Abi Sarwanto, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Wiranto met with the Minister of Planning, Development and Investment of East Timor, Xanana Gusmao on Sunday (21/8) night.
Wiranto said in a closed meeting that lasted for more than two hours that they discussed many things, one of which is the border between Indonesia and Timor Leste.
Lindsay Murdoch – Try to picture this: almost every man, women and child forced from their homes, often at gunpoint, usually because of the sheer terror of staying.
Entire towns and villages turned into wastelands. Everything of value stolen and loaded onto trucks by the military, police or their anointed thugs.
On the eve of Bali's terror summit, Justice Minister Michael Keenan said he'd "welcome" convicted war criminal Wiranto to Australia effectively closing the Turnbull Government's book on the East Timor genocide. Dr Adam Henry reports.
Thomas Ora, Dili, Timor Leste – The Catholic Church has moved to support the people of Timor-Leste in their dispute with Australia over maritime boundaries involving billions of dollars in oil and gas reserves.
Paulina Quintao – The Caucus organization has provided training to 180 potential female candidates in rural areas to help prepare them for the suku (village) elections to be held in October.
Program Coordinator for Capacity Building Pascoal da Cruz Gomes said the training was important to encourage women to participate in the development process by taking on a leadership role.
Venidora Oliveira – The Civil registry has granted 680 foreigners Timorese citizenship, mostly from Indonesia.
Department head Manuel Gama said the applicants had fulfilled the criteria under citizenship laws N. 9/2012 and n. 1/2004. He said the majority were originally from Indonesia and were getting married to Timorese citizens.
Quratul-Ain Bandial, Bandar Seri Begawan – Timor Leste is keen to reap the potential benefits of tariff-free trade once it joins the ASEAN bloc, said the country's commerce, industry and environment minister on Tuesday.
Paulina Quintao – The Caucus organization is providing training to 30 potential female political candidates, which have been registered in the National Election Commission (NCE), in preparation for the 2017 general elections.
Paulina Quintao – Increased reporting of domestic violence cases and the establishment of more shelters are the two major achievements during the implementation of the national action plan on gender-based violence (NPA-GBV) over the past three years.
Dili, Timor-Leste – Participants of ASEAN Peoples' Forum (APF) have stated their commitment and supports of a fair settlement for the Timorese peoples' unfinished struggle to achieve their full sovereignty as the newest country in South East Asia. ASEAN civil society pledged to propose a campaign on the Timor Sea issue, so that the Timorese people could achieve their full sovereignty.
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Paulina Quintao – The Mobile Library Program being implemented in the country through the Alola Foundation is aiming to develop a culture of reading among pupils.
Alola's Program Manager for Education Emma de Sousa said many pupils were participating in the program and enjoyed reading the different books.
Paulina Quintao – Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo has urged ministers and secretaries of state to include gender issues in the annual action plan and the 2017 budget to ensure both women and men benefit from government programs.
Paulina Quintao – The policy of equivalent education has been criticized as being unfair to dropout youths due to the learning environment, which is different to the formal system.
Thomas Ora, Dili, Timor Leste – Indonesian Christians have pledged help for hundreds of Timor-Leste farmers whose crops have been ravaged by the El Nino weather pattern.
The assistance follows an appeal by the head of the church's social action arm in Timor-Leste.
Venidora Oliveira – Communities are continuing to build houses on protected land, even though it has been banned by the government.
National MP Fernanda Lay said the fourth constitutional government had already identified environmentally sensitive land for protection and asked communities not to build homes in these areas.
Dylan Amirio, Dili, Timor Leste – Timor Leste is probably not on the average list when it comes to destinations for spiritual tourism, or even tourism in general.
Most people, particularly Indonesians, view Timor Leste only as that little country that struggled and endured the brutal and murderous 30-plus year occupation by Indonesia's Soeharto regime.
Paulina Quintao – The Ministry of Social Solidarity (MSS) has acknowledged that it was difficult for victims of sexual abuse, particularly incest, to return to their families and society.
Paulina Quintao – The Health Ministry (MH) has launched a public awareness campaign since the President approved the new tobacco control law on June 2.
The Chief of the Department of Non-infectious Diseases, Dr Helder Juvinal, said they had six months to communicate the law to the wider community before it was formally implemented.
The Hague tribunal decision last week in the South China Sea case will have far reaching implications, finding that any 'historic rights' China claimed within the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of other states were extinguished by UNCLOS itself, and China's subsequent ratification of the treaty in 1996.
Ruby Taylor – The Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) has welcomed Timor Leste as part of the growing country members of the forum.
This followed the signing of the instrument of accession by HE Hernani Coelho da Silva, Foreign Affairs Minister of Timor Leste on July 14, signalling their formal admission to the PIDF Charter.
Djemi Amnifu, Kupang – Many Timor Leste citizens remain stranded in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), years after a UN referendum that resulted in Timor Leste's independence.
Timor Aswa'in Union Congress (Untas) in Kupang revealed that the many residents of both countries had been deprived of their right to welfare.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the South East Asia Journalist Unions (SEAJU), along with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Freedom House, in reiterating its call for the Prime Minister of Timor Leste, Dr. Rui Maria de Araujo, to immediately drop the criminal charges against journalist Oki Raimundos and Lorenco Martins from the Timor Post.
Amanda Hodge, Jakarta – The East Timor government has accused Australia of hypocrisy for appealing to China to use international law to resolve its disputes with Asian neighbours over the South China Sea while refusing to do so itself in its ongoing tussle over the Timor Sea.
Sarina Locke – For a Timorese family, owning a cow is a luxury and owning a herd of cattle is a sign of wealth. Most of East Timor's cattle are skinny and riddled with parasites and diseases.
