austraLasia 1589
East Timor Watch: one small island helps another
HOBART: 19th June 2006 -- In the developing strategy by international forces to assist East Timor to overcome immediate problems resulting from an uprising by dissident army members and the consequent breakdown of law and order in Dili and surrounds, Australia has agreed to send Commonwealth Police and police from several of its States who have had prior experience in East Timor and the Solomon Islands. Tasmania is sending twelve of its police - after briefings in Canberra they will depart on Thursday for East Timor. Tasmania, Australia's island State, has an area of some 68,000 square kilometres and a population of around half a million. East Timor has an area of some 15,000 square kilometres and a population of one million.
Meanwhile the United Nations Refugee Committe (UNHCR), meeting in Geneva on Friday, reports that it has begun direct operations to help the thousands of internal refugees brought about by recent chaos. It has begun gathering information on the situation of refugees not only in Dili itself but elsewhere beyond the capital.
In Dili itself there are three main refugee camps - one near the airport, another at the national stadium and the third at Don Bosco Comoro. The UNHCR has begun to assist in enlarging the facilities at Don Bosco, according to its Geneva communique, erecting 72 tents and finding a site for a further 24. This is a clear indication that despite recent successes in getting dissident troops to hand over weapons, ordinary people are still afraid of reprisals by gangs, or have no safe place to return to. The UNHCR recognises the value of foreign troop patrols in the vicinity of these camps, to ensure safety of refugees, but expresses concern that the ordinary law-enforcing capacity of the nation has not yet recovered. At least a dozen local police loyal to the Government of Prime Minister Alkatiri were killed during the uprising. Australia's provision of experienced police is in the belief that it is a strong, well-trained and effective police force, rather than troops, which will steady the nation in its course to recovery.
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com Try out BoscoWiki to be interactive. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm A separate service entirely is called F/OSSERVATORE to help us keep abreast of trends in the digital world.
East Timor Watch: one small island helps another
HOBART: 19th June 2006 -- In the developing strategy by international forces to assist East Timor to overcome immediate problems resulting from an uprising by dissident army members and the consequent breakdown of law and order in Dili and surrounds, Australia has agreed to send Commonwealth Police and police from several of its States who have had prior experience in East Timor and the Solomon Islands. Tasmania is sending twelve of its police - after briefings in Canberra they will depart on Thursday for East Timor. Tasmania, Australia's island State, has an area of some 68,000 square kilometres and a population of around half a million. East Timor has an area of some 15,000 square kilometres and a population of one million.
Meanwhile the United Nations Refugee Committe (UNHCR), meeting in Geneva on Friday, reports that it has begun direct operations to help the thousands of internal refugees brought about by recent chaos. It has begun gathering information on the situation of refugees not only in Dili itself but elsewhere beyond the capital.
In Dili itself there are three main refugee camps - one near the airport, another at the national stadium and the third at Don Bosco Comoro. The UNHCR has begun to assist in enlarging the facilities at Don Bosco, according to its Geneva communique, erecting 72 tents and finding a site for a further 24. This is a clear indication that despite recent successes in getting dissident troops to hand over weapons, ordinary people are still afraid of reprisals by gangs, or have no safe place to return to. The UNHCR recognises the value of foreign troop patrols in the vicinity of these camps, to ensure safety of refugees, but expresses concern that the ordinary law-enforcing capacity of the nation has not yet recovered. At least a dozen local police loyal to the Government of Prime Minister Alkatiri were killed during the uprising. Australia's provision of experienced police is in the belief that it is a strong, well-trained and effective police force, rather than troops, which will steady the nation in its course to recovery.
___________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com Try out BoscoWiki to be interactive. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm A separate service entirely is called F/OSSERVATORE to help us keep abreast of trends in the digital world.
