Venidora Oliveira – The government through the Secretariat of State for Land and Property (SSLP) is planning to evict Kaikoli residents in the near future.

Secretary of state Jaime Lopes said the area affected stretches from the police station until Dili Convention Centre. The Ministry of Justice through the SSLP has provided the land to the National Police PNTL to extend their office and the community must move out of the area.

"Whether they like it or not, they have to leave that area by the end of this year," said Lopes.

Construction works on the PNTL office are due to begin in 2017. During the reconciliation process the government asked Kaikoli residents to provide their bank details so they could receive humanitarian aid, but the majority ignored the request.

"Only two people provided their bank account [details], but the rest did not," he said. Based on survey data, 20 households will be affected by the eviction.

Meanwhile, head of Kaikoli suku Hipolito Marques Sarmento said the community was ready to work with the government if they created good conditions for them. "The community is ready to work with them, only a few of them are not [willing]," he said.

The government is providing $2000 for each affected household, but Sarmento said the community disagreed with the amount. "They disagree with the amount of money as it is not enough," he said.

He said the affected communities had been living in the area for a long time and when the families moved out they would need to buy new land and the amount is not sufficient. "How much to build a house and how much to buy food and drink?" he said.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/capital/14094-government-to-evict-kaikoli-residents