East Timor News Digest 4 – April 1-30, 2015
- GMPTL: New government has to address polygamy in TL - Dili Weekly. April 11, 2015
- Timor Leste is ready to join ASEAN - Bernama. April 10, 2015
GMPTL: New government has to address polygamy in TL
Dili Weekly - April 11, 2015
Paulina Quintao – The President of Women Parliamentarian Group Timor-Leste (GMPTL) MP Josefa Alvares Pereira Soares urges the VI Constitutional Government to strengthen some existing laws to address the issue of polygamy in the country.
According to MP Soares, polygamy is on the rise in Timor-Leste so the new government has to look into this issue seriously and ensure relevant laws are implemented.
"The implementation of the laws is not strict therefore the government needs to pay attention to this issue," said MP Soares, at the National Parliament, Dili.
She added unless everybody makes an effort in the fight against polygamy in the country, it can destroy families and the nation. MP Soares added that women claimed to GMPTL that some government members are also involved in polygamy cases.
Woman's rights activist Yasinta Luijina said polygamy is a violent behavior that can destroy a family and a nation so it needs to be combated. She said it is important to take the issue seriously and implement some laws that hold polygamist's accountable and that prevents polygamous behavior.
"Sensibility to the laws is very important for society, especially for women to know that they are protected by laws," said Lujinha.
She added polygamy appears to be increasing in Timor-Leste and involves many male leaders; therefore it is necessary to promote the participation of the leadership as partners in national events on the issue.
Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/news/13222-gmptl-new-government-has-to-address-polygamy-in-tl
Timor Leste is ready to join ASEAN
Bernama - April 10, 2015
Balqis Jamaludin, Kuala Lumpur – Timor Leste is ready to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) anytime, says Ambassador to Malaysia, Jose Antonio Amorim Dias.
He said after attaining independence 13 years ago, Timor Leste was confident in fulfilling the ASEAN membership criteria, including providing sufficient human resources to attend numerous ASEAN meetings throughout the year.
"We don't have any specific target (for any year), with an understanding that it is not an easy process but the message of the Timor Leste's people is, ASEAN member countries can accept our application as soon as possible," he told Bernama in an exclusive interview at the embassy here, two days ago.
He said Timor Leste had at least fulfilled two major requirements for ASEAN membership so far, namely the country was located in this region and it had opened embassies in ASEAN member countries.
Currently, Timor Leste has opened 22 embassies. Apart from the ASEAN member countries, embassies have been opened in Europe, Africa, North America and Latin America, too.
In March 2011, Timor Leste submitted an application to join ASEAN during the Indonesian Chairmanship of ASEAN. Currently, it is being reviewed by a special working group that wants to see efforts made by Timor Leste to join the 10-member regional grouping.
Amorim Dias said the application was basically accepted by ASEAN member countries "with some reservation from Singapore which wants Timur Leste to make proper preparations before the application is fully accepted."
"It means that the formal letter (application) was not rejected but ASEAN members would like to see Timor Leste much better, in terms of our readiness," he added.
Amorim Dias promised that once Timor Leste joined ASEAN, the country would double its efforts in learning and going through all processes conducted by ASEAN.
Joining ASEAN will provide Timor Leste a lot of benefits, including in areas of trade, security, stability of the country and cultural exchange with the ASEAN Community, he said.
"However, joining ASEAN does not mean that we are seeking financial assistance from ASEAN member countries since we do have our own financial resources.
"In fact, we have to pay for the ASEAN membership and definitely, we have to carry all the obligations and duties once we become member." Amorim Dias hopes, at the 26th ASEAN Summit here this month, member countries would take proactive measures to show commitment in making Timor Leste an ASEAN member.
Timor Leste also wished to see its officials trained at the ASEAN Secretariat (in Jakarta), he said, adding that he hoped ASEAN Secretariat officials travelled to Timor Leste to conduct intensive training for its officials.
"Thus, it will show the seriousness of both sides (Timor Leste and ASEAN member countries), since we are now putting an effort to establish our national secretariat for ASEAN.
"Officials from the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta or other ASEAN countries can visit Timor Leste to view our progress and efforts to join ASEAN," noted Amorim Dias.
ASEAN comprises Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Former Timor Leste prime minister Xanana Gusmao, during his visit to Malaysia in March last year, had said Kuala Lumpur supported Dili's (Timor Leste capital) application to become ASEAN member.
Amorim Dias said although some member countries were of the opinion that Timor Leste made slow progress towards joining ASEAN, he stressed that his country had achieved remarkable progress since independance.
On Timor Leste's development, he said the government was able to build more schools and provide scholarships for students to study abroad, as one aspect of human resource investment.
Timor Leste's oil and gas sector boosted the country's economy to the tune of between US$200 and US$300 million in revenue a month, benefiting the 1.2 million population, he added.
"Yes, we still need time to develop our people and infrastructure but imagine, we have to build our country from zero...you are not going to build a strong, perfect country in 13 years.
"You need about 30-50 years," he said of the country which was formerly known as East Timor.
Source: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/ge/newsgeneral.php?id=1125020