CONTENTS:
TOPICAL
THEMES Updated June 24
JUNE
2001 NEWS, ARTICLES & REPORTS Updated June 23
MAY
2001 NEWS, ARTICLES & REPORTS Updated June
22
JAN
2001 NEWS, ARTICLES & REPORTS Updated June
24
UPCOMING
AUSTRALIAN EVENTS Updated June 24
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These NEW collections
of recent items relating to particular themes
have been added
in the past week:
NEW Reconstruction and 'Aid & Development' Updated June 24
NEW Peoples' Participation Updated June 24
These collections have been up-dated in the past week:
East Timor National NGO Forum Updated June 18
Capacity Building & 'Timorisation' Updated June 23
Financing Reconstruction Updated June 22
Timor Oil Updated June 23
'Refugees' & Missing Persons Updated June 24
Women's Issues Updated June 22
FRETILIN - Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor Updated June 21
War Crimes & Crimes Against Humanity Updated June 24
Calls for International War Crimes Tribunal Updated June 23
Truth, Reception and Reconciliation Updated June 23
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June
2001 LHB: Can East Timor Survive the Aid Industry?
Article added June 22
"They have come to help, with their 4x4
vehicles and consultants and experience of “helping” in Mozambique and
India and Honduras. The United Nations, the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, the bilateral
aid agencies, and international non-government organizations (INGOs) are
there by the score. They rent all the best houses for thousands of dollars
a month, and they pay high salaries—$4000 a month or more sometimes—to
skilled East Timorese, stealing the best people from already weak local
institutions, and ensuring that any skilled people returning from abroad
work for them. They are the international aid industry." Joseph Hanlon
June
2001 LHB: The International Monetary Fund in East Timor
Overview added June 21
"Unfortunately, the IMF [International
Monetary Fund] is not known for its democratic practices ... the IMF does
not actively reach out to civil society in the countries in which it works.
Notwithstanding this reputation, hopefully, the IMF will take its own advice
to heart and seek the active participation of the East Timorese community
in its work to shape the economic structures here." La'o
Hamutuk: East Timor Institute for Reconstruction Monitoring and Analysis
June
2001 LHB: What is the International Monetary Fund?
Article added June 21
"IMF practices tend to reflect the agendas
of the world’s wealthiest countries, primary among which is to create capitalist
countries that allow for unregulated trade and open investment. And it
is for such reasons that the IMF has come under sustained criticism from
many development and human rights NGOs, as well as national governments
throughout the world. Especially in terms of its structural adjustment
loans, many see the IMF as imposing policies on poor countries that create
great hardships for the majority of the population." La'o
Hamutuk: East Timor Institute for Reconstruction Monitoring and Analysis
June
22 SMH: And justice for all: Dili backs international war crimes tribunal
Good News added June 23
"East Timor’s de facto government, the
National Council, has backed the formation of an international
war crimes tribunal to prosecute leaders of anti-independence militias
and their Indonesian army supporters. The council voted overwhelmingly
in support of the tribunal and also endorsed legislation to establish a
South African-style Truth and Reconciliation
Commission. The moves were initiated by council member, Mr Aniceto
Guterres, East Timor’s best known lawyer, who also heads the country’s
Yayasan-HAK
human rights foundation" Mark Dodd, Herald Correspondent in Dili
June
22 McKee comment on ABC: Pipeline to East Timor? Comment
& news added June 23
"the debate over the technical and economic
feasibility of a pipeline to East Timor has been re-activated by PetroTimor’s
claim that they can construct such a pipeline. It is known that the East
Timorese leadership are aware of the benefits of a small diameter pipeline
... to bring gas from Bayu-Undan to the East Timor domestic market. This
potential project would enable the small country to have a secure and clean
source of energy ... " G A McKee,
oil industry consultant
Jun 20 DemNow!: Interviews on Refugees,
Justice Interviews added June 21
"If Western officials wanted a truer picture
of the world refugee situation, and their own role in exacerbating this
crisis, they might go to Indonesian West Timor, where they could more appropriately
celebrate world hostage day. There, Indonesia continues to hold tens of
thousands of East Timorese refugees as virtual hostages nearly two years
after they voted overwhelmingly for independence." Democracy Now! interviews
Winston
Neil Rondo & Matthew Jardine
Portuguese:
Jun
18 OTL: Transição e processo eleitoral Report
added June 23
"o processo eleitoral progride nos seus
aspectos a dominante administrativos (recenseamento, registo dos partidos)
mas, nos domínios onde o papel dos Timorenses é ou devia
ser preponderante (educação cívica e eleitoral, mecanismos
de preparação da Constituição), o processo
emperra. Muitos funcionários internacionais parecem não aprender
tão depressa como Xanana Gusmão que: “a democracia não
se ensina, pratica-se” "
Observatório
Timor Leste
Jun
18 ETO: Transition and the electoral process Report added
June 23
"the electoral process is progressing
in terms of the administrative aspects (voter registration, political party
registration), but wherever the Timorese are, or ought to be playing an
active role (civic and electoral education,
consultation mechanisms for
the future Constitution), the process becomes stuck. As Xanana Gusmão
has pointed out, many international officials appear slow to realise that
“democracy is not something that is taught, but practiced” " East
Timor Observatory
Jun 18 CAA-OA: A
step at a time in East Timor
Interview added June 21
"The overall goal is to ensure active
participation—particularly for women—in the reconstruction,
development and political process. So some of the organisations we work
with are predominantly women’s organisations. ... We’re working quite a
lot on a women and leadership programme, looking at how legislation is
being developed, how to draft a constitution, why it’s important for women
be involved, why their vote counts, what they might feel is important."
