Dili, 5 November 2001

LARGE GROUP OF REFUGEES ARRIVES FOR “COME AND SEE” VISIT

More than 200 refugees arrived today in East Timor for a “come and see” visit part of the on-going process of reconciliation. The group was welcomed at the border town of Batugade, Bobonaro district, by UNTAET Chief of Staff N. Parameswaran, independence leader Xanana Gusmão, Prosecutor General Longuinhos Monteiro and dozens of the refugees’ relatives.

The family members traveled from Aileu and Manatuto districts for the meeting at the border, and will now accompany some of the refugees to their hometowns for a three-day visit. Many of the refugees have decided already not to return to the camps in West Timor, Indonesia.

The meeting was coordinated by UNTAET, UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration as part of the efforts to bring refugees back.

A similar large “come and see” visit took place in December 2000, when a group of more than 150 refugees from West Timor camps visited East Timor for one-month during Christmas holidays. The majority of them have since then returned to East Timor. Over the past two years, dozens of smaller “come and see” visits have been organized.

CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY WORK PROGRESSES

Two of the four thematic committees of the East Timor Constituent Assembly have today presented their final reports to the body’s President Francisco “Lu-Olo” Guterres. The reports were then passed to the “Systematization and Harmonization” Commission, which is tasked with molding the reports into a draft Constitution.

The groups that finalized their work were the Committee on Economic, Social and Financial Organization and the Committee on the Fundamental Principles.

Tomorrow the Constituent Assembly President is expected to officially declare the beginning of the work of the “Systematization and Harmonization” Commission.

The thematic committee on Rights, Duties and Liberties/Defence and National Security still needs two extra days to finalize its report. Today, the committee finished its debate on national security and defense, and discussed the name of the army of the future independent East Timor. As an honor to the guerrilla movement, it was recommended that the new army should be renamed Falintil-FDTL (Forças de Defesa de Timor Leste/East Timor Defence Force).

The thematic group on the Organization of the State and Political Power today continued its discussions, having received a week extension to complete its deliberations.

Three thematic committees attended an Asia Foundation seminar on “Public Consultation and the Constitutional Process,” where two legal and constitutional experts from South Africa were the keynote speakers.

The “Systematization and Harmonization” Commission has already approved an overall structure that divides the Constitution into six parts. Part one includes “Fundamental Principles”; part two is devoted to “Fundamental Rights and Duties”; part three is related to the “Organization of Political Power”; part four covers provisions regarding “Economic and Financial Organization”; part five refers to “National Defense and Security”, and part six considers “Constitutional guarantees and Amendment to the Constitution”. This structure is being used to guide the work of the thematic committees.

The Constituent Assembly convened on 15 September and should approve a Constitution by mid-December.

FIRST COMMANDERS OF EAST TIMOR FIRE SERVICE SWORN-IN The first six East Timorese commanders of the Fire Rescue and Emergency Service were sworn-in today in Dili by Minister for Internal Administration Antoninho Bianco of the East Timor Second Transitional Government.

A total of three commanders and three deputies were sworn-in for the fire service posts of Dili, Baucau and Aileu districts, where a total of 66 East Timorese firefighters are currently operating.

In addition, 12 firefighters were promoted from the third to the second rank, after a two-month advanced training.

Portugal and Australia have been financing the training and equipment of the Fire Rescue and Emergency Service since November 1999. Firefighters have also been sent to Malaysia and Portugal for specialized training.

Plans to expand the corps are being made to include a fire service post in Maliana district.

UNTAET officials and diplomatic representatives from Portugal, Australia and Brazil attended the ceremony.