Timor Leste prime minister files defamation suit against journalist

IFEX Tuesday 9th February, 2016

This statement was originally published by SEAPA on 5 February 2016.

Timor Leste Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo filed a defamation lawsuit against a journalist in connection with an article alleging irregularities in a government computerization project.

Araujo filed the defamation suit against Raimundo Oki of the Timor Post. Oki wrote in an article published on 10 November 2015 that the Prime Minister, in a previous capacity as Advisor to the Minister of Finance, recommended the winning bid for a project to supply and install computer equipment to the new Ministry of Finance building in 2014.

The Timor Post published the Prime Minister's reply to the article in the paper's front page on 17 November 2015. The right of reply is guaranteed under Article 34 of the country's new Press Law, Number 5 of 2014. Timor Post published a clarification of Oki's report in its 18 November 2015 issue.

Despite these efforts of the publication, the defamation suit was still filed against Oki, who received a notice of the case on 22 January 2016.

Defamation for false accusations is a crime punishable for up to three years under Article 285 (1) of the Timor Leste Penal Code.

"The Prime Minister should lead by example on how to respect the country's Press Law by recognizing that such reporting is part of the work of journalists," said Felipe Belo, president of the Timor Leste Journalist Association.

Article 8 of the Timor Leste Press Law clearly protects the work of journalists, and states "The right of journalists to report shall be exercised on the basis of constitutional powers, may not be subjected to interference that threatens their independence and objectivity, freedom of establishment, and freedom of conscience."

"If Oki made a error in reporting, it should be dealt with under the Press Law," said Belo.

"The lawsuit is an act of criminalization of the work of journalists," added Belo. The defamation case effectively ignores the application of the Press Law, as the specialized law that should address such cases, he explained.

Under the Press Law, such cases fall under the authority of the Press Council.

In 2013, Oki faced a defamation charge on another corruption case but was absolved by the court.

Timor Leste ranked 103rd out of 180 countries in the 2015 World Press Freedom Index of the Reporters Without Borders.

East Timor Free Expression the Law

http://www.pakistantelegraph.com/index.php/sid/241110927

Timor Leste prime minister files defamation suit against journalist

This statement was originally published by SEAPA on 5 February 2016. 

Timor Leste Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo filed a defamation lawsuit against a journalist in connection with an article alleging irregularities in a government computerization project. 

Araujo filed the defamation suit against Raimundo Oki of the Timor Post. Oki wrote in an article published on 10 November 2015 that the Prime Minister, in a previous capacity as Advisor to the Minister of Finance, recommended the winning bid for a project to supply and install computer equipment to the new Ministry of Finance building in 2014. 

The Timor Post published the Prime Minister's reply to the article in the paper's front page on 17 November 2015. The right of reply is guaranteed under Article 34 of the country's new Press Law, Number 5 of 2014. Timor Post published a clarification of Oki's report in its 18 November 2015 issue. 

Despite these efforts of the publication, the defamation suit was still filed against Oki, who received a notice of the case on 22 January 2016. 

Defamation for false accusations is a crime punishable for up to three years under Article 285 (1) of the Timor Leste Penal Code. 

"The Prime Minister should lead by example on how to respect the country's Press Law by recognizing that such reporting is part of the work of journalists," said Felipe Belo, president of the Timor Leste Journalist Association. 

Article 8 of the Timor Leste Press Law clearly protects the work of journalists, and states "The right of journalists to report shall be exercised on the basis of constitutional powers, may not be subjected to interference that threatens their independence and objectivity, freedom of establishment, and freedom of conscience." 

"If Oki made a error in reporting, it should be dealt with under the Press Law," said Belo. 

"The lawsuit is an act of criminalization of the work of journalists," added Belo. The defamation case effectively ignores the application of the Press Law, as the specialized law that should address such cases, he explained. 

Under the Press Law, such cases fall under the authority of the Press Council. 

In 2013, Oki faced a defamation charge on another corruption case but was absolved by the court. 

Timor Leste ranked 103rd out of 180 countries in the 2015 World Press Freedom Index of the Reporters Without Borders. 

POSTED IN:East Timor  Free Expression & the Law 

Timor Post Iha Kuartel Jeral ONU

  Raimundos Oki ka'er liman ho Sekretariu Jeral ONU iha Kuartel Jeral ONU, Setembru 2015.

