Dili, 5 May 2000
A boat carrying 25 passengers and three crewmembers, sailing from Atauro island to Dili, went missing last week. Search missions have yet to locate the 28 East Timorese. The boat departed Atauro last Thursday and when it failed to reach Dili the passengers relatives contacted CivPol in Dili on Friday. On early Saturday, a joint CivPol/Peacekeeping Force sea-search was carried out but was called off on Sunday evening. For two days, two helicopters combed the area between Dili and Baucau.
One possibility was that the strong winds could have pushed the boat off course. On Monday, Dili District flew to the island to contact the relatives and to tell them that the boat and the passengers could not be located. The possibility that the boat drifted into Indonesian waters has not been ruled out. On Wednesday, the Chief of the Military Observers, Brig Rezaq Haider contacted Udayana Commander (Bali and West Timor) Major General Kiki Syahnakari, and informed him of the disappearance. On that day, TNI launched a search for the missing boat.
RECRUITMENT OF TIMORESE DEPUTY DISTRICT ADMNISTRATORS
The Public Service Commission held its sixth meeting on Thursday, and approved the job description for the Deputy District Administrators who will be the most senior East Timorese officials in the districts. The recruitment will start on Monday. The commission also decided that overtime work will be paid at the rate of 115 % of the regular salary on normal workdays, and 130% for hours worked on weekends or official holidays.
CIVIL SERVICE CAMPUS OPENS
On 8 May the Civil Service Campus in Comoro, Dili, will be inaugurated by the SRSG Sergio Vieira De Mello. The Civil Service Campus houses the Public Service Commission offices, the East Timor Administration s Central Recruitment office, and the Civil Service Academy classrooms and administration. Also on Monday the first classes will start in the Civil Service Academy. The first courses will be of English, for some 20 Border Service Officers, and a security class for about 25 Security Guards.
Other courses that will be taught at the Academy include filing and basic administration, computer, personal skill (effective presentation etc), leadership and supervision. More courses will be designed to suit the needs. Training is perhaps the most important thing for the country for the next couple of years, and we are going to be the location where training and skills are going to be provided for the East Timor for the next two to three years, said today Andrew Whitley, Director of the Civil Service Department. Please find attached the near verbatim transcript of the media briefing by UNTAET Director of the Civil Service Department, Andrew Whitley. FOOD FOR AILEU The regular food supply to Aileu started again yesterday provided by World Vision.
The food consists mainly of rice, beans, salt, and oil, and it is measured at 15 kilos per month per person. This food goes to 376 families, totaling over a thousand people, all dependents of Falintil soldiers. Food supply resumed following the completion of an accurate survey of vulnerable groups in the Falintil cantonment, which includes the dependents of the Falintil soldiers in the Vulnerable Group Feeding Program of the World Food Program. On 30 April, fifteen tons of food arrived in Aileu to supplement the diet of about 400 Falintil soldiers.
The food was transported by the Peacekeeping troops. The food delivered consisted of 19 palettes of tinned food, including coffee, fruit salad, steak and onions, egg powder and chicken hotpot.
GRANT FOR HEALTH SECTOR
The World Bank administered Trust Fund for East Timor and UNTAET agreed on a US$12,7 million grant for health on Wednesday. The final document will be signed by the SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Vice President of the World Bank within the coming weeks. This is the first phase of a three-year project, which is expected to have a total budget of US$37 million. This grant will be used to rehabilitate and develop the health sector in East Timor: restore access to basic health services as soon as possible for people all over East Timor, and develop a policy for an appropriate health system for East Timor.
SHOTS HEARD IN MALIANA
On four occasions in the nights of Thursday and Wednesday, shots were reportedly heard near Memo, in the district of Maliana. The fire shots seemed to be indiscriminate and no signs of damage or injuries have been reported. Investigation is ongoing.
STRIKE OF TIMORESE STAFF ENDS
The Timorese UNTAET staff who were on strike last week have all returned to work yesterday. They responded favorably to the SRSG s proposal, late last week, of setting up a staff association. SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello wanted local staff input into the association. Negotiations are currently under way between local staff representatives and UNTAET on the structure of the association.
A staff association would help unify local personnel in a collective bargaining position.
