03 January 2010

Demolition of Democracy in Timor-Leste Continues as Security Forces Swamp Legislative Chamber

Stability or Intimidation in Timor-Leste's parliamentary Budget Debate FRETILIN News Flash: 1st update from debate in the National Parliament 18.11.2009: 1534 hours: Debate commenced in an environment of intimidation with at least 20 armed police inside the parliamentary chamber, comprising overwhelmingly from close protection security for members of government.

FRETILIN MPs objected to the presence in the inside of the parliament's chamber but the president of the parliament with the support of the AMP MPs defended their presence saying that armed police could remain in the chamber.

This flies in the face of continued affirmations by the de facto government, President Ramos Horta and others that Timor-Leste is stable and peaceful.

It is because FRETILIN believes that we all should contribute towards peace and stability and this situation of an intimidating presence of armed police, in circumstances where police officers involved in the 2006 violence have not been disciplined and been allowed back into the
force, flies in the face of the need for parliamentary debate to take place in an environment free of intimidation and fear.

right now the de facto prime minister had the audacity in the presence of over 20 armed police officers in the parliamentary chamber to declare "goodbye conflict, hello development"......but the government's MPs and ministers want to keep their guns inside the parliament.

In contrast, FRETILIN MPs have no armed security.

Jose Teixeira
MP

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