NEW YORK - Durante fulan ida resin Timor Post iha Kuartel Jeral Organizasaun Nasoes Unidas (ONU) iha Nova Yorke, Estadus Unidus Amerika.

Prosesu Timor Post konsege tama to’o Kuartel Jeral ONU la’os fasil, maibe liu husi prosesu difisil lobuk ida no prezensa Jornalista Timor Post, Raimundos Oki iha kuartel jeral ONU mos, la’os governu Timor-Leste no instituisaun seluk mak haruka ba, maibe husi ONU rasik liuhusi nia programa Fellowship. Kada tinan Department of Public Information United Nations liuhusi Outreach Division loke vaga hodi konvida Jornalista sira husi nasaun sub-dezenvolvidu sira ba Nova Yorke la’os atu aprende Jornalizmu baziku 5W+1H, maibe atu aprende kona-ba UN System no UN Body.

Halo aprezentasaun kona - ba TL Media Landscape 

 Prosesu tuir programa fellowship ne’e hahu iha Marsu 2015. Iha tempu ne’eba, redasaun Timor Post hetan formulariu aplikasaun ba fellowship ne’e husi edifisiu Koordenador Rezidensia ONU nian iha Dili hodi husu ba Jornalista Timor Post karik hatene Ingles itoan bele tuir no kompete. Nune’e, Jornalista Timor Post, Raimundos Oki ne’ebe iha kapasidade lia (lingua) Ingles naton de’it, koko priense formulariu ne’e. Kriteria atu aplika (apply) ba programa fellowship ne’e mak Jornalista ida tenke traduz nia notisia tolu (3) ne’ebe publika ona iha media ne’ebe nia serbisu ba depois tau hamutuk ho dokumentu sira seluk. Nomos tenke responde hotu essay iha numeru 4 ne’ebe kada essay tenke hakerek lia fuan to’o 250 ho lia Ingles. Etapa ikus nian mak haruka ba UN Department of Public Information.

UN Media Lasion  

Liu tiha ida ne’e, UN Department of Public Information tenke gasta tempu durante fulan rua resin mak foin finaliza prosesu verifikasaun no avaliasaun ba dokumentu aplikante sira nian, tanba tuir Koordenador ba Reham Al-Farra Fellowship Program, Zvi Muskal katak iha tempu ne’eba  Jornalista hamutuk 38 husi nasaun 38 mak hatama aplikasaun ba fellowship ne’e, maibe ikus mai konsege hetan de’it Jornalista nain 15 mak liu iha programa ne’e rasik. Husi Timor-Leste, Jornalista Timor Post, Raimundos Oki mak konsege selesionadu ba fellowship ne’e. Nune’e, iha inisiu fulan Maio ha’u hetan hetan e-mail ida husi Koordenador ba Reham Al-Farra Fellowship Program, Zvi Muskal katak ha’u passa (liu) ona iha selesaun dokumentus.

Foto iha kafetaria ONU

Depois ida ne’e haruka ha’u marka kedas loron hodi avansa ba faze intervista nian. Prosesu intervista ne’e telefone direita husi Kuartel Jeral ONU iha Nova Yorke. Ha’u desidi atu tuir intervista iha loron Sesta, 22 Maio 2015. Durasaun ba intervista ne’e kuaje minutus 20 hodi husu kona-ba saida mak ha’u sei halo bainhira selesionadu iha fellowship ne’e no karik liu, tenke prontu hodi halo aprezentasaun kona-ba situasaun liberdade imprensa no liberdade expresaun inklui situasaun jeral tantu politika, ekonomia, sosial no kultura iha Timor-Leste. Hafoin remata prosesu intervista, Senhor Zvi Muskal hatete, hein de’it tempu mak fo sai rezultadu final. Tama ba inisiu fulan Junhu nian, derepente ha’u simu tan e-mail foun ida husi senhor Zvi. Kontedu husi e-mail ne’e katak parabeniza ha’u, tanba selesionadu iha programa ne’e.

Iha salaun Assembleia Jeral ONU

Oinsa mak ha’u bele ba Kuartel Jeral ONU? Emabaixada Estadus Unidus Amerika (EUA) iha duni Timor-Leste, maibe labele atende Timoroan sira atu hetan vistu Amerika nian. Ha’u komesa tama internet hodi aplika vistu on line. Remata tiha, print out visa on line ne’e lori ba iha embaixada Amerika iha Praia dos Coqueiros, Dili hodi bele informa ba embaixada Amerika iha Jakarta, Indonesia katak iha Timoroan ida aplika hela vistu atu ba Amerika. Kuaje liu tiha semana rua mak foin hetan konfirmasaun husi embaixada Amerika iha Jakarta katak ha’u bele ba tuir intervista ba ha’u nia visa iha loron Segunda, 14 Julho 2015.

