quarta-feira, setembro 06, 2006

Comunicado - PM

REPÚBLICA DEMOCRÁTICA DE TIMOR-LESTE
GABINETE DO PRIMEIRO-MINISTRO

INFORMAÇÃO À IMPRENSA

Primeiro-ministro visita Noruega

O primeiro-ministro, José Ramos-Horta, inicia, nesta quarta-feira, 6 de Setembro, uma visita de três dias à Noruega. No programa da deslocação encontram-se reuniões de trabalho com o seu homólogo e o ministro dos Negócios Estrangeiros da Noruega.

No programa oficial da visita, no primeiro dia, o chefe do Governo encontrar-se-á com o primeiro-ministro norueguês, Jens Stoltenberg, e terá um almoço de trabalho com o ministro dos Negócios Estrangeiros, Jonas Gahr Store. Da parte da tarde terá um encontro com o ministro do Desenvolvimento Internacional, Erik Solheim.

Neste dia, a visita do primeiro-ministro inclui também um encontro com a presidência do Parlamento norueguês e uma reunião com o Comité dos Negócios Estrangeiros.

Na visita à Noruega, José Ramos-Horta faz-se acompanhar pelo ministro do Trabalho e da Reinserção Comunitária, Arsénio Bano, e o diplomata do Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros e Cooperação Licínio Branco.

Nestes encontros, o primeiro-ministro procurará junto das autoridades norueguesas, país que tem mantido uma ajuda sistemática a Timor-Leste, “solicitar mais apoio para o programa de diálogo nacional e reforço da assistência ao nível das questões humanitárias e de desenvolvimento”.

Nos outros dias da visita, José Ramos-Horta participará em várias acções na qualidade Prémio Nobel da Paz. Nelas se destacam a participação no Fórum Norte-Sul do FK Norway (“Fredskorpset” – organização norueguesa de apoio ao desenvolvimento) e no encontro internacional de conselheiros dessa organização, do qual o primeiro-ministro será o convidado de honra.

No Fórum, na quinta-feira, destinado a discutir as questões da construção da paz e da gestão de conflitos, Ramos-Horta fará uma intervenção sobre a sua própria luta “na construção de um Timor-Leste independente e pacífico”.

Na sexta-feira, além de uma visita ao “Nobel Peace Centre”, e ao Centro para a Paz e Direitos Humanos de Oslo, fará uma intervenção no Instituto do Nobel da Paz, ao lado de dois outros laureados, Rigoberta Menchu e Wangari Maathai, sobre “Ser um Laureado com Prémio Nobel”.

O primeiro-ministro e delegação saíram de Díli na segunda-feira, 4 de Setembro, estando o seu regresso previsto a Timor-Leste para a próxima segunda-feira, 11 de Setembro.


Díli, 6 de Setembro de 2006

27 comentários:

Anónimo disse...

autoridades norueguesas, país que tem mantido uma ajuda sistemática a Timor-Leste, “solicitar mais apoio para o programa de diálogo nacional e reforço da assistência ao nível das questões humanitárias e de desenvolvimento”.
Em que àreas, os noruegueses actuam ou quererão actuar? Era interessante saber o que leva o Ramos Horta, tão longe, quando o desassossego grassa nas ruas de Díli.
Antes de ser Primeiro, estava na linha da frente na rua, junto ao povo visitando e opinando e agora pisga-se... vamos lá entender este homem da paz!...

Anónimo disse...

Ele é esperto e um talentoso relações públicas e angariador de fundos, mas não é o homem para arregaçar as mangas e fazer o trabalho duro e lento mas necessário do desenvolvimento em Timor, onde não háverá jornais e câmaras de televisão a ver!
Primeiro Ministro por oito meses aceita, mas por quatro anos não acredito que queira...era tempo a mais a vivier num país do terceiro mundo...
Está mais talhado para a máquina das Nações Unidas, onde poderá viver em Nova Iorque ou Genebra.E sinceramente ele tem o talento para fazer uma carreira na diplomacia internacional, e é também uma forma de servir o seu país.

Anónimo disse...

Estão esquecidos que os noruegueses têm sido os principais conselheiros no assunto do petróleo?

Provavelmente vai lá para sossegar o governo norueguês e dizer-lhes que o rumo é para manter. Que o trabalho feito não vai ser deitado fora. E ainda bem.

Mas também deverá passar-lhes a mensagem de que há vontade de combater a corrupção generalizada e o nepotismo golbal, que os países nórdicos acham incompreensível e os faz retrairem-se nos apoios ao desenvolvimento.
Porque e muito bem, entendem que estes males são eles mesmos condicionadores do desenvolvimento social e económico e da liberdade que tanto prezam.

Anónimo disse...

Até que enfim, retomámos um diálogo interessante e educado.
Obrigado anónimo.
E é só no petróleo?

Anónimo disse...

Não é só o petróleo, mas também no campo da energia o Governo da Noruega é o doador para todo o sistema de contadores de pré-pagamento de electricidade desde 2003 eles doaram cerca de 20000 contadores, que foram os grandes responsáveis pelo aumento das receitas da electricidade em Díli, em que se paga o produto eléctrico em avanço, isto é antes de ser consumido.
Os proponentes do prépagamento foram os Noruegeses e não os Aussies, como alguém escreveu neste blogger.
Diga-se de passagem que neste campo voltou-se quase à estaca zero e bem se precisa da ajuda do reino da Noruega.

