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Timor Leste: Xanana Gusmao govt depletes Petroleum Fund, arrests protesting students (+ video)
By Tomas Freitas
Dili, July 8, 2008 -- On Monday July 7 at 9am, approximately 100 students held a protest on their campus, the East Timor National University, against the members of the national parliament. The students are not happy about the MPs who are about to buy a imported luxury car each for themselves. The students protested peacefully by holding banners, yet 21 students were detained by the Timorese National Police.
Timorese law states that there may be no demonstrations within 100 metres of government buildings. However the students were protesting on their own campus. The location of the campus is indeed less than 100 metres from the National Parliament; however this is the students' campus, an important place for expression of free speech and demonstrations.
It is not clear who issued the order to arrest the students but it is widely believed that the order came from Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao himself.
On May 23, 2008, the Council of Ministers approved the final draft of the Mid Year Budget 2008. The total proposed amount is US$773.3 million, to be spent as follows: $59.4 million for 12,600 civil servants' salaries, including police and defence forces; $240 million for the food crisis and $207.4 million for goods and services; $1.4 million will buy luxury cars for each member of the National Parliament; $114.7 million for infrastructure development and $112.2 million for pensions and other social security.
The Gusmao government has cut domestic income tax to almost 10% flat rate and spent almost 30% of the Petroleum Fund to cover its budget deficit. The Petroleum Fund was established by the previous Fretilin government. But now the fund is under threat. In order to be sustainable, only $396 million should be taken out of the fund this year, however the Gusmao government has taken an extra $290.7 million to balance the prices of construction material and to assist in the food crisis, through tasking his friend, the vice-secretary general of the CNRT, to purchase rice in Asian countries without tender.
The continuing inability of the government to carry out the previous budget did not stop Gusmao increasing budget allocations. Only $31.9 million from $347.5 million of budget allocations has actually been executed for this first trimester. The previous execution of the Gusmao government's transitional budget was not certified by the Delloitte Company, which usually certifies the execution report from the Timorese government.
The issues of the purchase of luxury cars and the Petroleum Fund are now big issues in the country. Civil society, media and the Timorese people have criticised this budget, but the academics are silent because their money comes from the government. In turn, the minister of education Joao Cancio has criticised the students, and asked them not to use the campus as a place for demonstrations. Ironically this minister was previously the Head of the Dili Institute Technology, one of the country's universities.
The student demonstrations are continuing. The police continue to protect the parliament zone and have arrested more than 17 students in this morning. The crackdown on the students is ironic, considering the pivotal role that students played in East Timor's struggle for independence, a role that PM Gusmao himself has previously acknowledged.
[Tomas Freitas is director of Luta Hamutuk, a progressive Timorese NGO.]
Timor Leste: Video of police attack on student protest
Students of East Timor National University chanted slogans outside a campus building, which faces the parliament, against a plan by lawmakers to buy themselves new cars with state funds.
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Police brace for more protests in East Timor
[This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/ra/programguide/stories/200807/s2298622.htm]
Police brace for more protests in East Timor
Updated July 9, 2008 11:03:46
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Police and security forces in East Timor are braced for a further day of protests outside the National University in Dili.
Since Monday, dozens of the students have been arrested as part of a continuing demonstration against what they say is government waste in the mid year budget review and a proposed new law that would allow civilians to carry guns.
Presenter: Stephanie March
Speakers: Caralino Marquez from Universities of East Timor Combined Action group; Marcos Gusmao, student representitive; Carlos Pereira, UN police Dili District Commander.
MARCH: Students gathered at the National University early in the morning as tear gas from the previous day's clash with police still filtered through the building-
Holding a scarf in front of his face to stop the effects of the gas, Caralino Marquez who is one of the leaders of the Universities of East Timor Combined Action group told the ABC they would continue protesting regardless of how many members of the group are arrested.
MARQUEZ: Yesterday's action was not a violent action it was a peaceful action and we had a silent protest. We did this action not on parlimentary grounds but on our own campus on the verandah.
MARCH: A further 18 demonstrators were taken away by police mid-morning after forming a human barricade in front of the building. With white tape covering their mouths the group held signs saying they represent the poor people and their families. Hundreds of students inside the building sang the national anthem and chanted "viva" as their friends were put into waiting police vans. Another group of students have a permit to demonstrate at Dili's Democracy Field, and have vowed to continue their protest for the rest of the week. Standing in front of the university United Nations Police Dili District Commander Carlos Pereira says he believes the group at the university are fully aware thier actions are illegal.
PEREIRA: After eight hours of discussion they don't agree with the law and they insist to have the demonstrations here. As you probably know demonstrations here are illegal because they are less than 100 metres from government buildings and the law doesn't allow that.
MARCH: The students first began protesting a month ago against a unilateral decision by the parliamentary president Fernando Lasama de Aroujo to purchase vechicles for each of the 65 members of parliament. The $1.4 million purchase is accounted for in the mid year budget review which is being debated by parliament this week. Concerns have been raised by NGOs and members of parliament over the large sums of money included in the review that's allocated for government ministers and MPs. If the review is passed it will double the current budget of around $400 million.
A delegation of students from the legal Democracy Field protests presented a letter and petition to the president of parliament outlining their concerns.
Their spokesperson Marcos Gusmao says despite the hour long conversation they failed to reach a solution.
GUSMAO: What did he say to us? He said that everything he is doing has a legal basis. But we would say it's got no moral conscience. It's got no consideration for the people. As students we maintain our position.
MARCH: Student representative Carolino Marquez says this weeks protests are also about a gun law proposed by the Xanana Gusmao government that would enable civillians to carry arms. Several MPs almost came to blows in parliament during the debate over the proposed bill, that has now been pushed aside for further consideration after the mid year budget review is complete.
MARQUEZ: The debate in the parliament was important because the law could allow for civilians to get guns and thus there will be an impact because it will allow people to kill one another. And I think we can't allow that. We don't agree with that.
MARCH: Carlos Pereira from the UN police says they are trying to contact the dean of the university to organize a peaceful end to the demonstrations, but so-far their phone calls have gone unanswered.
PEREIRA: Well we are prepared to have the same situation the same scenario tomorrow the day after tomorrow until Friday.
MARCH: Are there any concerns it could lead to violence?
PEREIRA: No, our intelligence report says that ...we hope we don't have to use violence against them, so far it has been calm and quiet.
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