Fuma no hemu kafe iha edifisiu kuartel jeral ONU nia kotuk

 Ha’u tenke ba duni Jakarta, Indonesia hodi tuir intervista atu bele hetan vistu ba Amerika. Loron Segunda ne’e kedas konsege hetan duni vistu Amerika nian, tanba ha’u lori dokumentu kompletu. Depois hetan tiha vistu ne’e tenke hein tan durante fulan rua mak foin bele ba Amerika, tanba programa fellowship ne’e komesa iha loron 10 Setembru 2015. Nune’e, ha’u sai husi Dili iha loron Kinta, 8 Setembru no to’o iha Nova Yorke iha loron Sabadu, 11 Setembru 2015.   

Iha komboiu laran ba edifisiu Google

 Kona-ba Reham Al-Farra Memorial Journalist Fellowship Program

Programa ne’e hahu iha Dezembru 1980 liu husi rezolusaun ONU 35/201 (paragrafu III-9) no foin muda fali naran iha Setembru 2003 hodi hanaran “Reham Al-Farra Memorial Journalist Fellowship Program” hodi honoriza Reham Al-Farra nu’udar funsionariu ONU ne’ebe mate hamutuk ho Sergio Vierra de Mello iha Kuartel ONU iha Baghdad, Irake iha tinan 2003. Programa ne’e hahu hetan sponsor husi UN Department of Public Information desde tinan 1981 to’o ohin loron nu’udar Fellowship Program ba jornalista sira husi nasaun sub-dezenvolvidu sira iha mundu. Programa Fellowship ne’e hala’o kada tinan. Iha tinan 2014, Jornalista hamutuk 536 husi nasaun 166 mak tuir ona programa ne’e no iha tinan 2015, Jornalista nain 15 mak partisipa hafoin selesionadu husi nasaun 38 iha mundu. Maske fellowship ne’e loke kada tinan, maibe kompetitivu tebes, tanba Jornalista barak mak hatama sira nia aplikasaun, maibe ONU hili itoan de’it.   

Iha edifisiu Google

 Objetivu husi programa ne’e atu oferese oportunidade ba Jornalista sira atu aprende kona-ba serbisu ONU iha mundu. Fellowship ne’e mos nu’udar oportunidade di’ak ida ba Jornalista sira hodi hasoru malu ho Jornalista sira seluk husi nasaun seluk no troka hanoin no experiensia ho komunikasaun profisional ONU nian.                 

Jornalista nain 15 ne’ebe mak selesionadu iha Reham Al-Farra Memorial Journalist Fellowship Program iha tinan 2015 nian mak Raimundos Oki (Timor Post) husi Timor-Leste, Driada Sinani (Radio Tirana) husi Albania, Neha Khanna (New Delhi Television) husi India, Ece Göksedef (diplomatic correspondent for Al Jazeera Turkish) husi Turky, Lagu Joseph Jackson Kenyi (Juba Monitor Newspaper) husi Sudaun Sul, Menan Khater (Daily News Egypt) husi Ejiptu, Tefo Edmond Pheage (Weekendpost) husi Botswana, Rand Dalgamouni (The Jordan Times) husi Jordao, Durel Borgia Bouesso Boua-Mboutany (TerrAfrica) husi Congo, Yan Wang (Phoenix Weekly) husi Xina, Mohammad Tauhidul Islam (Maasranga Television), Karen Carrillo Florero (Los Tiempos newspaper), Perla Berríos (TV Peru) husi Peru, Dhashen Moodley (Radio South Africa) husi Afrika Sul no Sushama Pandey (community FM stations in Nepal) husi Nepal. Jornalista sira ne’e bele hetan iha http://outreach.un.org/raf/application-info/.

Jornalista nain 15 inklui Timor - Leste

Durante fulan ida iha Kuartel Jeral ONU, dala ida tan ha’u la’os aprende kona-ba Jornalizmu baziku 5W+1h, maibe aprende kona-ba UN body no UN System liuhusi hetan esplikasaun husi staff ONU sira iha area oi-oin hanesan Assembleia Jeral, Konsellu Seguransa, Konsellu Ekonomia no Sosial, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice no Secretariat.

