Dili human rights office inactive

DILI, East Timor: The National Commission on Human Rights' representative office here has been inactive since May, with dozens of complaints on rights violations being neglected.

The main reason for the office's inactivity is due to the fact that its chief supervisor, Alex Refialy, returned to Jakarta in May and has not been replaced.

"Alex, as head of the office here, left in May. He's now working at the commission's office in Jakarta," said Ricky, a staff member at the Dili office.

"Since he left most of the office's activities have practically ceased," he said as quoted by Antara yesterday.

According to Ricky, Alex waited several months to be replaced after his one-year term expired in July 1997.

Alex stayed until May, hoping a successor would arrive. But after waiting in vain he finally left in May, leaving the office without a new chief.

According to Ricky, the Dili office is severely lacking in facilities and manpower.

"Pak Alex was only assisted by myself, a high school graduate, as typist along with limited facilities," Ricky said.

He said that since May, 60 letters had arrived and remained stacked unopened on the desk.

"Many people have come here to deliver their complaints but always leave disappointed because they have not been met by a competent staff member," he said, adding that "I myself am only a typist and ignorant on legal matters.

"I always ask them to write down their complaints in a letter so it can be looked into at a later date. But many of them are illiterate and some can only speak the local Tetum dialect".