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A30 world news
Diabierna 20 Mei 2022

East Timor celebrates independence anniversary, new leader

By GANTRY MEILANA 1999 referendum held un- Congress of the Reconstruc-
Associated Press der U.N. auspices, despite tion of East Timor, known
DILI, East Timor (AP) widespread Indonesian in- as CNRT, a party led by for-
— Former East Timor in- timidation and violence. The mer prime minister and in-
dependence fighter and vote had been unexpectedly dependence leader Xanana
Nobel Peace Prize laure- offered by an overconfident Gusmao, who then backed
ate Jose Ramos-Horta was Indonesian government fol- Ramos-Horta’s run for presi-
sworn in as president of lowing a long-running but dent.
Asia’s youngest country largely fruitless resistance Guterres is from the Revolu-
late Thursday as it marks struggle. tionary Front for an Indepen-
its 20th anniversary of in- Indonesia’s military respond- dent East Timor, known as
dependence. ed to the referendum results Fretilin, which led resistance
with a scorched-earth cam- to Indonesian rule.
Crowds cheered as he then paign that left East Timor Fretilin accused Ramos-Hor-
traveled by motorcade to Par- devastated. Australia spear- ta of causing a crisis as prime
liament, where a ceremony headed a U.N. military mis- minister in 2006, when doz-
kicked off nationwide fes- sion to restore order from ens were killed as political ri-
tivities commemorating in- violence. Its economy is reli- but didn’t receive the 50% the chaos as the Indonesian valries turned into open con-
dependence from Indonesia, ant on dwindling offshore oil threshold required for vic- forces left. flict on the streets of Dili.
tory.
which invaded the former revenues. It took almost three more Both Ramos-Horta and Gus-
Portuguese colony in 1975. Ramos-Horta pledged to re- More than 76% of the votes years for the half-island na- mao were targeted in assas-
Ramos-Horta, 72, who led duce poverty, improve health went to resistance-era fig- tion of just over 1 million sination attempts in 2008 by
the resistance during Indo- services for mothers and chil- ures, showing how much people to become an inde- rebel soldiers. Ramos-Horta
nesia’s occupation, called for dren, and promote a dialogue they continue to dominate pendent and sovereign coun- was shot in the stomach. Af-
national reconciliation and to restore political stabil- politics after two decades. try on May 20, 2002. ter leaving the government
unity as he took the oath of ity. He said he expects East “He is a great hero in the era Ramos-Horta lived in ex- in 2012, he worked with the
office shortly before mid- Timor to become the 11th of our struggle for indepen- ile for almost three decades United Nations.
night, the time the country member of the regional bloc dence,” Aderito Herin Mar- and returned to East Timor Tensions between Fretilin
declared independence 20 the Association of Southeast tins, a resident of the capital, at the end of 1999, after he and CNRT, the two larg-
years ago. Asian Nations in the next Dili, said of Ramos-Horta. and Bishop Carlos Felipe Xi- est parties, in the past four
“Today more than ever, we two years. “Now it’s time for him to menes Belo were awarded the years led to the resignation of
work on the critical issues of
must be fully aware that only Portuguese President Mar- Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 Prime Minister Taur Matan
in unity will be able to achieve celo Rebelo de Sousa and poverty and unemployment in recognition of their work Ruak in February 2020 after
the development goals that Indonesian Coordinating that still face our country “toward a just and peaceful the government repeatedly
we propose,” he said. Minister of Political, Law and as he promised in his cam- solution to the conflict” in failed to pass a budget.
East Timor’s transition to a Security Affairs Mohammad paign.” the country. But he agreed to stay on un-
democracy has been rocky, Mahfud were among those The U.N. estimates that Ramos-Horta, who was til a new government was
nearly half of East Timor’s
with leaders battling mas- who attended the inaugura- prime minister from 2006 formed and to oversee the
sive poverty, unemployment tion. population lives below the to 2007 and president from battle against the coronavirus
extreme poverty line of $1.90
and corruption as the coun- Ramos-Horta defeated in- 2007 to 2012, and Guterres pandemic. His government
try continues to struggle cumbent Francisco “Lu Olo” a day, and for every 1,000 ba- have blamed each other for has operated without an an-
bies born in the country, 42
with the legacy of its bloody Guterres, his fellow indepen- years of political paralysis. nual budget and has relied on
independence battle and bit- dence fighter, in an April 19 die before their fifth birthday In 2018, Guterres refused monthly injections from its
ter factional politics that have election runoff. He held a because of malnutrition. to swear in nine Cabinet sovereign fund, called the Pe-
occasionally erupted into commanding lead among 16 Residents voted overwhelm- nominees from the National troleum Fund.q
candidates in the first round, ingly for independence in a

Afghan Taliban order women TV anchors to cover their faces

KABUL, Afghanistan have moderated somewhat
(AP) — Afghanistan’s their restrictions, announc-
Taliban rulers ordered all ing no dress code for women.
female presenters on TV But in recent weeks, they
channels to cover their have taken a sharp, hard-
faces on air, the country’s line pivot that confirmed the
biggest media outlet said worst fears of rights activists.
Thursday. Earlier this month, the Tal-
iban ordered all women in
The order came in a state- public to wear head-to-toe
ment from the Taliban’s Vir- clothing that leaves only their
tue and Vice Ministry, tasked eyes visible. The decree said
with enforcing the group’s women should leave the
rulings, as well as from the home only when necessary
Information and Culture and that male relatives would
Ministry, the TOLOnews cial confirmed his station had presenting programs. One without, showing her face. face punishment for wom-
channel said in a tweet. The received the order and was prominent TOLO presenter, During the Taliban’s first en’s dress code violations,
statement called the order told it was not up for discus- Yalda Ali, posted a video of time in power from 1996- starting with a summons and
“final and non-negotiable,” sion. He said the station has herself putting on a face mask 2001, they imposed over- escalating to court hearings
the channel said. no other option. He spoke on with a caption: “a woman be- whelming restrictions on and jail time.
The statement was sent to the condition he and his station ing erased, on orders from women, requiring them to
Moby Group, which owns not be identified for fear of the Virtue and Vice Minis- wear the all-encompassing The Taliban leader also issued
TOLOnews and several oth- problems with the authori- try.” burqa that even covered the a decree barring girls from at-
er TV and radio networks, ties. On one station, Shamshad eyes with a mesh and barring tending school after the sixth
and the tweet said it was be- Several female anchors and TV, implementation of the them from public life. and grade, reversing previous
ing applied to other Afghan presenters posted their pho- order was mixed: One wom- education promises by Taliban officials
media as well. tos on social media showing an anchor appeared with a After they seized power again that girls of all ages would be
An Afghan local media offi- them with their faces cov- face mask Thursday, while in Afghanistan in August, the allowed an education.q
ered with face masks during another later in the day went Taliban initially appeared to