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Speech by H.E. Dr. José Ramos-Horta, Senior Minister,
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Minister for Defence
At the Security Council, New York, 13 June 2006
Mr. President,
I offer my sincere apologies to you and to the Members of the
Security Council for my absence, but the demands for my presence
in Timor-Leste at this time are extensive. H.E. Ambassador Jose
Luis Guterres, Timor-Leste's Permanent Representative to the United
Nations, will deliver my speech before your august body.
As you meet I am visiting rural areas of the country, covering
East and West, continuing to take the State to the people. I am
also able to listen to their needs and communicate them back to
our President and our Government. I have also addressed our National
Parliament, upon the invitation of the President of the Parliament.
I thank you Mr. President and the Members for your continued
concern for the people of Timor-Leste and for your resolution,
(SC/8728) of 24 May 2006, that gave international legitimacy to
the deployment of the multi-national forces of Australia, Malaysia,
and New Zealand.
On behalf of all Timorese, I offer profuse thanks to the Joint
Task Force (JFT 631), all of whom were able to respond promptly
and efficiently to quickly quell the violence. However the forces
were not able to prevent the extensive looting and burning and
displacement of tens of thousands of Timorese, as law and order
broke down in some quarters, with the earlier disintegration of
the Policia Nacional of Timor-Leste (PNTL) in Dili.
I also offer profuse thanks to Portugal, who from a great distance,
showed no hesitation in deploying their elite police force the
GNR. The Timorese people's experience of the GNR under UNTAET
was a positive one and the GNR's presence has been demanded from
every sector of the Timorese society. It is our desire that in
a new UN Mission, the GNR will play a vital role in law and order.
We are equally grateful that Malaysia has made available a similar
Rapid Reaction Police Force.
The humanitarian situation has been managed very well by our
Minister for Labour and Community Reinsertion, H.E. Arsenio Bano
who chairs the Inter-Agency Humanitarian Coordination Working
Group that includes other Government Ministries and Agencies,
the UN Country Team, IOM, INGOs, NGOs and specific sector working
group heads. In a very short time along with Minister Bano, they
were able to mobilise and provide services to the large number
of IDPs. I thank OCHA for their coordination assistance and for
the launch yesterday in Dili, New York and Geneva of the Flash
Appeal. A special reference is made to our impressive efforts
of our Church that has provided shelter and care to tens of thousands
of people.
East Timorese and foreign doctors and nurses, including Cubans
and Chinese have performed and continue their admirable duties.
We are grateful to all.
We note with deep appreciation the bilateral assistance from
our friends, including our closest neighbour Indonesia, who in
its own time of suffering caused by natural disasters, reached
out to Timor-Leste, with the delivery of much needed humanitarian
aid.
The international forces on the ground are continuing their efforts
to collect weapons from individuals. Through voluntary surrender
or through enforced confiscation close to 1,000 assorted weapons
have been collected.
Pursuant to a decision of the Supreme Council of Defence and
Security, on Friday 9th June, our own Defence Force, the F-FDTL,
participated and assisted in the commencement of a 'Weapons Inventory
Inspection Operation', undertaken with an international observation
team comprising Military Personnel from Australia, Malaysia, New
Zealand, Portugal, the United States and UNOTIL. The preliminary
reports I have received indicate its success.
The second part of the operation concerns the PNTL and will take
place this week Members of the PNTL have begun to surrender their
weapons and have voluntarily agreed to be cantoned in Dili and
handing over their weapons to the Australian Defence Forces. By
this week's end, the new Minister of Interior will submit to H.E.
President Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, a complete list of all weapons
in the PNTL official inventory. This list will be checked against
existing weapons in use by PNTL officers or in the armory.
This level of cooperation would not have been possible without
my President. His moral standing and influence among all sectors
of Timorese society is high. He was pivotal in preventing irregular
armed forces, "reservists", from leaving Baucau for
Dili in the last week of May to join the violent disturbances.
My President's leadership has been fundamental to the stabilisation
process
The graveness of our current crisis causes me great sadness;
however, I take this opportunity to assure Members that the situation
is redeemable. The good work that the United Nations and the international
community, with the Timorese leadership and Timorese people have
done, has taken root in the form of state institutions that have
had the capacity to continue operations, even during the height
of the current crisis.
Ministries and associated agencies have continued to function,
contrary to some media reports that have us as a failing state.
These include but are not limited to the following: The Presidency,
Health, Labour and Community Reinsertion, State Administration,
Agriculture, Education, Justice (who is working alongside the
JTF in the area of detention, investigation and prosecutions),
Telecommunications including EDTL and Timor Telecom who kept the
electricity, telephone and internet services working throughout,
RTTL the National television and radio broadcaster, Customs, the
Port Authority which is doubling as a Military HQ, air services,
and my own Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence.
Timor-Leste's inaugural petroleum exploration bid round was completed
on 22 May 2006, when the Prime Minister announced the winners
of the bid with the publication of the Evaluation Commission's
final report.
Many shops and restaurants are open, many stayed open, and some
taxis and microlets continue to operate. The fact that the private
sector continues alongside the public sector is indicative of
our gains so far.
The Government has kept the 2006-2007 budget process on track
and I wish to provide Members with some specific detail, as it
demonstrates the Government's competence in this regard and also
responsiveness to the needs of the people, and particularly in
rural development.
The Council of Ministers meets tomorrow to consider a revised
State Budget in 2006-07, expected to exceed $US315m and in check
with the State's sustainable income levels. This is in addition
to $US140m donor assistance for development. $U110m will be allocated
to Capital and Development and $US50 million for Public Works.
Projects and initiatives include some of the following:
- Construction of Transmission towers for territory wide public
broadcasting-Water Supply-New Dili Police headquarters-Police
Border posts-Five youth centres-Sports centres-Counterpart funds
for referral hospitals in Baucau,
Maliana, Oe-Cusse and Suai-Rehabilitation of District Health Posts-Veterans
housing-New Customs posts in Batugade, Atauro, Com, Bobometo,
Tunu Bibi-Counterpart funds for a new Ferry and port service between
Dili, Atauro and Oe-Cusse
- Extension of the electrical grid to various areas in the Districts
-$3m capital to establish a rural credit agency
-$US11 million public grants across public-private sector and
personal benefit payments and community priorities to determine
minor rehabilitative works and minor equipment for schools
-Public grants to Churches and NGO's that provide community and
humanitarian
assistance
-$US2 million pension fund for former combatants recognised for
their services during the independence struggle
-50% adjustment for employees in isolated areas and an increase
in catering and other services in these areas
-$US8 million for food security in the Ministry of Development
with additional funds for equipment for fishermen, and tractors
and other motorized equipment to improve agricultural productivity
-$5 million to subsidise Government lowered electricity prices
to consumers
-Lastly all public sector workers will receive a cost of living
adjustment to cover cost increases in fuel and food.
I should make a distinction for the Members about the areas of
Timor-Leste affected by the crisis. It is primarily limited to
the capital Dili, while the other twelve districts have continued
to function with all services operating including the PNTL police
service whose basic infrastructure stayed intact in the districts.
There is of course no guarantee that an outbreak of violence won't
happen in the regions whilst the country is in a politically precarious
state.
The border area that Timor-Leste shares with Indonesia has remained
calm. I have visited the border on three occasions in the past
month, the last visit being of three days duration and I was accompanied
by H.E. Mr. Ahmed Bey Sofwan the Indonesian Ambassador to Timor-Leste.
I thank the Indonesian authorities for assisting us in keeping
our common border area safe and stable.
I came back inspired by the PNTL Border Patrol Unit's (PBU) professionalism,
as well as the military forces operating on the Indonesian side.
I was however concerned with the poor living conditions of our
police, an incomprehensible neglect by our own government.
Mr. President, I wish to inform Members of our initiatives vis-à-vis
political dialogue, as political peace is as necessary to democratic
health as is physical security. I have been in contact with every
key person and group in the conflict, on more than one occasion.
My President has begun to meet each individual and group directly
involved in the conflict, as the first step in reaching an all
inclusive political dialogue, which all have agreed to. The all
inclusive dialogue will commence within the next two weeks, with
the arrangements in place by week's end. It will be co-chaired
by my President and our two Bishops, of Dili and Baucau.
President Xanana has provided leadership in securing the agreement
of all key individuals and groups, that an all inclusive dialogue
was the approach needed to resolve political problems and further
that all political problems needed to be resolved within our constitutional
framework. This recognition demonstrates a commitment to the democratic
culture that has begun to take root in Timor-Leste.