Anónimo disse...

Também,os Noruegeses possuem um forte lobby em Timor Leste ao nível do plano energético que é importante assegurar, por exemplo estão a construir uma mini-hidrica em Gariuai-Baucau e são fortes defensores da Baragem em Ira Lalaro e respectiva rede de transporte até Díli e Suai.
O desenvolvimento de Timor Leste passa, pela coragem de construir o esqueleto do futuro, sem esqueleto e sem nervo não há condições para se investir e criar riqueza (esqueleto a rede) o nervo (a electricidade).
Vamo esperar pelo resultado da visita!... deste diplomata nato.

Anónimo disse...

East Timor - Downfall of a Prime Minister



Two months back, when East Timor's then Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, was dramatically forced to resign after weeks of violence and chaos, from many quarters, there was an audible sigh of relief. Gone was the man variously described as undemocratic, alleged to have armed a hit squad to eliminate his political opponents and a crypto-bloody-Marxist to boot! Alkatiri, of course, maintains he was the victim of a concerted effort to oust him. Meanwhile, Australia has spent millions of dollars supporting the idea of constitutional democracy in East Timor and has hundreds of troops there maintaining the fragile peace.
But, post the violence, there are key strategic and security issues at stake for both countries. Indeed, as we'll see in a moment, new information is coming to light that demands scrutiny. Dateline sent David O'Shea and John Martinkus, two Dateline reporters with a long history of covering East Timor, back to the troubled fledgling nation to our near North.


REPORTERS: David O’Shea and John Martinkus

DAVID O’SHEA: Although he is putting on a brave face, 2006 will go down as a bad year for Rogerio Lobato. Even the cake-maker got his birthday wrong.

ROGERIO LABATO (Translation): The birth date is 25-7-2016.

Following the violence in May, the former interior minister resigned. Tainted by allegations he'd armed a hit squad and under intense pressure, Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri was forced to resign one month later. According to Rogerio Lobato, a great injustice has occurred.

ROGERIO LABATO (Translation): The prime minister, who was democratically elected, was shamelessly discredited because of a film.

The film Lobato refers to is the ABC 'Four Corners' program broadcast in June containing the damning hit squad allegations. Lobato has been charged but despite the very public crucifixion of Alkatiri, there have never been any charges laid against him.

MARI ALKATIRI, FORMER PRIME MINISTER: I am fully confident because I have said I have nothing to do with these kinds of things.

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO, (Translation): This is your last warning young men!

On 23 May, Major Alfredo Reinado fired the first shots of the crisis. He was Australian army-trained and was leading a group of rebel soldiers who had split from the army and, along with some policemen, were now firing on their former colleagues. Reinado insisted that he had fired in self-defence but I was there and I clearly saw and heard him shoot first. The soldiers who were fired on that day said the attack against them came out of the blue.

SOLDIER (Translation): He counted up to seven, I heard him. Seven, yes, I heard that. I didn't hear anything after seven. I only heard gunshots. I thought they were allies so why were they firing at us? As an officer I had to respond.

Curiously, just days before, politician Leandro Isaac, a staunch opponent of prime minister Alkatiri, told me that something big was about to happen, ‘I didn't realise how big it was going to get.’ So why did Major Reinado attack? The former prime minister insists that what happened here at Fatu Ahi was the launch of a premeditated campaign to oust him.

MARI ALKATIRI: I think Alfredo Reinado was instructed to come down to Fatu Ahi and to restart everything with violence because this is the only way they can provoke everything - to start violence to justify everything.

This was the beginning of four days of chaos in the capital, Dili, before the arrival of Australian forces. As a witness to that upheaval, I have come back with colleague John Martinkus, who has covered East Timor for 10 years. Following Reinado's opening volley, the second major attack of the crisis was led by a man called Rai Los. He told 'Four Corners' that he was the leader of the so-called 'hit squad' and was supposed to be killing people on behalf of Alkatiri. Well, how then does he explain this amateur footage? The man that filmed it told Dateline these are Rai Los's men and they were fighting alongside the forces they are meant to be killing. They are all fighting the national army and, by extension, the government of Mari Alkatiri. But Rai Los is adamant he didn't join the forces rebelling against Alkatiri.

RAI LOS, HIT SQUAD LEADER, (Translation): I didn't go there to join them, I went to stop them. I talked to them, I’d been told to stop them by force, but I had other ideas. I wanted to stop them by using negotiation and dialogue.

You would have to say that taking up arms and firing at the army is an unusual method of dialogue. East Timor's Prosecutor-General is still investigating the incident and confirms Rai Los's role in the fighting in Taci Tolu, on the outskirts of Dili.

REPORTER: So it was confirmed that Rai Los was involved in the fighting in Taci Tolu, they led the attack, and they began the shooting?

LONGUINOS: Yes, thank you very much.

Just as Alfredo Reinado had started the battle and then withdrawn, so did Rai Los. All that's left today of this crucial event in May is a pile of empty cartridge shells. Rai Los's claims about his role in the attack raise serious questions about his credibility and his damning allegations against Alkatiri. Over the days that followed it seemed everyone had a gun. And many of them were handed out by this man - Police Commissioner and Alkatiri critic, Paulo Martins. The Commissioner admits to emptying the police armoury and distributing the weapons just before the violence began, a fact confirmed by former Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri.