Chronic malnutrition is holding back growth in East Timor, with more than 40 per cent of its population living below the poverty line.
Paulina Quintao – Concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of the National Directorate for Food and Economy Inspection as food products continue to be sold past their expiry date.
National MP Jorge da Conceicao Teme called on the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Environment (MCIE) to implement more regular controls, adding that consuming may cause harm to people's health.
Paulina Quintao – The National Directorate for Food and Economy Inspection has identified 58 stores in Dili selling food past the expiry date in the last six months up until June.
Most of the stores in question were foreign-owned. The inspections were conducted under law decree no. 23/2009 implemented to ensure food safety for consumers.
Venidora Oliveira – Timor-Leste's mobile court has resolved 1143 cases since being established in 2010, representing significant progress, according to the Timor-Leste Country Director of United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Claudio Providas.
Tom Clarke – Territorial aggression. Refusal to abide by the rule book. It's a challenging set of behaviours.
Thomas Ora, Dili – The director of the youth commission for Dili Diocese has criticized the Timor-Leste government for not doing enough to curb unemployment.
"Unemployment increases but the government does not create any [plan] to reduce it," Father Joao Soares ucanews.com on July 13, responding to a recent government report on Timor-Leste's high unemployment rate.
The response from Australia's foreign minister, Julie Bishop, to the ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration against China highlights a central contradiction in Australia's foreign policy.
Venidora Oliveira – The Ministry of Social Solidarity proposed the law on social security contribution for the workers in Timor-Leste for their retirement or in case of injury.
Paulina Quintao – The Ministry of Education (ME) has established nine community centers this year aimed at improving study opportunities for illiterate people.
National Director of Adult Education Miguel Godinho Martins said one of the major problems faced in the past was that there were no suitable or permanent places for learning.
Paulina Quintao – Unemployment across the country has reached 11%, with mostly graduates among the jobless, according to 2013 research by the Secretary of State for Vocational Training Policy and Employment (SEPFOPE).
General Director of SEPFOPE Jacinto Barros Gusmao said the unemployment rate was increasing every year due to the limited job opportunities in Timor-Leste.
Paulina Quintao – USAID is providing numeracy training to female producers through its Advance Agriculture program as most women in rural areas still don't know how to count in order.
Paulina Quintao – The Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Southeast Asia, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, said the three major achievements in Timor-Leste's health sector since independence were a reduction in infant mortality rates, good progress in eliminating malaria and improvements in health infrastructure.
Nelson Moura – The owner of a Macau consultancy business appeared before East Timor Prosecutor's Office (MP) 20 months after being arrested in connection with a money laundering case, news agency Lusa reported.
Andrea Needham – What do you do when your government is selling weapons to a brutal regime? Weapons which are then used to attack civilians in a nearby country, killing thousands? When you've written letters and signed petitions and marched and rallied and protested in every way you can think of?
M. Veera Pandiyan (The Star/ANN) – He may be facing the biggest fight of his life but the charismatic leader of the world's youngest democracy certainly didn't show it.
Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao dispensed with protocol and reached out to total strangers as he went on spontaneous walkabouts after arriving in Malacca for a conference, three days earlier.
Paulina Quintao – Thirty types of medicine are currently out of stock at the Dili Municipality Health Center (MHC) warehouse.
Dili Municipality Health representative Agustinha da Costa Saldanha acknowledged the issue, but stressed it hadn't had a significant impact on community health services.
Celestino Gusmao – Indonesia recently held a symposium on the violent events of 50 years ago which brought the Indonesian General Suharto to power. The results were inconclusive as the dictator's defenders denied the massacres and attacked those who want Indonesia to finally deal with its blood past.
Dan De Luce – There's a major Asian power that refuses to compromise in its far-reaching territorial claims in oil-rich waters, despite appeals from its smaller neighbor to resolve the dispute in an international court.
Dalia Kiakilir – On June 23, 2016, a majority of United Kingdom voters decided in favor of a proposal to leave the European Union. Known as Brexit, the result of the referendum will have a massive impact not just in Europe but in many parts of the world.
Mark Bowling – Brisbane parishes are using the election campaign to press Federal politicians on one of the most divisive international issues on Australia's doorstep – drawing a fair maritime boundary between Timor-Leste and Australia.
Venidora Oliveira – There are currently 3000 motorbikes and cars operating illegally across the country, according to Acting Minister Longuinhos Monteiro, who blamed weak import controls.
Paulina Quintao – The Secretariat of State for the Socio-Economic Support of Women (SEM) re-established the Gender Working Groups (GWGs) in those Ministries and Secretariats which have already been restructured.
Paulina Quintao – Some teachers are still using corporal punishment to discipline students while at school, according to the President of the National Commission for the Rights of the Child (CNDL), Commissioner Maria Barreto.
Cayla Dengate – The humid heat of Fiji is quelled inside the surgical ward of Suva Colonial War Memorial hospital.
In the calm, air-conditioned rooms, Timorese registrar Mingota da Costa Herculano talks quietly to a doctor. She may not quite believe it, but she is an astounding example of where determination can take you.
Susan Marx – "From its ruggedly beautiful landscapes to its centuries-old traditions, Timor-Leste offers one of the world's last great off-the-beaten-track adventures," begins Lonely Planet's description of Asia's youngest country, which fought to gain independence from Indonesia 14 years ago.
Okky Madasari, Jakarta – "Have you ever imagined, if only Indonesia didn't invade Timor Leste in 1975, would everything be very different now? Would your country be much better than it is today?" I asked Jose Ramos-Horta during a road trip from Dili to Baucau, the country's second largest town, earlier this month.