SRSG TRAVELS TO JAKARTA

SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello is leaving for Jakarta on Thursday for a series of meetings with Indonesian senior officials. The SRSG will be accompanied by the Cabinet Member for External Affairs, José Ramos-Horta, the Cabinet Member for Political Affairs and the Timor Sea, Peter Galbraith, and the Chief of Staff, N. Parameswaran. The SRSG is scheduled to meet the Indonesian Coordinating Minister, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Attorney-General Marzuki Darusman and Akbar Tanjung, the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The SRSG will also meet with members of the diplomatic corps and heads of UN agencies. Mr. Peter Galbraith and N. Parameswaran will meet the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Indonesian House of Representatives in a separate meeting.

PROPOSAL ON DILI AIRPORT TO BE BROUGHT BEFORE CABINET

The proposal of two Portuguese air companies, ANA and NAV-Portugal, to start managing the air traffic control of the Dili Airport as of 1 March will be submitted to the East Timor Transitional Cabinet tomorrow, 21 February. If the proposal is endorsed, SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello and the air companies are expected to sign an agreement shortly thereafter. The Memorandum of Understanding would cover the management of the airport and a capacity building programme for 66 East Timorese staff over a period of 15 months. The contract amounts to a total of US$4.2 million. The advance team of the management staff of thirty-seven personnel is already in East Timor. The team will consist of eight air control officers, five air information and communication technicians and a number of telecommunications engineers, who will work in accordance with international rules and standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE AFTER HEAVY RAINS

As of yesterday, around 1,200 civilian houses, including ten secondary schools and some public buildings, were damaged in at least seven districts due to the heavy rains and strong winds of last week. Reports indicate that that the destruction was widespread in Ainaro district and Bobonaro sub-district. Shelter and food have been delivered to the affected areas and the assistance operation is ongoing. Today, UNTAET’s newly established Office of National Disaster Management, which is coordinating the joint assistance efforts, is working with UN agencies to try to meet requests, including the delivery of 1,740 blanket and 400 tarpaulins to Bobonaro. In Ainaro a tree had fallen on the water pump, cutting off the water supply. The supply has now been restored. In Oecussi, three bridges have collapsed. One has already been repaired by the Jordanian Battalion of the Peacekeeping Force. In Baucau, which suffered storms last night, 539 homes were flooded, eight houses were seriously damaged and 20 tons of rice was lost due to the floods. Last Saturday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) delivered 400 tarpaulins to Ainaro district and Bobonaro sub-district. Seven tons of food has been distributed by the World Food Programme in Ainaro, including corn powder, soybeans and canned-fish. Assistance is continuing to be delivered to other districts, such as Aileu and Manatuto. The Office of National Disaster Management has confirmed that there has been only one victim so far, a girl killed in the village of Leotila, Ainaro, last Wednesday, 14 February. The Office of National Disaster Management, UNHCR, World Food Programme, CivPol, the Church and East Timorese NGOs are working together to look into long term assistance strategies for the districts most affected by natural disasters.

TRIAL OF LAKSAUR MILITIA MEMBER OPENS

The trial opened today of a former member of the Laksaur militia, accused of participating in the murder a person in Covalima district on 26 September 1999, as well as having participated in the murder of three people on 25 September 1999. The murders were committed when a group of Laksaur militia on two occasions attacked fleeing villagers from the area of Salele, Covalima district. Today’s proceedings focused on the extension of the detention period of the accused. The trial will continue tomorrow, 21 February.

EAST TIMORESE TO TAKE UP TOP JOBS

Last week, the Office of Civil Service and Public Employment (CISPE) recruited three more East Timorese to high level positions in the East Timor Transitional Administration. One person was hired as the Coordinator of Commerce, Industry and Tourism at level six of the civil service salary scale. Two persons were hired at level five; the Deputy Coordinator of Transportation (a woman) and as the Deputy of Water and Sanitation. As of December last year, CISPE has recruited 88 East Timorese to high level positions in the East Timor Transitional Administration (levels five, six and seven.) Level seven is mostly applied to judges and other senior posts in the Judiciary, and for District Administrators and their deputies.