MARI ALKATIRI: The Police Commander, Paulo Martins, said the weapons were not in storage and they had been allocated to different police units. He was saying one of the units was in Ailieu and in Dili and in Liquica.

By coincidence or otherwise, the anti-Alkatiri forces were concentrated in precisely the areas named by Alkatiri.

REPORTER (Translation): The weapons you sent to Ailieu, where are they now?

PAULO MARTINS, POLICE COMMANDER (Translation): The guns that were transferred from Ailieu are now back in Ailieu.

REPORTER (Translation): Where?

PAULO MARTINS (Translation): The Police Reserve Unit.

It's common knowledge that members of the police reserve unit had joined the rebels, along with many civilians.

PAULO MARTINS (Translation): The fact is that no one has proved that the civilians used police guns.

If that is the case, how did this police weapon end up in the hands of Leandro Isaac? He is a member of East Timor's Parliament and he's carrying a police issue Steyr rifle.

LEANDRO ISAAC, INDEPENDENT MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT (Translation): Because East Timor, especially Dili was in a state of war! WAR! And if I had nuclear bombs, I'd use them.

REPORTER (Translation): Some people might be asking why a member of parliament is using a gun?

LEANDRO ISAAC, (Translation): There's a difference between using and owning.

REPORTER (Translation): And now the gun is?

LEANDRO ISAAC, (Translation): It is back with the owner. I am not the owner.

REPORTER (Translation): Who is the owner?

LEANDRO ISAAC, (Translation): A policeman that was here at the time.

The most horrific incident of the four days was the massacre of unarmed police on 25 May. It was carnage. 9 police were shot dead and 27 were wounded, all of this done by three soldiers, so the story goes. The UN is investigating the incident. We can offer a dramatically different scenario. This footage suggests there were many more than three soldiers firing. One eyewitness we spoke to claims he saw civilians shooting at the police from these palm trees. And this group of armed men, some of them in civilian clothes, were among many unidentified gunmen at the scene. Who were they and does the presence of groups like this cast doubt on the accepted version of events? Dateline was told the UN has video evidence supporting the version we have offered. Was this deadly confrontation part of a pattern to discredit the army and further undermine the prime minister?
With security spiralling out of control in East Timor, Australian troops arrived to more damaging allegations against Alkatiri, which were big news in Australia.

SBS NEWS STORY: East Timor’s Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri has today dismissed a string of serious allegations and repeated his claim that he is being forced from power.
Forces loyal to Mr Alkatiri have also been accused of massacring 60 unarmed protesters and dumping their bodies in a mass grave. Mr Alkatiri also stands accused of trying to kill opposition leader Fernando Araujo.

MARI ALKATIRI: It is just completely false. I think this kind of accusations and allegations is part of the whole plan trying to demonise me but nothing is true, it is completely false.

True or false, Australia apparently took the threat against opposition leader Fernando Araujo very seriously. They flew his wife and son to Darwin on two Black Hawk helicopters from this isolated airport in the south-west of the country. She arrived just in time to make the Australian news bulletins.

MRS ARAUJO: In Australia where you can speak and you can debate and your house will not be burned down and be threatened to be killed.

It's worth noting that neither the death threats nor the allegations of mass graves have ever been proved. While Australia protected Araujo's family, many East Timorese say his Democratic Party, or PD, is actually responsible for coordinating the anti-Alkatiri mobs.

REPORTER: You provide the trucks to bring them in to town. PD is involved in organising the transport to bring these people into town.

FERNANDO ARAUJO, OPPOSITION LEADER: For demonstrations this is the people's right. If they burn house, this is a crime, they should be arrested. It's not my responsibility.

And Araujo had plenty of help stirring up anti-Alkatiri sentiment. Take for instance Rui Lopes - a man made wealthy through his close connection with Kopassus, the notorious Indonesian Special Forces.

RUI LOPES (Translation): We are ready to die, we're ready to defend, and ready to kill.

When Dateline went looking for Rui Lopes, we found he had crossed the border into Indonesia.

JOHN MARTINKUS: It's a shame. Rui Lopes is not at home. He has had lots of meetings with those people and has provided money and logistics to the PD party. And what we wanted to ask him was - where was the money coming from?

FERNANDO ARAUJO: I, er, I never get any money from Rui Lopes. Actually we have the same view that Mari is threatening this country, is destroying this country. We organise the demonstration together.

Another of Araujo's associates and supporters is Nemecio de Carvalho. He's a former leader of one of the most bloodthirsty militia that terrorised Timor during 1999. De Carvalho is under house arrest for his militia activities.

NEMECIO DE CARVALHO: So Rui Lopes, I and other people and, according to me, now most Timorese are against Fretilin because they are undemocratic.

Another influential player in this drama is the Catholic Church. The church was openly opposed to Alkatiri and his government, as this April 2005 letter shows.

CHURCH LETTER: ‘The citizens of this country don't identify with the model that this government wants to impose on Timorese society. It's completely alien and cut off from the roots of our cultural, social and historic realities.’

Both of East Timor's bishops signed it and sent it to the president of parliament, asking that

CHURCH LETTER: ‘they decide on the immediate removal of the current prime minister, Dr Alkatiri and his government, and the appointment of a new prime minister who would immediately form a government.’

The letter was ignored. But the church has apparently been involved in more than letter writing. Reliable sources in the army high command told Dateline that two priests personally urged them to oust Alkatiri. Father Apolinario was one of them.

REPORTER: Is that true?

FATHER APOLINARIO: I can't say anything.

REPORTER: Is it true you went to visit, to talk or not?

Bishop Ricardo da Silva, a co-signatory of the letter, also wasn't to keen to discuss the church's alleged approaches to the army or FFDTL.

BISHOP RICARDO: Not true – people want to extend everything – not true.

REPORTER: Thank you, Bishop.

MARI ALKATIRI: It means what they couldn't do at that time they decided to plan it better and to do it in a different way. I don't think we can really blame the church as an institution.

And there was more. According to top level army sources, in late 2005, armed forces chief Brigadier-General Taur Matan Ruak and Lt-Colonel Falur Rate Laek were approached by two Timorese leaders accompanied by two foreigners on two separate occasions. The four also asked the army, or FFDTL, to remove Prime Minister Alkatiri. Again the FFDTL refused.

MARI ALKATIRI: I was aware. I was informed by the commanders of the FFDTL of the situation, that they were approached by some Timorese and some foreign nationals, but I was fully aware and confident in the command of the army that I didn't think that it was an issue that could worry me and for me it was nothing.

JOHN MARTINKUS: The two foreign nationals who were involved with approaching the military here to convince them to mount a coup against you, Were they Australian?

MARI ALKATIRI: Even the commanders were not clear on this, if they were Australian or American - between these two. But I still have no clear information from the command if they were Australian or American but surely they were English-speaking.

So who would want to mount a coup in East Timor? And why? Mari Alkatiri says it's simply because he was too independent and threatened Australian interests in the oil and gas fields of the Timor Sea.

MARI ALKATIRI: What I was doing in my term was to defend the interests of my people in having the resources to develop this country, independently. Not to be dependent. I was fully aware we have our right and we still have our right on the Timor Sea and we have to defend it. Not because I am anti-Australian. I like very much Australia as a country, as a nation, as a people. I would never be anti-Australia.

JOHN MARTINKUS: Do you have any evidence that Australia was involved at some level in the effort to seek your resignation?

MARI ALKATIRI: Evidence, no. But the only prime minister in the world that was really "advising me" quote-unquote, to step down, was the Prime Minister of Australia during these days, these difficult days.

John Howard, on the other hand, is far more disposed to Alkatiri's replacement as prime minister Jose Ramos Horta. Just days after being sworn in, new PM Ramos Horta presided over the historic signing of the first oil production sharing contract between the two countries.

JOSE RAMOS HORTA, EAST TIMOR PRIME MINISTER: When you deal with oil and gas and economics, well, you have to be fair and realistic and pragmatic. Australia cannot always be philanthropic with everything it does for East Timor.

I asked Horta's Energy Minister, Jose Texiera, whether he thought East Timor was getting a fair deal in the lucrative oil and gas agreements.

JOSE TEXIERA, ENERGY MINISTER: It's not the ideal outcome but it's the pragmatic outcome – to give us an outcome.

It seems pragmatism has won the day but the former prime minister says he wanted to ensure East Timor had greater control over its natural resources, particularly the Greater Sunrise oil and gas field.

MARI ALKATIRI: What I have been doing up until now is to really get some independent feasibility study of getting the pipeline to Timor Leste and an LNG plant in Timor Leste. And this is very important. What Australia is trying to achieve is having Sunrise sent to Darwin. This is Australia's interests. But my interests can't be always coinciding with Australian interests and vice versa, and this is the reality.

In the midst of the crisis today, there's a media event being staged at President Xanana Gusmao's house. He's taking local journalists on a tour of his much loved garden.

REPORTER: Is gardening one way you can forget the troubles?

PRESIDENT XANANA GUSMAO: Yes.

Xanana Gusmao is the man who holds the greatest moral influence in East Timor and is often portrayed as staying above the political fray, but this murky affair – with its many unanswered questions - has seen him at the very centre of events. In March this year, in a nationally televised address, he responded to the recent split in the country's army, speaking out about discrimination against recruits from the west of the country.
Whatever the President's intentions, his words had immediate effect. That very night the first easterner's houses were burned down and the first refugees fled their homes. Many felt that the President had taken sides with East Timorese from the west of the country, who are mostly anti-Alkatiri.
And again today he is very proactive. On his front doorstep, literally, two guns and a man who said he got them off the former interior minister.

MAN: (Translation): In the name of the government, they distributed weapons. Coming from the mountains as we do, how can we afford to buy these weapons?

This media event draws an intriguing cast of characters, including Rai Los, whose hit squad allegations brought down the prime minister. Rai Los is warmly received by the President, but as we pointed out earlier, Rai Los attacked the national army, which under the constitution is headed by President Gusmao.
Kirsty Sword Gusmao is East Timor's Australian-born first lady. In May she was quoted in the 'Australian' newspaper saying that Alkatiri should resign. Many here regarded her comments as symbolic of Australian meddling.

KRISTY SWORD-GUSMAO, EAST TIMORESE FIRST LADY: There was some rather mischievous reporting going on by the 'Australian' newspaper. I did not call for his resignation. I said there were increasing demands for him to resign but I didn't make any forceful demands for him to resign but I did express an opinion on that issue.

REPORTER: It's been picked up here as meddling Australian intervention in the internal affairs of East Timor.

KIRSTY SWORD: No, it was a misquote.

REPORTER: Some people are suggesting what happened was Australia's first coup. What do you say to that?

XANANA GUSMAO: No, I already told people that we are aware of our own mistakes, our own wrongdoings. We are very aware of this.

REPORTER: So the coup is...?

XANANA GUSMAO: No, no.

REPORTER: Thank you.

Dateline made multiple requests for an extended interview with President Gusmao, but he declined.

NEMECIO DE CARVALHO: He is the boss in the struggle. Now he get nothing. Just a symbolic role according to our constitution.

Whatever his motivations, Nemecio de Carvalho, the former militiaman is prepared to say what many East Timorese now believe but are afraid to spell out - that the President and/or others wanted Alkatiri removed and the only way to achieve it was through drastic means.

NEMECIO DE CARVALHO: There must be a crisis and instability, including war. So he can play in such a situation. Without conflict, without instability, without anarchy, war, maybe he will never get more power.

REPORTER: There are also a lot of people - much of it is whispers - saying the President is behind all this stuff?

KRISTY SWORD-GUSMAO: There are bound to be comments like that made, I can say with absolute confidence, as an insider and someone who has accompanied very closely this whole situation, that it's nothing but a load of codswallop.

Meanwhile, 150,000 East Timorese sit in refugee camps, waiting for their leaders to sort out the mess.

Anónimo disse...

Reinado just gave a telephone interview on SBS with David O'Shea.

I have attached the transcript.

Reinado on the Line
It has been a week now since East Timor's most wanted man, rebel leader Major Alfredo Reinado with 56 other prisoners somehow managed to just walk out of Dili's jail, it has to be said, under extremely curious circumstances. As it happens, Dateline's David O'Shea was with Reinado and got caught in the cross-fire when the rebel leader fired the first shots of the violence. He was also on hand when Reinado was arrested, three weeks ago. And now, earlier today, still on the run, Reinado out of the blue, called David by mobile from wherever it is that he's hiding in the hills above Dili.

DAVID O’SHEA: Alfredo Reinado, where are you?
MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: I'm somewhere in East Timor.

DAVID O’SHEA: Yes can you be more specific?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: How come I can tell you that if there are Australian troops hunting me around, chasing me around?

DAVID O’SHEA: They are saying that you are destabilising the situation, increasing tensions. Aren't you going to give yourself up?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: I'm never going to give myself up. Because I've already given opportunity for them, time to the process of the justice side of it. I know myself that I am not a criminal.

DAVID O’SHEA: So can you just explain clearly, what do you want?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: What I want, to listen to the majority of the people. Because these people didn't want this government any more. People want justice, people want change.

DAVID O’SHEA: Are you still loyal to Xanana Gusmao? And have you been in touch with him?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: I always loyal with him, I'm still in touch with him.

DAVID O’SHEA: If President Xanana Gusmao asks you or orders you to hand yourself in, would you do it?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: No.

DAVID O’SHEA: So you're not following orders from Xanana Gusmao then?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: Not all the orders you should follow. What is the justification of the order? You have to clarify. Not all the order if the order comes to you, "You go and eat the shit" you eat the shit? No way.

DAVID O’SHEA: There are reports here in the media today that you have been in communication with the Australian forces. Is that correct and, if it is, what have you been talking about?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: I do have communication, been communicating with them, I just let them know that "Don't come after me because I am not a problem of this nation. The government is the problem of the nation and my people will not let that happen." Because my people will never hand me over. I'm willing to talk to anyone, to talk, to do any dialogue, anything. But to hand over myself, no way. When they after me, I will stop them. If they shoot me, I will shoot them back because I have a right to protect myself in my country. And I know I don’t have anything to against Australians.

DAVID O’SHEA: Are you armed? How many weapons do you have with you? And how many men do you have with you?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: I have all the people in this country who ever support me. They are armed with machetes and spears, that's a weapon also. They are ready to defend themselves. With anything they have, even rocks and wood.

DAVID O’SHEA: But how many heavy weapons do you have?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: Me?

DAVID O’SHEA: Yes.

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: All my weapons I already hand over.

DAVID O’SHEA: But you told me that last time, when I interviewed you, you told me that you'd handed in all of your weapons and then when they found you in the house that day, you had 4,000 ammunition, guns and magazines.

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: Look my friend, listen to me, the order they gave me was to hand over all of my weapons, not hand over all the equipment, all the military equipment. So I had over all my weapons, they ask for weapons, I gave them weapons, they didn't say it includes ammunition and everything. I still have the pistol.

DAVID O’SHEA: Can I just ask you, how did you escape from jail?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: Somehow, under pressure I have to escape and arrange all the power I had. I knew that security of the jail was not that strong. Only a few people there and during that time I stayed with the visit time, so door is open, people coming in an out. So I use that opportunity to scare them with everything I have - wood, rock or whatever - and they run away so we come out. And by that time, already three or four days, the prison has been left empty by international group. Normally international group give security there, and they left. That means it was an opportunity for me to go.

DAVID O’SHEA: Prime Minister Ramos Horta has blamed foreign forces for letting you out of jail, for allowing you leave. Is that true?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: Yes, because he's in a confusing... confusing situation. He says that because he scared, he's scared the truth will come out.

DAVID O’SHEA: So what do you mean "the truth to come out"?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: Because Ramos Horta hide so many things. Ramos Horta is not in favour with the people any more. Because he's part of the Mari Alkatiri group.

DAVID O’SHEA: When I was with you in the hills in May, you called for Australian intervention. Now you've become public enemy number one. What's happened with that relationship?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: Look, public enemy number one, that word doesn't suit me because my public didn't feel like I am the enemy. Ask everyone, but the government thinks that I am the enemy.

DAVID O’SHEA: You obviously feel like you've been betrayed, who has betrayed you do you think?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: Ramos Horta of course has betrayed me. You know, because Ramos Horta, since he gained his power, everything has changed since he got the power. He never did talk to me any more. And he never implemented anything he talked to me about it.

DAVID O’SHEA: It could appear that all of this is just so you don’t have to stay in jail.

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: Look I’m staying in jail, for what?

DAVID O’SHEA: Weapons possession.

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: If you go through what they blame me for, you don’t have any basic legal side to it.

DAVID O’SHEA: Are you going to be starting any trouble? Are you going to be sitting waiting? What is your plan?

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: My friend, as you know, I never start any trouble all along. The trouble is being start by somebody else. I stand up to stop that until now. Why is everybody blame that I'm the problem of this country? I'm not a problem of this country. If I am a problem of this country, the people didn’t stand for me. The government is the problem of the country. I think I'm a solution. Without me, there's already civil war. Without me, all ready the people, many of them already dying, been killing by the defence force themselves. Without me, there would be big chaos today. I just want Australian people not to think that I'm a rebel or I'm a renegade, because if I'm a rebel or a renegade my people, these people, didn't stand for me. And I want the Australian people to tell their government that their troops come here to stand for everybody, not to pick a fight.

DAVID O’SHEA: Alfredo Reinado, thank you for speaking to us.

MAJOR ALFREDO REINADO: You're welcome.




Reporter/Camera
DAVID O’SHEA

Cameraman
DAVID BRILL

Editor
WAYNE LOVE

Producer
AMOS COHEN

Anónimo disse...

From that interview alone I think Reinado is a fruit loop- how contradictory is he? Future politician- no way. However, he is certainly crazy and unstable enough to cause a lot of trouble.

Anónimo disse...

Is it just me or did Reinado just implicate Horta????? Also, jail was left unattended for four days by international troops and they were meant to be there!

Anónimo disse...

Não tenho dúvidas que o apoio da Noruega é mais que benéfico para Timor.
Naturalmente olhado de soslaio pela Austrália. Mas não acredito que tenham a lata de criticar os noruegueses.
Só que para obter e aproveitar a cooperação norueguesa, é preciso resolver os constrangimentos estruturais em termos de corrupção e nepotismo.
Os noruegueses são pragmáticos. Se lhes cheira que o apoio vai cano abaixo, ou serve para alguns se aproveitarem, cortam-no logo.
É que os sucessivos governos noruegueses estão habituados a prestar contas ao seu povo, e este, sendo generoso, é no entanto muito rigoroso no que concerne ao destino dado de tanto apoio.

Talvez outros países bastante menos ricos, devessem seguir o exemplo.

Anónimo disse...

Ramos Horta apenas segue o curso traçado pelo anterior Primeiro Ministro.

Alkatiri de forma muito inteligente procurou o apoio da Noruega, um dos países mais avançados da Europa, para as questões do petróleo e da energia.

O fundo petrolífero foi criado à imagem da Noruega para acautelar a corrupção e o uso indevido dos lucros do petróleo.

É preciso não esquecer que a Noruega é um país exemplar ao nível do funcionamento das instituições - não existe corrupção.

Este era o modelo que Alkatiri queria para o seu país.

Todo o trabalho de Alkatiri e o pacote legislativo quanto ao petróleo foi no sentido de assegurar que os lucros do petróleo fossem para o país, para o povo e não para o bolso de alguns dos poderosos.

Terá sido isto que irritou Xanana Gusmão, a oposição e a Igreja?!

Anónimo disse...

O querido "major" Reinado está um pouco confuso mas numa coisa tem razão:

"He says that because he scared, he's scared the truth will come out."

Se um dia a verdade vier ao de cima os "notáveis" de Timor terão muito que explicar...

Anónimo disse...

Alkatiri tinha um sonho - que o seu país tivesse como modelo os mais avançados países da Europa.

Xanana tem um sonho - que o seu país tenha como modelo a Indonésia, um dos países mais corruptos do mundo e a Austrália por questões "familiares".

Anónimo disse...

É evidente que Alkatiri reforçou os laços com Portugal para entrar na Europa - o 1º mundo - já que no próximo ano Portugal terá a presidência da União Europeia, e fugir à esfera de influência da Austrália e Estados Unidos que apenas trazem a violência a destruição dos povos.

Procurou o apoio e os técnicos na Noruega para as questões do petróleo e não na Austrália por este ser o país que rouba diariamente biliões de dólares na exploração indevida dos recursos naturais do mar de timor na parte que pertence a Timor e não à Austrália.

