SWEARING-IN OF CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY MEMBERS

The 88 members of the Constituent Assembly will be sworn-in Saturday in the newly refurbished Constituent Assembly building in Dili. The building, which previously housed the National Council, has undergone extensive refurbishment, and will be handed over to the East Timorese prior to the ceremony.

The AUD2.92 million refurbishment, paid for by the Australian Government, has taken eight weeks and includes an extensive upgrading of the main chamber including lighting, acoustic paneling, a state-of-the-art communications and audio-visual system, among other improvements.

Also on Saturday, the new all-Timorese Council of Ministers, which will replace the East Timor Transitional Cabinet, will be sworn-in in a ceremony at UNTAET headquarters in Dili.

In related news, Transitional Administrator Sergio Vieira de Mello will present the Constitutional Commission reports to the members of the Constituent Assembly on Monday, 17 September. The reports from each of East Timor's districts contain input from tens of thousands of East Timorese on what they should like to be considered by the Constituent Assembly when drafting a Constitution.

NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON HUMAN RIGHTS TO BE HELD IN DILI

A two-day National Workshop on "Protecting Human Rights in the Constitution of Timor Lorosae" will be held in Dili beginning tomorrow, 12 September.

The workshop will provide a forum to discuss how the Constitution and new government of East Timor can best protect human rights and the aim is to develop concrete recommendations on Human Rights Protection that will be submitted to the Constituent Assembly for consideration.

The workshop will involve East Timorese and international speakers from South Africa, Indonesia and Australia, who will explore these issues through plenary and small group discussions.

The Workshop is being organized by the Working Group on Future Human Rights Institutions, a coalition of more than ten East Timorese NGO's and the Human Rights Unit of UNTAET.

FIJIAN SOLDIER KILLED, 11 INJURED, IN TRUCK ACCIDENT

A Fijian soldier was killed and 11 others were injured yesterday when the truck in which they were traveling overturned in East Timor's Suai district.

The soldier killed, who was serving alongside the New Zealand Battalion, has been identified as Staff Sergeant Rakabu. One of the injured soldiers suffered a serious spinal injury and has been evacuated to Adelaide, Australia for specialist treatment. Other casualties were evacuated to the Slovakian Field Surgical Team facility in Suai for further treatment.

"The accident was extremely unfortunate and I send my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Staff Sergeant Rakabu," Commander of Sector West Brigadier Richard Wilson said in a statement issued by the Peacekeeping Force in East Timor. "We are doing everything possible to ensure that all of the injured Fijian soldiers receive the medical attention that they need," he added.

PKF Force Commander Lieutenant General Winai Phattiyakul also expressed his sympathy to the family of Staff Sergeant Rakabu and those injured.

SECOND SERIOUS CRIMES PANEL TO BE ESTABLISHED

A second Special Panel for Serious Crimes will be established next month under the office of the East Timor Prosecutor-General. The new panel will have the same composition as the existing one with one East Timorese and two international Judges.

The Special Panel for Serious Crimes has gathered and analysed 2,265 witness statements since the Panel was created a year ago.

In total, 31 indictments charging some 50 individuals have been submitted to the Special Panel for Serious Crimes. Thirteen cases have been tried to date with 11 convictions, two dismissals at preliminary hearing and one case completed at appellate level.

The Serious Crimes Panel has the exclusive right to try suspected perpetrators of serious crimes committed between 1 January and 25 October 1999.

UNTAET's Serious Crimes Unit has so far undertaken 259 exhumations and conducted 198 autopsies for serious crimes investigations.

SRSG TO MEET PRESIDENT MEGAWATI

SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello, Cabinet Member for Foreign Affairs José Ramos-Horta, independence leader Xanana Gusmão and Fretilin Secretary-General Mari Alkatiri left today for Jakarta, where they are scheduled to meet President Megawati Sukarnoputri tomorrow.

The invitation to Jakarta was extended by Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, who recently telephoned SRSG to convey his congratulations to UNTAET and to the East Timorese people on the successful and peaceful election process.

HEARING ON FUTURE OF INDONESIAN MUSLIMS IN DILI

A three-day public hearing on the future of the estimated 250 Indonesian Muslims who have been living in the Aknur Mosque in Dili since September 1999 started today at the Muslim Community Center in the Dili area of Kampung Alor.

Security, immigration, citizenship, housing and education are among the issues on the agenda.

A commission of inquiry composed of one chairman and a panel of five respected members of the community is conducting the hearing.

At the end of the public hearing, an official report will be presented to the Constituent Assembly. This event is being coordinated by the Dili District Administration with support from UNDP and UNHC