Rights office looks for chief

DILI, East Timor: The East Timor office of the National Commission on Human Rights has yet to find the suitable person to replace its outgoing chairman Alex Refially, a member of the commission said.

"Refially's term expired last June. He will return to Jakarta, and the commission is looking for a successor who can speak the local language, Tetum, because many East Timorese cannot yet speak Indonesian," Clementino dos Reis Amaral was quoted by Antara on Saturday.

"The language factor is of great importance," he said.

Amaral pointed out that Refially was considered successful in carrying out his duties as head of the rights office because he was able to establish cooperation among the government, the Indonesian Armed Forces and churches. (swe)