Dili, 5 October 2010 - In a public report released in Dili today, the United Nations noted that Timor-Leste has made progress in key human rights areas, including strengthening of the security and justice sectors and enactment of important legislation.

The UNMIT Annual Human Rights Report,* covering the period July 2009 to June 2010, also documents continuing human rights problems, including violations by members of the security forces, limited access to justice for victims and challenges to addressing past violations.

Improvements were made towards accountability for Polícia Nacional de Timor-Leste (PNTL) officers by the PNTL's Department of Justice (Departamento de Justiça). Justice mechanisms were bolstered through training programmes, increased numbers of personnel, improvements to rural facilities, and the passage of domestic violence legislation.

Steps were also taken towards accountability for crimes committed during the 2006 internal conflict when approximately 37 people were killed and 150,000 were displaced in the first several months. All cases recommended by the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report have been taken up for investigation. As of June 2010, five trials were completed and two trials were underway.

However, trial proceedings were consistently delayed and presidential commutations released a number of persons convicted from prison, including several former members of the security forces who returned to active duty.

Louis Gentile, UNMIT's Chief of Human Rights and Transitional Justice Section said that, despite still facing serious human rights challenges in a number of areas, Timor-Leste has the potential to be a regional and global human rights leader.

"When we launched our annual human rights report last year, I stated that Timor-Leste was doing far better than average in a number of human rights areas and that continues to be the case. For example, we recorded no cases of torture or enforced or involuntary disappearances during this reporting period. This is something that all citizens, including members of the security forces and the national human rights institution, represented here today by the Deputy Provedor for Human Rights, can be proud of. The Provedoria for Human Rights in Timor-Leste is playing a crucial role in promoting and protecting human rights in this country. The challenge remains of ensuring effective accountability for the small percentage of police officers and military personnel who continue to use excessive force against their fellow citizens. "

The annual report also highlights a number of significant indicators of human rights problems including regular reports of ill-treatment and excessive use of force by PNTL and F-FDTL members and limited progress in criminal cases against members of the security forces. Reforms and the completion of the legal framework are necessary to increase access to the formal justice system. The use of traditional justice mechanisms to resolve criminal cases, such as acts of domestic violence, also hinders human rights. No new indictments have been filed in response to gross human rights violations committed during and prior to 1999.

The recent involvement of F-FDTL members in the death of one civilian and the injury of several others in Lautem District, as well as two different reports of improper use of firearms by both F-FDTL and PNTL members in Liquica district, underscore the urgent need to implement this report's recommendations in the context of Timor-Leste's continuing drive to enhance respect, observance and commitment to human rights principles throughout the young nation.

*The full text of the report can be found at UNMIT's website: http://unmit.unmissions.org/

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KOMUNIKADU IMPRENSA UNMIT

UNMIT lansa relatóriu direitus umanus nian ba da-haat kona-ba Timor-Leste: "Hasoru Futuru"

Dili, 5 Outubru 2010 – Iha relatóriu públiku ida-ne'ebé fó sai iha Dili ohin, Nasoins Unidas nota katak Timor-Leste hala'o ona progresu iha área sira kona-ba direitus umanus xave , inklui hametin setór seguransa no justisa no promulgasaun ba lejizlasaun importante nian.

Relatóriu UNMIT, kobre períodu fulan Jullu 2009,** no dokumentu sira hodi kontinua ba problema sira direitus umanus nian, inklui violasaun sira husi membru sira forsa seguransa, limitasaun asesu ba justisa ba vítima sira no obstákulu hodi hato'o violasaun sira iha tempu kotuk.

Iha melloramentu sira-ne'ebé halo ba responsabilizasaun ba membru PNTL liuhosi Departamentu Justisa PNTL nian. Mekanizmu justisa sira hetan ona insentivu liuhosi programa formasaun sira, hasa'e númeru pesoál, hasa'e tan fasilidade rurál nian, no hanesan mós pasajen husi lejizlasaun ba violénsia doméstika nian.

Hala'o ona mós pasu sira ba responsabilizasaun ba krime sira-ne'ebé kométe iha 2006. Bainhira konflitu internu ne'ebé maizumenus ema na'in-37 mate tanba oho, no na'in 150,000 sai dezlokadu uluk kedas iha fulan hirak nia laran. Kazu hotu-hotu ne'ebé rekomenda ona husi relatóriu Komisaun Inkéritu (KI), foti ona atu halo investigasaun. Iha fulan Juñu 2010, julgamentu 5 halo hotu ona no julgamentu ba na'in-rua sei hala'o hela.

Nu entantu, julgamentu ne'ebé hala'o sistemátikaente atrazu no komutasaun prezidensiál fó livre ona ema balun ne'ebé kondenadu iha prizaun, inklui eis-membru barak husi forsa seguransa ne'ebé ativa hikas ona ba serbisu.

Luis Gentíl, UNMIT ninia Xefe Seksaun Direitus Umanus no Justisa Tradisionál, dehan katak apezarde seidauk enfrenta dezafiu sériu sira ba direitus umanus iha área barak, Timor-Leste iha poténsia atu sai lider rejionál no globál ida ba direitus umanus.

"Bainhira ami lansa ami-nia relatóriu anuál nian ba direitus umanus iha tinan kotuk, ha'u deklara katak Timor-Leste halo di'ak liu dook ona husi médiu iha área barak ba direitus umanus ne'ebé kontinua hela sai nafatin kazu. Nu'udar ezemplu, ami rejistu hela katak laiha kazu torturasaun ka obrigatóriu ka halakon ema durante períodu ida-ne'e. Ne'e dalaruma sidadaun hotu, inkluindu membru forsa seguransa, no instituisaun direitus umanus nasionál, ohin reprezenta ona husi Adjuntu Provedór Direitus Umanus, bele orgullu ba relatóriu ne'e. Dezafiu kontinua sai hodi garante responsabilizasaun efetiva ida ba persentajen ki'ik husi membru polísia no militár ne'ebé kontinua nafatin utiliza forsa exesiva hasoru sira-nia konsidadaun sira"

Relatóriu anuál mós subliña ema lubun ida husi indikadór signifikativu sira husi problema direitus umanus inkluindu relatóriu regulár sira husi mal-tratamentu sira no asaun uza forsa husi membru PNTL no F-FDTL no progresu limitadu sira iha kazu krime sira hasoru membru forsa seguransa. Reforma no kompletasaun husi enkuadramentu sira sai nesesáriu hodi aumenta asesu ba sistema justisa formál nian. Uzu mekanizmu justisa tradisionál hodi rezolve kazu krime sira, hanesan mós ho asaun violénsia doméstika sira, mós difikulta direitus umanus sira. Laiha akuzasaun foun ida-ne'ebé aprezenta ona hodi responde violasaun direitus umanus ne'ebé kométe durante no antes tinan 1999.

Envolvimentu foin daudaun husi membru F-FDTL sira hodi rezulta ema sivíl ida mate no hakanek ema barak iha Distritu Lautem, hanesan mós ho relatóriu diferente rua husi utilizasaun kilat ho ilegál husi membru F-FDTL no PNTL iha distritu Likisá, reforsa nesesidade urjente hodi implementa rekomendasaun ba relatóriu hirak-ne'e tuir kontestu Timor-Leste hodi kontinua reforsa ninia respeitu, observánsia no kompromisu ho prinsípiu sira direitus umanus iha nasaun joven tomak.

**Testu tomak ba relatóriu ne'e bele hetan iha UNMIT ninia website: http://unmit.unmissions.org/

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