Rights abuses continue in East Timor: Bishop<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (JP): Observers are calling for better
\nprotection of people's basic rights here as a means of checking
\npro-independence sentiment.<\/p>\n
Legislators and community leaders, including the influential
\nDili Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, told The Jakarta Post
\nthat human rights violations still occur in various parts of the
\nterritory.<\/p>\n
Belo, for instance, said that last month residents of the
\nCovalima regency had killed two hooded-men, whom they referred to
\nas \"ninja\", on the pretext that they had terrorized the
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
\"So far, the authorities have not taken appropriate measures
\nin the case,\" Belo said.<\/p>\n
He also claimed that military personnel had killed a resident
\nof the Bobonaro regency, some 85 kilometers west of Dili, in
\nJanuary. The officers involved had suspected the victim of
\ninvolvement in clandestine activities, he said.<\/p>\n
Local military commandant Col. Kiki Syahnakri denied both
\nreports.<\/p>\n
\"There were no 'ninja' killed by any local people,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Former Covalima regent Rui Emiliano Teixera Lopez said he
\ndoubted that the pro-independence movement was really behind
\nthe emergence of hooded men terrorizing residents.<\/p>\n
He said he was concerned that the phenomenon was now dividing
\nthe community and pitting the locals against the military, and
\nthat there were people who believed that military personnel might
\nhave engineered the whole situation.<\/p>\n
Manuel Carrascalao, a member of the provincial legislative
\ncouncil, said the situation in the long-troubled territory would
\nimprove only if the government treated the people better.<\/p>\n
The government should meet the people's demands, return to
\nthem the land and estates that might have been mistakenly
\nappropriated, and give the people a greater say in running their
\naffairs, he said.<\/p>\n
Another councilor, Oliviera, reproached the government for
\nsnags in the implementation of development programs in the
\nregion, including the provision of funds. He said that a large
\npart of the funds allocated to the region had failed to reach its
\ntarget.<\/p>\n
The government had agreed, for instance, to provide financial
\nassistance to local small enterprises through cooperatives, he
\nsaid. But of the 31 businessmen who received the funds, Olivera
\nclaimed, none had been native East Timorese.<\/p>\n
\"That is a violation of human rights, too,\" he said. (yac\/swe)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rights-abuses-continue-in-east-timor-bishop-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }