Timor-Leste: UN Commissioners Probing Violence Earlier This Year End Visit
New York, Aug 11 2006 10:00AM
The three officials serving on the United Nations Independent Special
Commission of Inquiry for Timor-Leste today completed the first of two visits aimed at looking into the violence that
exploded in the country earlier this year, causing dozens of deaths and forcing 15 per cent of the country’s entire
population to flee.
At a departure news conference, Commission Chairman Paulo Sergio Pinheiro of Brazil said its aim was to “to provide an
honest, truthful, narrative of the establishment of the facts” of the shootings of April and May and their causes.
The violence broke out after the government dismissed some 600 soldiers who had been on strike, claiming discrimination
in promotions and benefits. A total of 37 people were killed and an additional 155,000 were forced to flee their homes
and seek shelter in makeshift camps or with host families.
Mr. Pinheiro said the three commissioners – himself, Zelda Holtzman of South Africa and Ralph Zacklin of Great Britain –
would return in September and complete their report to the Secretary-General Kofi Annan by the first week in October.
He noted hat the body aims to gather facts. “We do not have power to summon individuals, no power to prosecute or to
judge anyone,” he said, stressing that the experts did not form a court or a tribunal. But he added that their
recommendations “will include some measure of accountability for individuals or institutions for the crisis that erupted
in April and May.”
During their visit, commissioners met the Timorese President, the Prime Minister, and the former Prime Minister, leaders
of political parties, military leaders, police authorities, church leaders, the diplomatic community, the UN country
representative and the UN country team and leaders of other institutions.
In another development today, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Timor-Leste, Sukehiro Hasegawa, visited
Becora Prison, east of Dili, to assess the conditions of the detention facilities and the well-being of the prison
inmates.
He said he found that the basic needs of inmates were met but that prison facilities need improvement.
Mr. Hasegawa’s visit to Becora Prison followed a period of unrest and insecurity that has led to an increased number of
arrests and detentions over the last few weeks.
While there, Prison Manager Carlos Sarmento told the UN envoy that there was a need for further improvement of existing
prison facilities. Mr. Hasegawa agreed that, “Proper maintenance of detention facilities is vital to ensure that human
dignity and respect for human rights are preserved.”
ENDS