STATEMENT TO THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF TIMOR-LESTE NATIONAL PARLIAMENT BY ANICETO LONGUINHOS GUTERRES LOPES, LEADER OF FRETILIN BENCH IN PARLIAMENT O

STATEMENT TO THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF TIMOR-LESTE NATIONAL PARLIAMENT BY ANICETO LONGUINHOS GUTERRES LOPES, LEADER OF FRETILIN BENCH IN PARLIAMENT ON 13 AUGUST 2007





Mr. President of the National Parliament, Excellency,

Illustrious Deputies,

People of Timor-Leste:



The FRETILIN parliamentary bench attends today's plenary session to make its voice become heard against the campaign of defamation currently being waged against it.



FRETILIN is watching with concern the unrolling of yet another orchestrated campaign to disseminate rumors and innuendoes similar to those we saw during the crisis that emerged in April 2006 and which resulted in the International Commission of Inquiry.



At the time, it was being said that the F-FDTL had committed a massacre at Taci-Tolu, which was bigger than the Santa Cruz Massacre. Some even spoke of in excess of 100 dead, others of having "counted" at least 66 dead.



The petitioners were feeling terrorized because they were made to believe that the F-FDTL had received orders to eliminate them, one by one.



The command of the F-FDTL, in particular General Ruak, Colonel Lere Anan Timur and Lieutenant Colonel Falur Rate Laek were represented as "mass murderers" or in other words authors of genocide.



The FRETILIN bench watches with concern the unrolling of Machiavellian maneuverings with tendencies to provoke violence to justify violence and open up the path towards the installation of a dictatorial regime where dissenting voices are silenced, where the mindset of "Whoever is not with me is against me" reigns, a mindset which at all costs seeks out enemies to defeat, seeks out those who are unwilling to become subservient, those who do not share the same vision of power.



Mr. President of the National Parliament, Excellency,

Illustrious Deputies,

People of Timor-Leste:



In the first statement of the FRETILIN Parliamentary Bench we affirmed:



" We are going to descend to the grassroots to explain to the electorate our position, because it is our obligation to do so. We are going to inform them why we did not form government and are in opposition.



When we gather with the electorate we will explain that right now what is demanded of us all is serenity and calmness, it is demanded of us that we use only the available legal means, demonstrating a stately posture and respect for democracy and the law, as has always characterized FRETILIN."



In concluding our said statement, the FRETILIN Bench affirmed and we cite:



"We seek your support, to instruct your parties' members to abstain from engaging in provocation and to demonstrate considerateness for human dignity, in spite of divergent political positions.



We appeal to all our people that they remain calm so as that we are able to guarantee stability and so that we can develop our country that we all love and for which many have given their lives and undergone sacrifices."



And it is this that the FRETILIN's deputies are doing right now. They have descended to the grassroots and have started to explain the reasons why despite having won the elections, we did not form government. We have gone to explain why the party that won the elections but is a minority in parliament has not formed government, and why those who lost the elections, but who together have a majority in parliament will govern the country.



Mr. President of the National Parliament, Excellency,

Illustrious Deputies:



We wish for all to understand that although for some this is easy to understand, because in fact it is in their direct benefit, for tens of thousands of Timorese citizens, this is complicated for them to understand and accept. Because of this we have taken on the responsibility of explaining the complexity of the situation to our constituents and the community at large.




But, YET AGAIN we have been misrepresented!



When we were in the district of Bobonaro engaging in this explanatory process, members of the self-titled AMP defamed FRETILIN accusing us of committing crimes such as stoning cars, arson of public buildings, in Dili, Baucau, Lospalos, Viqueque and Oecussi.



Members of the so-called AMP accused FRETILIN of descending to the grassroots to create anarchy and foment violence, to divide the people.



They urged the PNTL, UNPOL and FSI to act firmly against those who committed crimes, insinuating that FRETILIN was behind these incidents, as can be seen from the written statement they distributed and propagandized at the Maliana marketplace on Saturday which we annex hereto, and to which we request Illustrious Deputies turn their attention.



The said statement is on all objective grounds defamatory and our bench wishes it to be known, that in fact today we have presented a criminal complaint against the authors of the statement, there being sufficient evidence that a crime has been committed pursuant to section 311 of the applicable Criminal Code.



The complaint has been lodged against the signatories of the statement:



Jacinto Viegas Vicente, also known as Roke, president of CNRT in Bobonaro;

Salomao da Cruz, president of ASDT in Bobonaro;

Amilcar de Sousa Tavares, president of PSD in Bobonaro;

Adriano Joao, president of PD in Bobonaro and spokesperson for the "AMP" in Bobonaro.



Mr. President of the National Parliament, Excellency,

Illustrious Deputies,

People of Timor-Leste!



The FRETILIN bench is alert to the rumors and innuendoes that are presently, as previously, being disseminated by people of bad character. They say that FRETILIN has already killed a member of the GNR over there, of having burnt ten UNPOL vehicles. They are disseminating the rumor that FRETILIN is bringing in weapons through the border and preparing itself for an armed insurrection to take over power, that FRETILIN raped children of less than eight years of age.



And, as with the "Taci-Tolu Massacre", which never occurred, some of these rumors are already circulating overseas, as if they were fact.



People of Timor-Leste!

NOTHING IS MORE FALSE!



Mr. President of the National Parliament, Excellency,

Illustrious Deputies:



FRETILIN through its Parliamentary Bench, in this Magnificent House, appeals to the good offices of the President of the Republic, singular body of sovereignty, with full democratic legitimacy, to guarantee that independent, serious and professional investigations are undertaken into all criminal acts and conduct that took place in Dili, particularly the arson on the Customs Office Building and other serious incidents such as the alleged rapes at a "convent?" in Baucau, as well as the arson to more than 250 houses in the Uatolari area, district of Viqueque and other areas such as Oecussi.



The FRETILIN Bench demands that the truth be restored and the criminals are made responsible, without exception.



FRETILIN is fearful that the methods utilized by the KOPASSUS in our sad past, are being utilized now, in that its agents committed crimes that later they blamed on their enemy in order to justify the repressive and brutal manner in which they acted.



Our people deserve to live in peacefulness and we should avoid entering into pacts with hooligans and criminals.



Mr. President of the National Parliament, Excellency,

Illustrious Deputies:



Lets we all guarantee that democracy is not placed in jeopardy in our country, by anyone!



Long Live National Unity!

Long Live Democracy!

Long Live and Independent Timor-Leste!





By the FRETILIN Bench



(signed)

_________________________________

Aniceto Longuinhos Guterres Lopes

FRETILIN Parliamentary Leader