Unmit Newsletter 14 September 2009

UNMIT NEWSLETTER

Issue No 98 14 Sept 2009

United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste

PNTL resumes responsibility over the Police Training Centre

» UNMIT Photo/Antoninho Bernardino DSRSG Takahisa Kawakami and Secretary of State for Security Fransisco Guterres signing the document for the PNTL to responsibility over the Police Training Academy in Dili.

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n Friday 11 September the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Timor-Leste, Atul Khare, and the Secretary of State for Security,

Fransisco Guterres, presided over the ceremony marking the resumption of responsibilities by Polícia Nacional de Timor-Leste (PNTL) over the Police Training Centre in Dili. The Centre is the fourth place where the PNTL has resumed primary responsibility since the process started in May 2009 in the district of Lautem, and continued in June for the district of Oecussi and in Manatuto in July 2009. The Centre is located in Dili and is the base for the training and development of PNTL police officers. The Centre receives support from Australia, Japan, and Portugal, as well from the United Nations

First National Congress held for victims of human rights violations 1974-1999

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ictims and families of the victims of historical violence in Timor-Leste gathered on 2-4 September for the first ever National Victims’ Congress, held in Dili. The Congress was a result of ongoing meetings taking place over the last year in all districts. Organized by Association HAK, Fokupers, ICTJ and FONGTIL, these meetings aimed at bringing together victims to not only discuss their circumstances, but to form an advocacy plan to pursue their rights. At each of these district meetings, UNMIT’s Serious Crimes and Human Rights units provided information about their work to victims. This process culminated in the National Victims’Congress, held on 2-4 September.

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Victims of the conflicts of 1974-1999 gathered to provide a forum to discuss their needs, strengthen networks and decide on a way to make their voices heard by decision makers in Parliament and the Government. At the Congress, survivors of massacres, torture, and other serious crimes agreed to form a new national association and elected representatives from each district plus a chairperson. The aims of the association are to campaign for justice, reject impunity and amnesty and to lobby national and international governments and the UN for an international tribunal and prosecution of all serious crimes from 1974-1999, including new investigations.

Nation mourns those lost in 1999 massacres

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urvivors and victims gathered last week to remember those killed in the massacres of civilians in 1999 in the campaign of terror which f o l l o w e d » UNMIT Photo/Martine Perret Survivors and victims gather to the Popular remember those killed in the Suai church massacre. Consultation of 30 August. Ceremonies were held in Maliana, Suai and Oecussi. According to the report of the International Commission of Inquiry on East Timor, 47 bodies were identified as having been killed in the Suai church massacre, 40 were killed in the police station massacre in Maliana and 65 in the Passabe massacre in Oceussi, although witnesses in each place claim many more died. Ten years after the massacres, the country remembers those who lost their lives as well as victims still trying to recover and rebuild and attain justice.

» UNMIT Photo/Filip Andersson Survivors and victims gather to remember those killed in massacre Oceussi.

Not official document – for information only.

62-year old recounts 10 years of volunteering with the UN

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» UNMIT Photo/Antoninho Bernardino UNV June Harre.

he first time June Harre came to Timor-Leste was in 1999 to assist with the Popular Consultation as a UN Volunteer. Since then, June has been back to the country five times as a UNV in various roles including assisting with the 2004 Census. Each time, this feisty grandmother opted to work in the District of Ainaro. When asked why she felt compelled to come back to Timor-Leste so often, June replied: “In 1999 I worked with some very bright Timorese and when

I left I was afraid they would be killed by militia. So it was very important for me to come back to see if they survived. This was my biggest priority - to see them safe and begin their lives as part of a new independent country. A lot of those people are still working in Ainaro today. I see how many children they now have and what work they are doing and it is great.” June has recently come back to help with the October suku elections.

Timor’s first Model UN to take place in October

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he first Model UN in Timor-Leste is set to take place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dili on UN Day, celebrated on 24 October, the anniversary of the ratification of the UN charter. The Model UN is an activity where students take on the role of countries and replicate a session of the UN. For this model UN, students will be emulating the Security Council as it was in 1999 when the Council debated whether or not to create the UN Transitional Administration in

Timor-Leste after the results of the Popular Consultation. Thirty-four students from the Peace Centre at the University of Timor-Leste (UNTL) will represent the nations that were on the Security Council in 1999: Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Gabon, Gambia, Malaysia, Namibia, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Slovenia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America.

One week of intensive training of trainers has already taken place with an experienced Model UN trainer from the UN Information Centre in Jakarta. UNMIT staff trainers are now working in pairs with UNTL student trainers to carry out training sessions from now till October. The Model UN is an initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with support from UNMIT, and is part of the 10-year anniversary events reflecting on the Popular Consultation of 1999.

Women’s groups in Baucau to receive funding from MDG Fund

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delegation representing the Millennium Development Achievement Goal Fund visited four different women’s groups in Baucau that are set to receive funding from two joint programmes under the MDG Fund TimorLeste; Supporting Gender Equality and Women’s Rights - a three-year programme that will take place between December 2008 to December 2011 in the districts of Dili, Bobonaro, Covalima, Baucau, and Oecussi; and Promoting Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security - another three-year programme in the districts of Aileu, Baucau, Manatuto and Oecussi. In Baucau, the four groups receiving the funding include the Mother Support Groups which promotes breast feeding

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» UNMIT Photo/Cesaltino Ximenes MDG delegation visit to Baucau.

and which will use the funding to expand activities to more rural areas of Baucau; the Women’s Farmers Group whose purpose is to share land and water for the production of vegetables for sale and who will use the funding to improve food security and nutrition by increasing the production capacity and skills of these female farmers as well as supporting new

income generation activities; the Buka Hatene Shelter, which will not receive direct funding from the MDG Fund, but which will refer victims of genderbased violence to Dili-based services which do receive the funding; and the Child Friendly Investigation Room (Vulnerable Person Unit of PNTL) which provides support and protection to women and child victims of gender-based violence.

The first joint programme, Supporting Gender Equality and Women’s Rights will be implemented by UNIFEM, UNICEF, UNDP and IOM. The second, Promoting Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security will be implemented by UNICEF, WFP, WHO, and FAO.

Not official document – for information only.