Media Release - Violence and intimidation against Fretilin continues

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETILIN

Media Release

Wednesday 16 May 2007

Violence and intimidation against Fretilin continues

Fretilin party members and supporters continue to be attacked and intimidated throughout Timor-Leste (East Timor) following the election of Jose Ramos Horta as President.

Arsenio Bano, a member of the party’s central committee and national political commission, reported today that “last night (Tuesday) four houses and a car belonging to Fretilin members and supporters in Bairro Pite in Dili were burnt down after supporters of the Democratic Party, which is led by Fernando de Araujo Lasama, attacked them.”

“The United Nations Police have confirmed that the incidents that occurred in Bairro Pite were politically motivated,” he said.

Bano explained, “Bairro Pite is not a Fretilin area. During the recent Presidential election it voted strongly in favour of Jose Ramos Horta.

“We are really concerned that supporters of Jose Ramos Horta and the opposition parties are celebrating the election win with an orgy of violence against our members.

“Local and international media continue to refuse to acknowledge that it is our members and supporters who have been the victims of violence since the beginning of the 2006 crisis,” said Bano.

“They were specifically targeted in order to destroy the Fretilin party base and overthrow the democratically elected government.”

Bano also added that, contrary to media reports, Fretilin party members and supporters were also getting attacked and intimidated in Viqueque town, Viqueque district, east of Dili.

“Our members are being attacked and intimidated in Dili district, Ermera and Liquica districts west of Dili, the enclave district of Oecussi in West Timor, and Baucau and Viqueque districts east of Dili, over the last few days.

“The UN and its police must act immediately to protect all victims of violence and intimidation and we demand that they investigate all incidents so that the perpetrators of violence are brought to justice”.

For more information, please contact:

Jose Teixeira (+670) 728 7080 (Dili, Timor-Leste)

Paulo Araujo (+61) 424 413 525 (Darwin, Australia)