01 October 2012

East Timor Legal News 25 September 2012

Autopsy on body of aged man awaits UNMIT pathologist -The autopsy of an aged man who was found dead on the steps of a building in Dili two weeks ago has not yet been performed because the pathologist from the United Nations Integrated Mission has not been available.

Timor Post reports today that a forensic technician at the Guido Valadares National Hospital in Dili, Laura Oliveira Maia, said that the presence of Dr. Nur depended on a request from the police to the Public Prosecutor and then to UNMIT to permit Dr Nur to perform the autopsy.
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Military is not immune from prosecution - The State Secretary for Defense, Julio Thomas Pinto, was reported today by Diario Nacional to have stated that the Timorese Defence Force (F-FDTL) members were not immune from prosecution so any military personnel who committed criminal acts must be pursued through normal legal processes.

Pinto made the comments regarding Tuana Laran case involving some of F-FDTL members. On 4 September, in Tuana-Laran, the victim Maximiano Amaral, a civilian security guard was seriously wounded after being assaulted by some of F-FDTL members at the My Flower bar in the capital on 4 September last.

"The military command is now investigating the case and it will be handed over to the police," he said.

He also confirmed that the prime minister had issued a dispatch to the defence force commander to launch an investigation into the case.
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Forum Taur Matan calls for child protection law - Diario Nacional reports today that the civil society organisation Forum Taur Matan ahs appealed to the Governemtn to enact a child protection law as soon as possible to help combat violence against children and to assist children living in poverty.

"We are very concerned about the law. If it will be approved by this Government, the country's children will continue to be vulnerable to violence," Honorio Soares, FTM's Child Assistance Program Manager said.

Mr. Soares explained that there were two draft laws; one being a draft children's protection law; the other being a youth justice law and it was very important that they be approved.
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F-FDTL command will implement compulsory military service - Timor Post reports today that the East Timor Defence Force has will implement compulsory military service for youth if the necessary law is passed.

According to the plan, youth will be required to perform between 3 and 4 years compulsory military service.

Colonel Falur Rate Laek said the military institutions were waiting for the National Parliament to approve the law on compulsory military for young Timorese to learn military training.

"The young Timorese are waiting for the law on compulsory military service that will be approved by the National Parliament and they will be prepared to learn military's life for three or four years ," he said.
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State Secretary for Defence calls on Public Order Battalion to leave location behind Military HQ - Timor Post reports today that the State Secretary for Defence Julio Thomas Pinto has called on State Secretary for Security (SES) to remove the Timorese National Police Public Order Battalion Unit from the place behind the Timorese National Defence (F-FDTL) headquarters.

Mr. Pinto said he had sent a letter to SES in 2011 and has sent another letter to SES two weeks ago requesting the SES to move the Public Order Battalionfrom the place behind F-FDTL's Headquarter because it belonged to the Ministry of Defence.

"The place that BOP is using now belongs to SED for constructing F-FDTL's Headquarters. Therefore, I am calling on SES to move BOP from that place because construction has started," he said.

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