the building.
MADAME MITTERRAND VISITS EAST TIMOR
Madame Danielle Mitterrand, President of France-Libertés, and the widow of late President of Mitterrand of France, arrived in Dili today.
Upon arrival, Madame Mitterrand was met by the SRSG, Sergio Vieira de Mello. She also met Xanana Gusmão, Jose Ramos-Horta, Carlos Ximenes Belo and Taur Matan Ruak.
In the afternoon, she met the Timorese press and toured the offices of Timor Post, Suara Timor Lorosae, Lalenok and Talitakum.
Tomorrow, Saturday, Madame Mitterrand will take part in a debate on “Democracy, Civil Society, Sustainable Development, and the role of local NGOs in the construction of East Timor” at the NGO Forum.
Madame Mitterand will address the CNRT Congress on Saturday afternoon, as well as pay a visit to UNTAET’s newspaper Tais Timor and Radio UNTAET.
She will be available to meet the press before her departure on Monday, 28 August, at 10 a.m. in the VIP lounge at Dili airport.
FUND RAISING FOR UNAMET WIDOWS
Next Tuesday, 29 August, UNTAET’s Human Rights Unit will be hosting a fund-raising dinner at Olandina’s restaurant in Dili for the widows of the seven – possibly eight – Timorese UNAMET staff who were killed last year.
Ian Martin, the SRSG during the UNAMET mission, will be speaking at the event.
DIPLOMATIC COURSE ENDS
The first Diplomatic Training Course ends tomorrow with 50 East Timorese having successfully completed their one-month training.
There is not going to be a formal closing ceremony. The participants will have the chance to watch a video featuring the lives of a diplomat as part of the closing program at 6 p.m. at the Academy of Civil Service.
CNRT Vice President Jose Ramos-Horta and other guests will be at the ceremony.
A cocktail party has been planned for next Friday to mark the completion of their training.
DONATED RADIO SETS ARRIVE
A first consignment of 500 solar-powered/manually-wound radio sets paid for by funds donated by the Japanese Government for the people of East Timor has arrived. These will be distributed shortly through UNTAET’s district offices.
An official handing-over ceremony is scheduled to take place on 30 August.
A second consignment of 7,500 similar radio sets is expected within the coming weeks.
SMALL CHANGE PAID OUT
UNTAET will include US dollar coins in the salary payments starting today. The inclusion of coins serves to introduce and popularize the usage of small change in the territory. Each employee will receive US$2 – the equivalent of 22 coins in various denominations.