Parallel to the all inclusive dialogue, will be the Special Inquiry
Commission that Timor-Leste has requested, as outlined in my letter
to the Secretary General of 9th June 2006. The President, the
Prime Minister, the Government, F-FDTL, PNTL, Religious Leaders
and Civil Society all welcome an impartial and independent inquiry,
as an important step in reaching a settlement and upholding the
rule of law. It is our fervent desire that the Special Inquiry
Commission commence immediately. In the interim, the Australian
side through its Federal Police Service in with the Prosecutor
General's Office is undertaking preliminary work to secure some
crime scenes and preserve evidence.
Members would be aware that I have taken on the sensitive portfolio
of Defence. My motivation in accepting, and I cannot but say as
a Nobel Peace Laureate I am a most reluctant Defence Minister,
is to lift the standing of the F-FDTL and to help heal the wounds
between the F-FDTL and the PNTL and both forces and the community.
While peace has been restored overall, the security and law and
order situation remains precarious. It is acknowledged by all
that our institutions of state and our democratic culture is fragile.
It is however, our considered view, that sustained international
support by way of a UN Police Force under UN command and with
PNTL working under its auspice, as outlined in the letter to the
Secretary General of 11 June 2006, on this matter, signed by my
President, President of the Parliament and my Prime Minister,
needs to be deployed without delay.
Mr. President, before I turn to the needs of a new UN Mission,
I wish to reiterate that we Timorese are deeply indebted to the
deploying countries, but as the emergency situation is nearing
an end, it is important that our attention turns to the issue
of transition to a peace-keeping force under the UN umbrella,
as was the case with InterFET in 1999.
We believe that it is essential to have an international presence
under the UN Flag to reduce political and diplomatic tensions;
hence it is our considered view that the current force in Timor-Leste
should in due course replaced by a UN mandated peace-keeping force.
It is also our considered view that the current force and its
successor, as indeed other components of a new UN Mission, should
also comprise a greater number of countries in the region, including
we would hope from our friends in Fiji, Singapore, Thailand, The
Philippines, and the Republic of Korea and other countries that
stand ready to contribute to such a force. We were very proud
that an ASEAN country, namely Malaysia, came to us in our time
of need and were able to respond as quickly and professionally.
We are most grateful to Malaysia and other ASEAN countries that
have indicated a willingness to respond.
I want to caveat what I say about a new UN Mission with the reality
that we have not been able to undertake a comprehensive needs
assessment of such a mission. It is our intention to enter into
detailed discussions with the UN on this matter in the immediate
future. I can though offer some preliminary comments that add
to our request for a UN International Police Force and the Special
Inquiry Commission.
Firstly, the time frame has to be long enough to enable our state
institutions to move beyond the fragile stage, consistent with
being an infant state. Regarding UNTAET we were all hopeful that
its two year life span would be sufficient to help build a nation,
and I have to say some in my own Government were also keen to
have the UN gone, not for any other reason than they were keen
to have independence as soon as possible.
I had favoured a five year UN Mission with a five year transition
time, which was not a popular position then, but I would request
that this position be factored into thinking that will guide the
establishment of a new UN Mission. As respected Members know,
it is a Herculean task to build a nation almost from scratch and
whilst we have succeeded, it is an infant nation we now have.
Collectively we did a remarkable job of nation building, initially
under the stewardship of the late Sergio Veira De Mello..
The main focus of the UN Mission will be the maintenance of secure
environment, that involves inter alia, a multinational military
presence, a UN Police Force, a UN organised, administered and
conducted presidential and parliamentary elections and key civilian
advisory positions, with some embedded in government administration
alongside capacity building positions, so that our state institutions
can be strengthened, along with civil society.
I wish to place on public record a sincere thank you to the SRSG
H.E. Sukehiro Hasegawa, for his good work during the current crisis.
Mr. Hasegawa has also served the people of Timor-Leste in an exemplary
and selfless manner and he has a special place in our hearts,
as indeed do our friends from Japan, Mr. Hasegawa's home country,
who have made a great contribution to our country.
I want to also thank the UN Police for their wonderful efforts
in attempting to broker a peaceful resolution to a very critical
situation on the 25 May, and wish to convey to them our profound
thanks. We deeply empathise with you, but say you acted professionally
and selflessly and in the best traditions of the civil servants
of the UN. We salute you.
The decision is in your hands Mr. President. We require your
sustained engagement and we the people of Timor-Leste await your
consideration.
May God, the Almighty and the Merciful Bless you all.
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