The Indonesian Attorney General, Marzuki Darusman, has agreed in principle to a number of requests made by UNTAET relating to investigations into serious crimes committed in East Timor last year.
In talks with UNTAET’s Prosecutor-General Mohammed Othman the past week, Mr. Darusman and his deputy MH Rahman promised to facilitate UNTAET’s request to interview 39 selected witnesses in Indonesia.
The Attorney General also agreed in principle to undertake a joint exercise to exhume about ten bodies suspected to be buried on the West Timorese side of the border with Oecussi. UNTAET suspects that they were killed in September last year by the Sakunar militia group in the vicinity of Passabe, Oecussi.
The Indonesian authorities also agreed to help UNTAET compare and crosscheck a number of documents that could serve as evidence in future trials.
The witness and document evidence relates to a number of general investigations into murder and sexual violence perpetrated last year. UNTAET’s Investigation Unit is currently working on the Liquica and Suai church massacres, the attack on Manual Carrascalão’s house and two cases of mass killings, in Maliana and Los Palos.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT LAUNCED
A project to develop a future environment policy for East Timor will be launched next week by a cooperation team comprised of the United Nations Development Program, the Norwegian Government and UNTAET’s Environment Protection Unit.
A team consisting of environment experts from Norway and the Philippines will arrive in Dili in two weeks to study environment problems facing the territory. They are expected to stay for four months and assist two environment experts from East Timor in their work.
The team’s subsequent report is the first step towards a future environment policy.
The project is founded by the Norwegian Government with approximately US$200,000.
In addition, UNTAET’s Environment Protection Unit started an environmental awareness training program on 25 October. Sixteen East Timorese representing various organizations are participating. The program includes field trips to Liquica, Manatuto and Dili districts.
The project is funded by AusAid and is being conducted by the Research Institute for Asia and the Pacific at the University of Sydney, Australia.
IMMUNIZATION CAMPAIGN STARTS
The National Immunization Days, with the aim to vaccinate over 100,000 children under the age of five against polio, starts tomorrow in East Timor.
The campaign will kick-off with a parade and a ceremony in Dili, organized by the Dili District, the Division of Health Services of East Timor Transitional Administration and the Civilian Police.
The parade, with representatives from CivPol, UNICEF, the East Timorese artist community and the Brazilian Mission, starts from the Dili Market and proceeds to the Kuluhun Immunization Post in Dili. Opening statements will be held by Church representative Father José Antonio, CNRT Vice President Mario Carrascalão, Cabinet Member for Social Affairs Father Filomeno Jacob and Acting SRSG Jean-Christian Cady.
The ceremony will end with musical performances in Taman Mini, a park near Motael Church in Dili.
Community leaders, volunteers, humanitarian groups, international NGOs, UN Agencies and the Peacekeeping Force are supporting the program.
Approximately 600 immunization posts, mostly newly refurbished health centers and health posts, will be manned by two health workers each and assisted by at least three volunteers. The campaign lasts for one moth.
Polio, a highly infectious disease caused by a virus, can cripple or kill a child in bad cases.
THIRD BATCH OF POLICE RECRUITS
The third batch of police recruits graduated from the East Timor Police Academy today, 3 November. From the recruited 50 officers, only one failed the training.
The graduates will start their three-month field training on Monday, 6 November. Two more batches of 50 cadets each will start their basic training on the same day.
PLANS TO MOVE VENDORS CANCELLED
Plans to move relocate vendors, currently selling goods at the Dili oceanfront, were cancelled today, because of protests. A group of some 200 people led by Timorese Socialist Party leader Avelino Coelho demonstrated in the area claiming that the vendors were against the relocation. Considering the risk of public disorder, CivPol decided to suspend the operation.
At a subsequent meeting between representatives from Dili District and CivPol, Cabinet member Mari Alkatiri and Acting SRSG Jean-Christian Cady, it was decided that an additional meeting with representatives from the vendors, as well as members of the National Council and political leaders be held on 7 November to further discuss the matter.
The intention is to relocate the vendors at the waterfront to newly refurbished sites along the drainage canal in Bairo Lesidere and Desa Akadiruhun neighborhoods in Dili.
