22 November 2013

Preventing foreigners from purchasing land should be socialised

ETLJB 22/11/2013 - As land issues continue to be a prominent social problem in East Timor frequently leading to disputes, conflicts and violence, a Member of the National Parliament has called on the Government to educate the community about not selling their land to non-citizens adding that the reasons for that must be explained to communities.

"Our Government needs to make public education programs in the communities to make sure that communities do not sell their lands to foreigners. If we just talk about the land and property law, foreigners continue to use the people’s land and the local people continue selling their land to foreigners,” the National Parliament member (MP) Paulino Moniz said during plenary on Monday 30 September 2013.

MP Virgilio Hornai also said the Timorese people who sold their land to foreigners would lose their right to live on a piece of land and the foreigners who bought the land from the Timorese could be considered as unlawful because the Constitution did not allow foreign nationals the right to land. Source: Suara Timor Lorosae 1 October 2013 Edited by Warren L. Wright

See also
Fears of foreign domination in East Timor economy and land by Chinese and Indonesian investors

No comments: