Land dispute triggers more violence in Timor-Leste

Tasi Tolu, Dili, East Timor

ETLJB 23 October 2012 - Timor Post reported yesterday on an incident that occurred in the area to the east of Dili known as Tasi Tolu (Three Lakes) in which the community suspects a police officer identified as Jose Valente as the mastermind in a land dispute in the sub-village of Besi Mean in Tasi Tolu.

A spokesperson for the families of the three victims, Cicilia Barbosa, said that the incident occurred last Thursday night (18 October) when two groups attacked each other over the land dispute. Cicilia Barbosa as a represent of the three families' victim said the problem happened on Thursday night when two groups attacked each other because of the land dispute.

"They come to the suburb in a car and fired guns three times and caused panic amongst the people in the suburb of Tasi Tolu.

Meanwhile, Suara Timor Lorosae reported that people were appealing to the government to enact a law on land and property and to implement it soon in order to resolve the chronic problem of land disputes in the country.

"I am calling on the Government, especially the Minister for Justice, to create law for land and property and implement it, then people can have right to live in a place," Marito Soares as a person of the young generation told Suara Timor Lorosae.

The State Secretary for Veterans Affairs, Virgilio Smith, also called on the Government to create law for land and property shortly in order to resolve the dispute land problems.


Author: Warren L. Wright BA LLB

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