SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello returned to Dili today after an extensive trip, which included the Lisbon Donor Conference and a briefing before the United Nations Security Council.
Tomorrow, the SRSG is meeting the ten East Timorese athletes, chosen to go through a selection process for the Sydney Olympics, before they leave for Darwin, Australia.
PUBLIC HEARING ON CABINET AND NCC REGULATIONS
The National Consultative Council (NCC) will have a public hearing on Tuesday to discuss two regulations that, once approved, will dramatically change the form of the transitional administration.
One of the regulations is on the future of the NCC, which from now on will be called the National Legislative Council, and the second is on the establishment of the cabinet of the transitional government of East Timor.
The public hearing will be preceded by a meeting of the NCC in which the regulations will be introduced and discussed.
NEGOTIATIONS WITH INDONESIA
During the third round of negotiations between UNTAET and the Indonesian Government in Surabaya, it was decided that a Joint Border Committee be established to demarcate borderlines between West Timor and East Timor.
This committee, consisting of civilian representatives from UNTAET and the Indonesian Government, will work out the definitive political border between East Timor and Indonesia.
A system will also be worked out which will allow East Timorese and Indonesians who live close to the border to cross freely for family and other personal reasons.
The issue of a transit passageway between Oecussi and East Timor proper was also discussed. The Indonesian delegation said that they were concerned about security along such a passageway and instead, proposed the opening of a ferry link between the enclave and East Timor. UNTAET proposed an interim bus service with military escort.
Both sides agreed to investigate these options.
The next round of talks between UNTAET and the Indonesian Foreign Ministry is scheduled for September.
INDONESIAN SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS’ RETURN
The Indonesian Government has given its full support in trying to bring back East Timorese students who wish to resume their studies in Indonesia.
Indonesian officials gave their support at a meeting between an UNTAET-CNRT delegation and representatives from the Directorate of Higher Education and the Foreign Ministry of Indonesia.
The Indonesian authorities will now issue a letter to the universities asking them to facilitate the enrolment process as quickly as possible. The Director of Higher Education, Professor Satrio Brojonegoro, said that an officer be assigned to liaise between the students and the universities.
The UNTAET-CNRT delegation also met with the Government of Japan, the Ford Foundation and their respective implementing partners – UNDP and the International Education Foundation, to discuss funding and selection of students.
The Indonesians also supported UNTAET’s request that enrolment deadlines for the students be flexible and that East Timorese students should pay domestic student fees, rather than the higher international ones, for a transition period of three years.
It has already been decided that the Government of Japan will support the students with US$950,000 and the Ford Foundation with US$600,000 for the first year.
At the meeting between UNTAET and the Indonesian Foreign Ministry in Surabaya, the Indonesian Government said that it is willing to grant scholarships to 162 of the 800 students residing in Indonesia. These scholarships would go to students with good academic records doing in their final year.
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE MOVE TO HOTEL
The eight Vietnamese boat people currently at the UNHCR Transit Center will be moved to a hotel in Dili over the weekend while they await repatriation to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The International Organization for Migration is still waiting for travel documents from the Vietnamese government.
The boat people have agreed to return voluntarily.
SRSG, CNRT INVITED TO ASEAN MEETING
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand has sent an invitation to SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello to attend the opening and closing ceremonies of the 33rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting.
Thailand will be hosting the meeting at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok on 24-25 July.
Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan has also invited CNRT President Xanana Gusmão and Vice-President José Ramos-Horta.
The visit to Thailand will enable UNTAET and the leaders of East Timor to observe the ASEAN proceedings as well as participate in informal discussions with ASEAN officials in areas of mutual interest.
INAUGURATION OF EAST TIMOR PRESS CLUB
The East Timor Press Club will hold its first get-together tomorrow evening at the Beira Mar Restaurant opposite the Dili Port.
The Press Club, coordinated by the Timor Lorosae Journalists’ Association and UNTAET’s Media Development Unit, brings together both local and foreign journalists.
The highlight of the night will be a panel discussion entitled “CNRT – Which Way Now in the New East Timor?”
Panelists include Aderito de Jesus from the East Timorese Sahe Institute for Liberation; Antonio Sampaio from the Portuguese News Agency Lusa and Avelino Ceolho, a member of the National Consultative Council.
PAG OFFICERS TRAINING
Seventy former police officers will start training for the Police Assistance Group (PAG), next week. After the completion of the training program, the officers will be deployed throughout the territory.
To-date, 139 PAG officers have been deployed.
In other police related news, United Nations Civilian Police extinguished a fire at the Pertamina petroleum facilities in Dili yesterday evening. No one was injured. It took half an hour to put out the fire. An investigation into what sparked the fire is on going.
