Dili, 25 July 2001
  EAST TIMOR DEFENCE FORCE SOLDIERS BEGIN BASIC TRAINING

   A group of 350 East Timor Defence Force (ETDF) soldiers has begun a    three-month basic training course at their new purpose-built Training    Center in Metinaro, near the capital Dili.

   Thirty two ETDF officers who graduated from the first basic training    course in June and ten Portuguese specialists are the instructors for    the basic training course. Areas covered include drills, weapon skills,    and target practice. When the current basic training is complete, East    Timor will have its first full battalion of 600 soldiers.

   In addition, 150 of the ETDF soldiers that graduated in June will be    beginning a 10-week advance-training course on 6 August. The training    will be provided by the Australian military and will focus on officer    training and management skills.

   REFUGEES EN ROUTE HOME FOLLOWING REPATRIATION

   Eighty two families comprising 179 people are being transported by the    United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from Dili back to    their home districts after arriving from West Timor yesterday.

   The returnees arrived at Dili Port aboard the Patricia-Anne Hotung boat,    which is  operated by the International Organization for Migration in    partnership with the UNHCR. This is the ninth and final repatriation    mission carried out using the Patricia-Anne Hotung boat since November    2000. All future repatriations from West Timor will be conducted    overland.

   Officials say there appear to be no former militia members among the    returnees. The majority of the returnees are from Dili, Lautem and    Manatuto districts. An estimated 182,000 refugees have now returned to    East Timor.

   SECOND "MEET THE PRESS" FORUM TO BE AIRED ON RADIO, TV

   The second "Meet the Press" segment is scheduled to be aired by UNTAET    radio and television this evening, and will feature a representative    from the União Democrática Timorense (UDT) political party.

   The 30-minute segment is designed to allow political parties and    independent candidates running in the August 30 Constituent Assembly    elections to outline their policies and visions. Each political party or    group of independent candidates will have the opportunity to appear on a    "Meet the Press" segment during the political campaign.

   A segment aired yesterday featured the Partido Democrata Cristão's    Secretary General Arlindo Marçal, who outlined his party's platform and    fielded questions from journalists on topics including justice,    corruption and foreign affairs.