Rights body open to all complaints

Rights body open to all complaints

DILI, East Timor: The National Commission on Human Rights
office recently opened here will take any complaints of rights
violations and will try to seek the best solutions, the office
chief said yesterday.

"We will act only as a mediator for conflicting parties and
help to find the best solutions," Alex Ravialy was quoted by
Antara as saying.

Alex was addressing Indonesia's representative at the United
Nations, Agus Tarmidzi, as well as Indonesian Ambassador to Japan
Wisber Loeis, who were visiting the province on Saturday.

According to Alex, only days after it opened earlier this
month, the agency received 200 complaints from East Timorese
known as "tropas" who were once employed as civil servants under
the Portuguese, who occupied the province until 1976 before East
Timor became a part of Indonesia. The tropas are reportedly
having difficulty getting hired as civil servants.

According to Alex, of the province's 695 tropas, only 280 have
been accepted as civil servants. (14)