Extracts - JINGO

Joint NGO Safety Office
Weekly Report # 51
For Period 24 - 01 September 2008


Overall Security Situation

The overall security situation in Timor Leste is quiet and generally calm.

Dili has generally been quiet and without serious incident. The media reported on discontent within the PNTL over the possibility that a new Police Commander may be selected in the near future. According to the report an unnamed and undated flyer has been circulated within PNTL which demanded the new commander be a Westerner along with some inflammatory ethnic rhetoric.

Political

Baucau Trial

There have been no further developments in relation to this issue.

Fretilin Peace March

There have been no further developments in relation to this issue.

Political Commentary on Presence of International Security Forces

During his speech before the UN General Assembly, President Ramos Horta expressed his gratitude and support to the UN mission, UNPol and the ISF for their work in supporting the Government of Timor Leste.

PNTL Per Diem

In the wake of both the discontent amongst PNTL reported in the media and the small “protest” outside Caicoli Police station last week, it has been reported that the Government is in the process of paying the outstanding per diem payments to the aggrieved officers.

PNTL Commander

The Australian media reported this week on an anonymous flyer that was being distributed around the PNTL. The flyer claimed to represent Western police officers and demanded that the next Police Commander, due to be selected in November, be a Loromonu. In an interview with ABC news the Secretary of State for Security, Francisco Guterres said that he did believed that the flyer was the work of a limited number of PNTL who are unhappy with a recent change in the promotions system in PNTL (which will favour meritocratic rather than time-served advancement).

Rai Los Trial

The trial of Rai Los was due to start this week but has been suspended until January. Rai Los himself was due to return to the country on the 30th October but this has not yet been confirmed.

Military Operations

An armed F-FDTL reconnaissance team travelled to Bobonaro and Cova Lima this week in order to make an assessment of police tasks, deployments and structures along the border in preparation for a possible deployment of F-FDTL in support of the Border Police Unit (BPU). The nature of the support to be provided is not clear i.e. man border posts, patrolling, reserve unit etc. It is estimated that the deployment may not occur for some months.

IDPs

Return Operations

No dates have been set for return operations to begin at Taci Tolu, Cannosa Balide and Igreja Balide camps. Return operations for Tibar Turleu IDP Camp begin on 2nd October. Verification of IDPs in Tibar Ismaik has been completed but no date has been set.

Aspol

There have been no further developments in relation to this issue.

For further information on the humanitarian situation, please refer to the OCHA Humanitarian Update. To be added to the distribution list for this, email Nadia Hadi at hadin@un.org

Dili

Dili has remained generally quiet.

Taxis

The incident reported last week is still under investigation.

Advisory

NGO staff are advised not to use taxis after dark.

As much as possible staff should use Taxi drivers that are known to them.

NGO staff should be cautious when using taxis during the day and resist any attempts to divert from their route/destination.

Bag Snatching

There have been further reported incidents of bag snatching.

Car Parking

The police continue to enforce the left hand parking rule strictly.

Advisory

NGO staff should only park on the left side of the road.

Sexual Harassment

In an incident in front of One More Bar at approximately 2200hrs on the 1st October, an international female had just got into her car and shut the door, when a Timorese male opened the car door and touched her. The female then shouted for help and the man ran away. There are reports of a similar incident some weeks ago when a Timorese male ran at an international female outside Dili Beach Hotel when she was waiting for a lift just after dark. The female ran into the hotel and the man then left the area.