Thursday, May 18, 2006
Petitioner's spokesperson and his own admission to his involvement in the illegal sandalwood trade...
The following article was printed on Suara Timor Lorosa'e but was never picked up by anyone else or any other media more seriously. It was originally published in tetum. Gastão Salsinha, the spokesperson for the F-FDTL petitioners admitted to being involved in an illegal sandalwood trade accross the Timor-Leste/Indonesia border. I don't doubt that he has used the issue of discrimination to cover up his own crimes. Instead, his action even led to even bigger crimes: many deaths, a hundred thousand people displaced, a nation on its knees...
Suara Timor Lorosa'e 17 May 2006
Hasegawa Met Salsinha
DILI – The special representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Timor-Leste, who is also the head of UNOTIL (United Nations Office in Timor-Leste), Sukehiro Hasegawa, came face to face with the spokesperson for Falintil-FDTL Petitioners, Lieutenant Gastão Salsinha in the District of Ermera. The closed meeting was attended by former Region IV Commander, Ernesto Fernandes "Dudu".
During the meeting Hasegawa and Salsinha covered a number of topics relating to the issues of discrimination within F-FDTL, the 28th of April incidence and the government initiated investigation commission led by Ana Pessoa Pinto.
With respect to the investigation team, Salsinha appealed to Hasegawa to involve international investigations team as well as international forces to disarm the civilians and the military. According to Salsinha, the investigation team headed by Ana Pessoa would only bear fruit if it involved an international investigation team and the international forces.
"The mission of this investigation team will be successful if an international investigation team and the international forces are involved. The international force is needed to disarm civilians bearing them and the Timor-Leste military" Salsinha said. He added that prior to this commission beginning its investigation, disarmament should be carried out first.
In answering this demand, Hasegawa explained that an investigation team from Geneva (Switzerland) will be involved in the investigation, however this team won't be in Timor-Leste for another month. Hasegawa also promised that he would forward Salsinha's demands to President Xanana Gusmão.
Salsinha said "In order for the commission to go ahead, disarmament of the F-FDTL and civilians in possession of firearms needed to be carried out first, and this is not for us because we don't have any firearms. We also appeal to the President, (he) must use his powers as the Supreme Commander to carry out disarmament. If not, when the investigation takes place, some people would open fire."
According to Salsinha "(If) disarmament is difficult to be accomplished, then the firearms can all be stored at the F-FDTL General Headquarter in Metinaro, but it should be overseen by an international official until the problem is solved. We also appeal to the United National, specially the security (forces), because this is very important for this new nation and to the people. Since F-FDTL, which the people looked up to as the wall for this nation no longer has the trust of the people, then what else?"
On the issue of disarming firearms from civilians and the military, Hasegawa said that he will consider it. Salsinha noted that the investigation commission is already too late because it was formed at the end of the demonstration. "We are apprehensive about this investigation team" he said.
"If the investigation commission functioned within the four days which the petitioners did their demonstration to do their investigations, it would have been good. But setting up the commission after the demonstration, this we don't accept" he added. The action on the 28th of April, according to Salsinha, the government in fact gave orders to the military to kill people. Because of this the government is a suspect in the incident of the 28th of April.
On another issue, Hasegawa asked Salsinha about the chronology of the events of the 28th of April because at that moment he was in New York, US. Salsinha explained the events as stemming from the name calling of lorosae-loromonu. The lorosae people thought of themselves as having contributed more to the struggle for independence than the loromonu, who only enjoyed the results. "The issue of regionalism began to come up in Aileu since 2001," he said.
Hasegawa said that the Commander in Chief of F-FDTL, Brigadier General Taur Matan Ruak wanted to resolve the issue and asked about Salsinha's involvement in the illegal smuggling of sandalwood to the border.
Salsinha admitted to his involvement in the illegal business of sandalwood (smuggling). However, everything had been the work of some sections which wanted to trap him. He mentioned three names which set him a trap to make him involved in the illegal sandalwood trade. These people did the negotiations with the civilians. He only received a payment from the three people.
"(His involvement in the) illegal sandalwood trade went on for one month," he said. He added that the issue of the illegal sandalwood trade was not reported to Brigadier General Taur Matan Ruak because he was confident that the issue would not be brought forward.
During the meeting, Hasegawa also touched on the issue of the involvement of martial arts groups in the demonstration. However Salsinha rejected it because the people who were involved in the demonstration were sympathisers and supporters of the petitioners. "If anyone said that Kolimau 2000 was involved in the demonstration, they must show the proofs," Salsinha said.
At the end of the meeting, Salsinha told the reporter for this newspaper that the accusations that his group received firearms from a particular group to attack Dili are not true.
"It is not true. Since the beginning, our aim was not to destroy, but to resolve the issue of discrimination within F-FDTL. We, the petitioner soldiers do not have firearms. Therefore we do not have any plans to attack Dili. How can we, empty handed, face those people who have weapons," Salsinha said.
