01 December 2011

Police Weapons: Items of Security or Threat?

East Timor Legal News 01/12/2011 Source: Fundasaun Mahein 30th of November 2011 Press Release  PNTL’s Weapons: Items of Security or Threat? - Mahein’s voice no. 25 will discuss whether the PNTL’s arsenal is a source for security or a threat to the Timorese population?   Timorese history has been filled with conflicts marred by heavy weaponry. These conflicts have been listed in the history of Timor-Leste and include the 1975, 1999, 2006 crises and the attempted assassinations of the head of State and Government of RDTL on the 11th of February 2008.

This report explains that the use of weapons in conflict continues to be used by State institutions against ordinary citizens. The report cited that, wrong doing caused by the use of weapons that lead to the intimidation and murder of civilians is caused by the lack of systems of control whereby the State has insufficient control over the weapons in use in the Army and the Police institutions. In addition to this, the individual soldier or Police officer is most often unaware of the laws relating to the use of weapons. This often results in the carrying of weapons by off duty officers, which leads to the use of weapons for wrongdoing. A striking example of this was the murder by two off duty PNTL border patrol Unit officers of a young girl on 4th November 2011 in Bobonaro district.

The report later goes on to reveal that the PNTL officer who committed the killing of a young man in December 2009 is still on duty while the case is ongoing and has not been sent to prison yet.  Moreover, FM also lists in this report the various incidents of murder and intimidation, which were committed by PNTL and army officers in Timor-Leste.

In this report FM also offered several recommendations to the Government of Timor-Leste.

Fundasaun Mahein recommends the Government to set up a control system to better monitor the use of weapons by on and off duty Police and Army personnel.

Fundasaun Mahein recommends the Government of Timor-Leste to conduct psychological tests of Police and Army officers to probe for cases of mental ill health and to ban the use of weapons while off duty.

Fundasaun Mahein recommends the Government to have regular auditing of weapons within both the PNTL and the F-FDTL.

Fundasaun Mahein recommends that the commanders within the PNTL and the F-FDTL control their officers and soldiers when using weapons in the community.

 For more information on this issue, please contact Nelson Belo Director of Fundasaun Mahein Web: www.fundasaunmahein.org Email: nelson@fundasaunmahein.org Tlp :   +670 737 4222
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Fundasaun Mahein, 30 Novembru 2011 Komunikadu Imprenza PNTL nia Kilat Atu Fo Seguru Ka Hatauk?

Mahein Nia Lian no. 25 sei deskute klean konaba PNTL nia fo seguru ka ameasa? Timor-Leste nia historia nakonu ho konflitus nebe’e uza kilat. Konflitus hirak ne’e mak akontese hahu tinan 1975, 1999, krize 2006, atentadu asasinatu ba lider estadu ho governu iha 11 Febreiru 2008.

Mahein nia Lian ida ne’e mos lista konaba uza sala kilat husi institusaun estadu hasoru sidadaun bain-bain. Relatoriu ne’e fo sai katak uza kilat hodi hatauk no oho ema tanba estadu menus kontrolu no la uza sistema iha institusaun Polisia, dala ruma sistema iha maibe la funsiona ho diak. Ho ida ne’e mos, pesoal ofisial polisia dala barak la hatene lei konaba uza kilat iha tempu servisu no tempu la servisu, ne’ebe ikus mai rezulta uza sala kilat, ezemplu maka oho feto foin sae iha ida distritu Bobonaro dia 4 Novembru 2011 no akontesementu hanesan iha fatin seluk nian mos.

Iha parte seluk, FM fo sai iha Mahein nian Lian ida ne’e  katak pesoal PNTL ida ne’ebe komete oho mane ida iha fulan Dezembru 2009 iha Delta Nova kontinua halo nafatin nia kna’ar no seidauk haruka ba prizaun. Pior liu tan liu tiha ona tinan 2 mak Tribunal Distrital Dili  halo primeiru audensia ba testamuna ne’ebe hala’o iha 24 Novembru foin lalais ne’e. Iha relatoriu ne’e FM fo sai konaba hamate ema ho intimidasaun hasoru sidadaun ne’ebe komete husi pesoal Polisia durante iha Timor-Leste.

Iha relatoriu ida ne’e FM mos hato’o rekomendasaun ba Governu Timor-Leste tuir mai ne’e:

Fundasaun Mahein rekomenda ba Governu atu estabelese paiol/armajem kilat nian ho funsionamentu sistema atu bele kontrola polisia nia kilat durante tempu servisu no tempu la servisu.

Fundasaun Mahein rekomenda ba Governu Timor-Leste atu iha teste piskolojia ba pesoal PNTL ne’ebe iha deskonfia problema mental bainhira halo kna’ar hodi nune’e bandu labele uza kilat iha tempu servisu.

Fundasaun Mahein rekomenda ba Governu kontinua halo auditing ba kilat iha institusaun PNTL 

Fundasaun Mahein rekomenda ba komadante Polisia sira atu halo kontrolu diak ba sira nia membru sira wainhira uza kilat iha komunidade nia let.

Atu hatene klean liu konaba asuntu ne’e bele kontaktu Nelson Belo, Diretor Fundasaun Mahein www.fundasaunmahein.org Email: nelson@fundasaunmahein.org Tlp +670 737 4222

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