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FROM THE FIELD

East Timor: New chance to solve land and property rights
12 Feb 2008 12:42:00 GMT
 Source: Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) - Norway
Astrid Sehl

Website: Website: http://www.nrc.no

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From left: Norwegian delegate Gunnar Stålsett, President Jose Ramos-Horta and NRC Country Director Alfredo Zamudio.
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From left: Norwegian delegate Gunnar Stålsett, President Jose Ramos-Horta and NRC Country Director Alfredo Zamudio.
Tomm Christensen/Dagbladet

Background

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Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) calls upon East Timor parties to take a joint approach to solve land and property rights, in the wake of the recent assassination attempts.

NRC strongly condemns the attacks against the country's democratically elected leaders. President José Ramos Horta was wounded in an assassination attempt in the capital Dili Monday morning. His condition is critical. Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao was targeted in a second assassination attempt later the same morning, but was unharmed.

East Timor is one of the world's youngest states and is still in a vulnerable position. The atmosphere in Dili now is tense, but so far there have not been any new riots or disturbances.

"One of the underlying reasons for this conflict is the lack of a legal framework for land and property rights. NRC is hopeful that this new crisis that the country is going through, will create an opportunity to unite political actors that perhaps otherwise would not collaborate," says NRC's Country Director in East Timor, Alfredo Zamudio.

100 000 people is still internally displaced after riots broke out in the spring of 2006. About 30 000 live in camps and in host families in the capital Dili. NRC is building transitional shelters and coordinates humanitarian assistance in four transitional IDP camps.

According to NRC, it is vital that an all-party agreement is reached on a legal framework for land and property rights, so that the many IDPs can get permanent place to live. NRC is now calling on Norway, through the Norwegian Embassy Section in Dili and Special Envoy Gunnar Staalsett, to contribute to such a dialogue.

NRC is concerned that there will be a polarization of the situation following Monday's attacks.

"The dialogue and the reconstruction of this fragile society will be more difficult if the security situation worsens. Thousands of displaced people will risk having to stay even longer in the camps where the conditions are poor," says Zamudio.


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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Australian troops arrive at Dili airport February 12, 2008. Australian troops began arriving in East Timor on Tuesday to help enforce a state of emergency after the tiny nation's president, Jose ...


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Last updated:Wed Feb 13 08:29:57 2008