On the question that there is a political party behind the petitioner soldiers, Salsinha rejected the accusation vehemently. "If there is a will to resolve these problems, do not create more problems. These types of accusations actually would also add to the problems," he said. *Ananias Horta/Santino M.
Suara Timor Lorosa'e 17 May 2006
Hasegawa Met Salsinha
DILI – The special representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Timor-Leste, who is also the head of UNOTIL (United Nations Office in Timor-Leste), Sukehiro Hasegawa, came face to face with the spokesperson for Falintil-FDTL Petitioners, Lieutenant Gastão Salsinha in the District of Ermera. The closed meeting was attended by former Region IV Commander, Ernesto Fernandes "Dudu".
During the meeting Hasegawa and Salsinha covered a number of topics relating to the issues of discrimination within F-FDTL, the 28th of April incidence and the government initiated investigation commission led by Ana Pessoa Pinto.
With respect to the investigation team, Salsinha appealed to Hasegawa to involve international investigations team as well as international forces to disarm the civilians and the military. According to Salsinha, the investigation team headed by Ana Pessoa would only bear fruit if it involved an international investigation team and the international forces.
"The mission of this investigation team will be successful if an international investigation team and the international forces are involved. The international force is needed to disarm civilians bearing them and the Timor-Leste military" Salsinha said. He added that prior to this commission beginning its investigation, disarmament should be carried out first.
In answering this demand, Hasegawa explained that an investigation team from Geneva (Switzerland) will be involved in the investigation, however this team won't be in Timor-Leste for another month. Hasegawa also promised that he would forward Salsinha's demands to President Xanana Gusmão.
Salsinha said "In order for the commission to go ahead, disarmament of the F-FDTL and civilians in possession of firearms needed to be carried out first, and this is not for us because we don't have any firearms. We also appeal to the President, (he) must use his powers as the Supreme Commander to carry out disarmament. If not, when the investigation takes place, some people would open fire."
According to Salsinha "(If) disarmament is difficult to be accomplished, then the firearms can all be stored at the F-FDTL General Headquarter in Metinaro, but it should be overseen by an international official until the problem is solved. We also appeal to the United National, specially the security (forces), because this is very important for this new nation and to the people. Since F-FDTL, which the people looked up to as the wall for this nation no longer has the trust of the people, then what else?"
On the issue of disarming firearms from civilians and the military, Hasegawa said that he will consider it. Salsinha noted that the investigation commission is already too late because it was formed at the end of the demonstration. "We are apprehensive about this investigation team" he said.
"If the investigation commission functioned within the four days which the petitioners did their demonstration to do their investigations, it would have been good. But setting up the commission after the demonstration, this we don't accept" he added. The action on the 28th of April, according to Salsinha, the government in fact gave orders to the military to kill people. Because of this the government is a suspect in the incident of the 28th of April.
On another issue, Hasegawa asked Salsinha about the chronology of the events of the 28th of April because at that moment he was in New York, US. Salsinha explained the events as stemming from the name calling of lorosae-loromonu. The lorosae people thought of themselves as having contributed more to the struggle for independence than the loromonu, who only enjoyed the results. "The issue of regionalism began to come up in Aileu since 2001," he said.
Hasegawa said that the Commander in Chief of F-FDTL, Brigadier General Taur Matan Ruak wanted to resolve the issue and asked about Salsinha's involvement in the illegal smuggling of sandalwood to the border.
Salsinha admitted to his involvement in the illegal business of sandalwood (smuggling). However, everything had been the work of some sections which wanted to trap him. He mentioned three names which set him a trap to make him involved in the illegal sandalwood trade. These people did the negotiations with the civilians. He only received a payment from the three people.
"(His involvement in the) illegal sandalwood trade went on for one month," he said. He added that the issue of the illegal sandalwood trade was not reported to Brigadier General Taur Matan Ruak because he was confident that the issue would not be brought forward.
During the meeting, Hasegawa also touched on the issue of the involvement of martial arts groups in the demonstration. However Salsinha rejected it because the people who were involved in the demonstration were sympathisers and supporters of the petitioners. "If anyone said that Kolimau 2000 was involved in the demonstration, they must show the proofs," Salsinha said.
At the end of the meeting, Salsinha told the reporter for this newspaper that the accusations that his group received firearms from a particular group to attack Dili are not true.
"It is not true. Since the beginning, our aim was not to destroy, but to resolve the issue of discrimination within F-FDTL. We, the petitioner soldiers do not have firearms. Therefore we do not have any plans to attack Dili. How can we, empty handed, face those people who have weapons," Salsinha said.
On the question that there is a political party behind the petitioner soldiers, Salsinha rejected the accusation vehemently. "If there is a will to resolve these problems, do not create more problems. These types of accusations actually would also add to the problems," he said. *Ananias Horta/Santino M.