Mas Xanana e a oposição não terão nunca a capacidade de chegar tão longe. Preferem ser peões no tabuleiro de influência da Austrália e Estados Unidos e acautelar os seus interesses imediatos de enriquecimento pessoal.

Inteligente a estratégia de Alkatiri e poderia levar Timor a ser um exemplo na Ásia mas infelizmente não teve um Presidente da República à sua altura.

Veremos o caminho que Timor vai traçar...

Anónimo disse...

Essa história de que Alkatiri queria um Estado não corrupto é de saudar mas... entre o querer (pelo dizer estratégico é claro) e a realidade vai simplesmente a diferença do inverso. É evidente que a corrupção instalou-se e exactamente sob a sua batuta... uma vez mais o sr. dirá que não sabia de nada... é estranho pois o chefe do Governo era o próprio. A bota não bate com a perdigota.

Mas vejam lá se se tornam pragmáticos e resolvem o que é premente de resolver: os deslocados, as broncas que deram origem e alimento à crise recente e como vislumbra o Poder ir resolver ao problemas sociais que tem no seu país pois continuarem a falar de grandes jogadas de estruturação enquanto o povo está à mingua é um discurso miserável e que só interessa na verdade a interesses políticos e de Poder.

Anónimo disse...

A corrupção na função pública estava realmente instalada. Não esquecer que os recrutamentos dos funcionários públicos foram feitos pela UNTAET e foi dada preferência aos que tinham experiência na administração pública indonésia.

E aí está a explicação para a corrupção.

Timor não possui esquemas de controle e inspecção dos funcionários públicos e os que foram investigados pelo falecido Inpector-Geral os respectivos processos estão na prateleira da Procuradoria a cargo do famoso Longuinhos Monteiro, nomeado e da confiança de Xanana.

Afinal quem está interessado na corrupção?!

Anónimo disse...

Colocando os actuais dirigentes Timor-Leste na esfera de influência de uma aliança cujo eixo são os Estados Unidos, e consequentemente sob infuência directa do seu aliado mais próximo na região, a Austrália, pretendem afastar o país da esfera islâmica com a Indonésia como maior país islâmico, ou da infuência de Cuba, ainda considerado de inimigo ideológico dos EUA (sendo bastante previsível que este inimigo tem os seus dias quase findados), e de uma potencia económica que poderia instalar os interesses na região, a China.

Talvez daqui resulte em boa parte a propaganda contra o actual Governo e seu anterior PM, com estratégias e visão muito diferentes; o que melhor que chamá-los de comunistas, criando-se ideia em pessoas de fora pouco entendidas que este é um verdadeiro perigo na região e que a ameaça de comunismo poderá acender-se novamente. A ideia de comunismo nos dias que decorrem é quase uma utopia.
Qual é perigo real em ter médicos cubanos a ajudarem em troca de petróleo num país que tanta falta tem em tudo que respeita da saude? A decisão até parece muito racional e inteligente pois o páis como Timor-Leste, que ainda não têm meios financeiros necessários, o melhor que pode fazer é recorrer ao que tem em excesso: petroleo. Trata-se de uma decisão que à partida afigura-se mais inteligente que solicitar inutilmente emprestimos a taxas de juro astronómicas, utilizadas para criação da riqueza noutros países.

Será que a política geo-estratégica escolhida por alguns dirigentes e sustentada na igreja, é a mais correcta para o país?

Os que defendem a necessidade de ter que se escolher a esfera de infuência, à semelhança da guerra fria, e que se identifiquem com a civilização ocidental, têm igulamente nao deixar de ser críticos em relação a políticas externas tomadas pelos EUA, que apenas têm contribuído para aprofundar divergências, divisões, hegemonias, competitividade, rivalidade, etc... internacionais em todos os termos.

Muitas vezes a implementação dessas políticas tinha sido à margem da ONU e com todo o desrespeito pelas leis internacionais.
Será que o mundo ficou melhor depois do derrube de Sadam Hussein? Será que há mais democracia na região e no mundo? Será que há mais tolerância, mais estabilidade para os cidadãos do Iraque?
Os EUA têm revelado uma visão muito curta e apenas conforme os seus próprios interesses num momento particular.
Não terão sido eles que apoiaram o Bin Laden?
Que têm apoiado os Xiitas no Iraque, sabendo-se que esta corente do Islão é quase impenetrável a infulências externas à sua própria seita e geralmente mais radical, precisamente o contrário a dos Sunitas?
Não convinha hoje ter um Sadam de volta para manter a balança equilibrada face a um Irão atómico e que obviamente se pretende assumir como líder no mundo islâmico?

Receio que as políticas tomadas pelos EUA poderão ser completamente contraproducentes a médio ou longo prazo resultando na sua total perda de credibilidade na comunidade internacional, o que já está a ser visível neste último conflito entre Israel e Líbano (as populações bombardeadas não entendem que a guerra é contra Hezbollah se são elas que sofrem na sua própria pele).

Será que Timor-Leste quer um dia sentir estes efeitos se as tentativas em curso conseguirem a realizar-se?

A liderança dos EUA no mundo ocidental é necessária, mas de uma forma que não ignore e desrespeite totalmente a escolha de povos.


Petra

Anónimo disse...