Keryn Clark, Country Programme Manager, Oxfam
Australia (Community Aid Abroad)
Jun
17 Guterez: Is access to justice still dependent on position in ETimor?
Article and letter added June 22
"This [domestic violence] case seems to
be taking a long time to get to court and ... I feel justice may not be
done. With domestic violence being common here and Dr Sergio being a well-known
figure the case could be a big move to make it clear that domestic violence
is not expectable and illegal. Perhaps it is time for the international
community to voice their concern." Jane
Guterez
Jun
15 ET NGO Forum: Donors’ Meeting Discusses Key Issues
Final release added June 18
"The NGO community is still concerned
about the lack of clarity about future justice
for East Timor, and urges continued international attention on how
this will be achieved. It is essential for Reconciliation.
We would like to see an International Tribunal
as one of the options to be explored.”
Aderito
Soares, ET NGO spokesman on Legal and
Constitutional issues
Jun
15 ET NGO Forum: Economic and Social Development Issues
Comment added June 18
"Such a vision would need to include access
to appropriate education for excluded groups, particularly many children
and adults in rural and remote areas. With 64% of our women unable to read
and write, non-formal education is very important for them. There must
also be guaranteed access to schooling for girls so that education contributes
to more gender equity in our society."
Forum Nacional
ONG Timor Lorosa'e / The East Timor National NGO Forum
Jun
15 ET NGO Forum: Financial Sustainability Comment added
June 18
"NGOs believe that the East Timorese people
must direct their own development, This includes decisions around funding
particularly given that so many difficult decisions will need to be made
on spending priorities. NGOs promote the principle of decentralised and
participatory budget making as detailed by Emilia Pires of the NPDA."
Forum
Nacional ONG Timor Lorosa'e / The East Timor National NGO Forum
Jun
15 ET NGO Forum: Political Transition Comment added June
18
"Refugees: We
know that more than 90% are reported to have said they want to stay in
Indonesia. NGOs suggest that there should be an independent evaluation
of the validity of this registration process."
Forum
Nacional ONG Timor Lorosa'e / The East Timor National NGO Forum
Jun
15 ET NGO Forum: Administrative Transition Comment added
June 18
"there has to be a
strong focus now on capacity-building. This means international staff
must move into advisory positions with objectives and job descriptions
related to capacity-building. There should be performance indicators established
and monitored to ensure capacity-building is happening. Capacity building
is not just training individuals. It requires building policies and procedures,
and the development of a culture of transparency, accountability, and effectiveness,
including training on gender awareness for public services."
Arsenio
Bano, Executive Director of the ET NGO
Forum
Jun
2 Dunn: Re call for Tribunal Comment added June 19
"In view of the changing scene in Jakarta
the need to press for an international tribunal is now more urgent. ...
What we should not be doing, is hesitating and encouraging the TNI command
establishment to conclude that it is now likely to escape international
scrutiny." James Dunn, Crimes
investigator for United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
(UNTAET)
Jun
1 AI: Report 2001, Covering events from Jan-Dec 2000 Link
to report added Jun 21
"The legal and institutional framework
for investigating and prosecuting serious crimes was introduced by UNTAET.
Jurisdiction over serious crimes under international law including war
crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and sexual
offences was established. A Special Crimes Unit was established to
investigate the massive human rights violations which were perpetrated
by pro-Indonesian militia and the Indonesian security forces in 1999. However,
lack of support and resources contributed to the slow pace of investigations.
... by the end of 2000 no one had been brought to justice for crimes committed
during 1999." Amnesty International
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May
29 A People’s Constitution for East Timor Release added
June 22
“A constitution should be a living document
reflecting the needs, hopes and aspirations of the Timorese people. It
is important that the Constitution is not only owned by the elite, but
also by ordinary men and women. It is important that all the Timorese are
involved enough in the process so that we can call it a People’s Constitution,”
Joaquim Fonseca, Advocacy Officer, Yayasan
Hak
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French:
jan
20 OTO: Réfugiés : Combien sont-ils ? Combien veulent retourner
au Timor Oriental ? Report added June 24
"Des intérêts politiques
et économiques empêchent un comptage crédible des réfugiés.
Les autorités indonésiennes ont accepté la présence
des agences d’aide internationales pour recevoir de l’aide, mais n’ont
rien fait pour le démantèlement des milices qui contrôlent
les réfugiés et les retours en étroite collaboration
avec les militaires indonésiens avec lesquels elles partagent les
droits de passage exigés à ceux qui veulent retourner." Observatoire
Timor-Oriental
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Book Launch for John Martinkus book
on East Timor "A Dirty Little War",
coupled with the opening of Photo Exhibition:
Through the Eye of the Lens
CANBERRA SERVICES CLUB, Canberra Ave,
Manuka.
Also Sydney, Melbourne and Dili
on other dates
Friday July 13th, 6.30pm
Photo exhibition ends Wednesday 18 July
Australian press photographers East
Timor exhibition:
"Through the Eye of the Lens Jan 1997-
Jan 2000"
in conjunction with the launch of book:
A Dirty Little War
CANBERRA SERVICES CLUB, Canberra Ave,
Manuka.
Also Sydney, Melbourne and Dili
on other dates
Friday July 13th, 6.30pm - Wednesday 18
July
Mid July SBS screening of King/CavaDini documentary film "Starting From Zero".
Sydney Timorese Community Festival with
"Leaving the Crocodile" Exhibition.
Timorese artists working with the Liverpool
Museum; Principal Curator: Amanda Wise.
Liverpool Regional Museum, Sydney
August 25th-December 15th
August 30th East Timor National Election Date
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