FIRST SERIOUS CRIMES HEARINGS BEGIN

The first preliminary hearings of persons suspected of committing serious crimes in East Timor after the popular consultation is taking place in the Dili District Court on 10 January. The hearings concern two persons suspected of two individual murders in Hatolia village, Ermera district, which took place on 26 September 1999 and in Atudara village, Bobonaro district, on 8 September 1999, respectively. The suspects are currently being held in Dili's Becora prison. A total of twelve cases of individual serious crimes have been submitted to the Special Panel for Serious Crimes. Preliminary hearings in the remaining cases will take place later this month.

ANIMAL VACCINATION CAMPAIGN NEAR COMPLETION

The Animal Vaccination Campaign carried out by UNTAET’s Division of Agricultural Affairs is about to be completed. Over 100,000 buffaloes and Bali cattle have been vaccinated against acute haemorrhagic septicemia, a fatal bacterial disease. The campaign, which was launched in October 2000, will finish by the middle of this month, with over 112,000 animals vaccinated. In other related news, following a survey carried out by the Division of Agricultural Affairs, cases of hog cholera, an infectious disease found in pigs, have been discovered in East Timor. To prevent the disease from spreading, a campaign to vaccinate pigs has been launched. It is expected that up to half of the country’s estimated 260,000 pigs will be vaccinated before mid-February.

SURVEY ON TIMORESE WOMEN

In order to recruit more Timorese women into the Civil Service, the Office of Civil Service and Public Employment (CISPE), UNTAET’s Gender Unit and the Civil Service Commission have requested that a rapid, nation-wide survey be carried out of unemployed Timorese women who hold a diploma in higher education. Forms have been delivered to women through East Timorese women’s organizations, the NGO Forum and the District Administrations, in order to gather more information about women’s skills. It is expected that the list of possible candidates will be compiled by next month. This list represents the first stage in creating a database of qualified women that could be recruited into the Civil Service. Currently, women constitute about 20 per cent of all civil servants in East Timor.