La’os aprende de’it kona-ba ONU, maibe mos ba vizita fatin importante sira seluk hanesan organizasaun media sira hanesan kanal TV CNN, Aljazeera America, VICE News, Radio Publiku Nova Yorke, Blomberg, edifisiu Google, Human Right Watch no Committee to Protect Journalist. Vizita ba fatin sira ne’e hodi fahe informasaun ba malu kona-ba prosesu dezenvolvimentu media ida-idak no oinsa serbisu Human Right Watch nian.

Fordham University

Atividade primeiru nian mak hetan briefing husi Police Department of New York City (PDNY), Detective Community Affairs Division, John T. Chiam kona-ba situasaun jeral iha sidade Nova Yorke. Liu tiha ida ne’e mak Jornalista nain 15 ne’e halo aprezentasaun kona-ba liberdade imprensa no liberdade expresaun iha sira nia nasaun ida-idak. Entretantu, husi parte ONU, Jornalista sira ne’e hetan esplikasaun kona-ba orgaun sira ne’ebe existe iha ONU laran. Jeralmente esplika kona-ba misaun ONU nian iha mundu, hanesan UNDP, UNICEF, WHO no orgaun sira seluk tan.

Katedral New York

 Objetivu fundamental husi programa fellowship ne’e atu bele habelar liutan serbisu ONU nian liu husi media iha kada nasaun ida-idak tuir lian lokal sira.

“Ita bo’ot sira mai iha ne’e la’os atu serbisu ba ONU, maibe atu fasilita ONU liuhusi habelar informasaun ba komunidade sira iha ita bo’ot sira nia nasaun ida-idak, maibe antes atu hakerek, ita bo’ot sira tenke komprende uluk saida mak ONU. Nune’e, bele hato’o informasaun ho di’ak ba ita nia populasaun sira iha mundu rai klaran,” hatete Director, Outreach Division, Department of Public Information, Maher Nasser ba Jornalista sira iha Kuartel Jeral ONU, Nova Yorke, Estadus Unidus Amerika.

Maher hatutan, durante tinan barak ona Outreach Division sempre konvida Jornalista sira iha mundu hodi ba aprende kona-ba UN Body no UN System iha kuartel jeral ONU nian.

Ha’u mos kada Segunda partisipa konferensia imprensa ne’ebe hato’o direita husi Sekretariu Jeral ONU, Ban Ki-moon iha Press Conference Room iha andar 3 edifisiu kuartel jeral ONU nian. Kada loron sempre vizita website ONU nian hodi bele akompanha atividade ONU iha mundu nomos ba foti komunidade imprensa iha Media Centre nian hodi buka tuir saida mak akontese lor-loron iha kuartel jeral ONU. Durante fulan ida, sempre nune’e hela de’it.

Iha West Virginia hamutuk ho Oe - Cusse oan kuaje nain 7 oras ne'e eskola hela iha Amerika. 

 Eventu ida ne’ebe importante liu iha programa ne’e mak lori ha’u konsege hala’o kobertura ba palestra Papa Francisco iha kuartel jeral ONU iha loron, Sesta 25 Setembru 2015. Diskursu Papa nian foka liu kona-ba assuntu moral no mudansa klimatika ne’ebe oras ne’e dadauk ameasa hela ba mundu. La’os de’it akompanha intervensaun Papa Francisco nian, maibe akompanha mos diskursu Primeiru-Ministru, Rui Maria de Araujo nian ba dala rua kedas inklui mos Prezidente Estadus Unidus Amerika (EUA), Barrack Hussein Obama, Prezidente Rusia, Vladimir Putin, Primeiru-Ministru Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Prezidente Republika Popular Xina, Xi Jinping no seluk tan.   

Maibe, antes tuir assembleia jeral ONU, ha’u mos tuir seminariu akademiku durante loron rua iha The Jesuit University of New York. Bronx, NY 10458, United States of America (USA).  Partisipa loron rua iha Social Good Summit.

“Media is not telling stories only to the public needs, but it is also moving peoples from one place to another place to take action against the negative decission that affected their daily life, said Paulo Polizzotto the President of EcoMedia in the Social Good Summit, East 92 Street 1395 Lexington Av. New York, NY 10128.