As escolhas de Alkatiri quanto ao fundo do petróleo estão certas, quanto ao apoio de Cuba na saúde (com os médicos cubanos em timor mas também com os estudantes timorenses em Cuba pagos pela fundação Gulbenkian), está certa, o apoio dos noruegueses na electricidade está correcta. O pedido de ajuda na alfabetização a Portugal mas também ao Brasil está certa.Timor procurou diversificar aliados e procurar amigos fora da área geográfica (leia-se da indonésia e Austrália).
Alkatiri é um patriota!
Xanana não se devia esquecer disso.

Anónimo disse...

O problema e que Xanas nao se lembra de nada!

Anónimo disse...

O problema e que Xanas nao se lembra de nada!

Anónimo disse...

Só se esqueceram, que de caminho, as chefias da administração estatal foram escolhidas pela FRETILIN e não foram por critérios de competência, mas de partidarite. E que são estas chefias que alimentam a corrupção e em alguns casos a extorsão aos comerciantes e empresários.

E esquecem-se que a FRETILIN do Maputo, aproveitou os resultados da Cosntituinte, para forjar uma Constituição que em alguns aspectos parece querer transformar a FRETILIN no único partido de Timor. Ele é a Bandeira, ele é o símbolo, ele são as blindagens à alteração e modernização da Constituição, acrescentar Falintil às FDTL, fazer da figura do Presidente uma peça decorativa, impedir a dissolução do parlamento seja qual for a dimensão da crise, etc...

Ou seja, a FRETILIN tratou de acautelar a sua vidinha, sonhando com uma longa e próspera vida governativa (50 ou 100 anos).

Só se esqueceu, que tinha quase 1 milhão de timorenses à espera de serem equitativamente governados no interesse de todos e não apenas no dos filiados.

E depois admiram-se da insatisfação...

Anónimo disse...

Alkatiri ter um sonho de fazer de Timor leste um país ao estilo dos paises avançados da Europa?
Essa é para rir. O homem não gostava da europa e menos ainda de portugal. aliás, ninguém da fretilin gosta! Cuba, China, Angola, Moçambique, esses é que são os modelos de alkatiri.
aproximação? é só comparar a organização da visita do presidente português jorge sampaio com as visitas de Bambang da Indonésia e mahatir da malásia. estes até tiveram direito a passadeira vermelha. Eu estava em Timor e vi.

Anónimo disse...

Comparando Portugal com a Indonesia, qual e o pais mais corrupto? A razao de haver corupcao em Timor-Leste porque o governo anterior ignorou o uso de pessoais com experiencias na administracao publica. Olha, os corruptores bem conhecidos neste governo, acho que a maioria nao sao ex-funcionarios da Indonesia.

Anónimo disse...

Olha, acho que o Xanana sabe o melhor aos Timorenses. Mesmo que ele nao e Professor, Doutor como voce. A juventude sao agora vitimas. O governo decidiu em uzar a lingua portuguesa mas sem esforcos de fazer capacitacao mesmo a juventude e aos funcionarios. A estrategia esta claro... facilitar as decisoes dos DONS DO GOVERNO/PARLAMENTO.XANANA E UM HOMEM MAIS HONESTO E PRUDENTE. Os coruptores sao aqueles que estao agora a viver e governar sob a infelicidade deste pobre povo.

Anónimo disse...

Não tenho dúvidas de que Alkatiri queria que Timor fosse um país desenvolvido, mas primeiro tratou de instalar a FRETILIN no aparelho de estado, de tentar confundir o partido com o país.
O tal sonho dos 50 ou 100 anos, sobrepôs-se à preocupação imediata de tratar das pessoas.

Se não tivesse ido por esse caminho, talvez hoje o olhásse-mos de maneira diferente.

A obssessão de que tudo era devido à FRETILIN e que todos deviam tudo à FRETILIN foi o caminho para este desastre.

Parabéns FRETILIN e parabéns Alkatiri.

Anónimo disse...

Seja com Alkatiri, Xanana, Ramos-Horta sejam com outros que hao-de vir, uma coisa podem ter a certeza Timor vai ser um pais desenvolvido. E nao precisamos de almejar sermos como os europeus que estao muito longe, estao nos ceus. Mas temos exemplos aqui na nossa regiao para seguirmos como Singapura, Coreia, Japao. Sobretudo queremos ser nos proprios!

Traduções

Todas as traduções de inglês para português (e também de francês para português) são feitas pela Margarida, que conhecemos recentemente, mas que desde sempre nos ajuda.

Obrigado pela solidariedade, Margarida!

Mensagem inicial - 16 de Maio de 2006

"Apesar de frágil, Timor-Leste é uma jovem democracia em que acreditamos. É o país que escolhemos para viver e trabalhar. Desde dia 28 de Abril muito se tem dito sobre a situação em Timor-Leste. Boatos, rumores, alertas, declarações de países estrangeiros, inocentes ou não, têm servido para transmitir um clima de conflito e insegurança que não corresponde ao que vivemos. Vamos tentar transmitir o que se passa aqui. Não o que ouvimos dizer... "
 

Malai Azul. Lives in East Timor/Dili, speaks Portuguese and English.
This is my blogchalk: Timor, Timor-Leste, East Timor, Dili, Portuguese, English, Malai Azul, politica, situação, Xanana, Ramos-Horta, Alkatiri, Conflito, Crise, ISF, GNR, UNPOL, UNMIT, ONU, UN.