Hamutuk ho Jornalista Los Tiemplos husi Kochabamba (Bolivia), Karen Carillo Florello iha salaun Konsellu Seguransa ONU

Iha loron 21 Setembru dadersan, tuir seremonia loron mundial ba dame ne’ebe dirije direitamente husi Sekretariu Jeneral, Ban Ki-moon iha Kuartel Jeral ONU.

"I call on all warring parties to lay down their weapons and observe a global ceasefire. To them I say: stop the killings and the destruction, and create space for lasting peace." Ban Ki-moon in the international peace day, United Nations Headquarters, 21st September.

Jornalista Nain 5000 Kobertura Assembleia Jeral ONU

Asembleia Jeral ONU ne’ebe hahu iha loron 25 Setembru 2015 hetan kobertura husi Jornalista hamutuk nain 5000 iha mundu. 

Chief Information Centre Service Strategic Communications Division United Nations, Janos Tisovszky hatete, Jornalistas hamutuk 2000 husi mundu no Jornalista hamutuk 3000 sei mai hamutuk ho sira nia nasaun membru sira iha asembleia jeral no simeira ONU nian. Simeira ONU mós nu’udar ajenda importante ida iha tinan ida ne’e hodi aprova programa dezenvolvimentu sustentabel ne’ebé akontese ona iha loron Sesta, 25 Setembru liuba.

“Eventu tinan ida ne’e diferente tebes ho eventu sira uluk liuba. Tinan ida ne’e ita iha vizita Papa Francisco, simeira, asembleia jeral no aniversariu ONU nian ba dala 70. Jornalista hamutuk 5000 husi mundu mak sei mai halo kobertura ba eventu ida ne’e,” hatete Janos Tisovszky ba Jornalista sira iha nia serbisu fatin, Manhattan-New York.

Iha portaun bo'ot kuartel jeral ONU

“Nasaun membru sira sei aprova Sustainable Development Goal’s ne’e iha Sesta dadersan depois mak iha tan atividade sira seluk,” nia hatete.

Janos hatutan, abertura ba simeira ONU nian ne’e sei halo husi Sekretariu Jeral ONU, Ban Ki-moon hamutuk ho Prezidente Uganda, Denmark no reprezentante ida husi sosiedade sivil. Durante simeira sei iha dialogu interativu ne’ebé kompostu husi dialogu interativu 6 hanesan eradikta kiak no hamlaha, kombate desigualdade, haforsa feto no labarik feto sira, promove kresimentu ekonómia sustentabel, transforma no promove konsumu no produsaun sustentabilidade, proteze planeta no kombate mudansa klimatika.

Papa Francisto foin to’o iha Estadus Unidus Amerika (EUA) iha loron Tersa, 22 Setembru 2015 no hasoru malu ona ho Prezidente Barack Obama atu koalia kona-ba problema mudansa klimatika iha mundu no halo diskusaun ba assuntu bilateral seluk entre nasaun rua. Entretantu, Papa Francisco sei hato’o nia diskursu iha Asembleia Jeral ONU iha loron Sesta, 25 Setembru iha horas tuku 8:30 dadersan.

Hafoin ida ne’e, sei iha forum ida ba setor privadu sira ne’ebé sei lidera direitamente husi Ban Ki-moon hodi koalia kona-ba papel setor privadu sira ba prosesu implementasaun dezenvolvimentu sustentabilidade to’o tinan 2030. Tuir fali mak eventu ba sosiedade sivil sira nian iha loron 27 Setembru ne’ebé sei lidera husi UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) and Beyond 2015.

Sekretariu Jeral ONU, Ban Ki-moon konsidera simeira ONU ne’e importante tebes, tanba sei aprova programa Dezenvolvimentu lobuk ida.

“The Summit will chart a new era of sustainable development in which poverty will be eradicated, prosperity shared and the core drivers of climate change tackled,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Timor-Leste Kompromete Implementa SDG’s

Sestu governu konstitusionál ne’ebé lidera hosi Primeiru Ministru, Rui Maria de Araújo deklara, governu Timor-Leste iha komitmentu bo’ot hodi implementa objetu dezenvolvimentu sustentabel ka Sustainable Development Goal’s (SDG’s) ne’ebé sei termina iha 2030.

“Molok atu mai partisipa iha diskusaun alto nivel ida ne’e, liu-hosi rezolusaun governu nian iha loron 21 Setembru adopta tiha ona objetivu dezenvolvimentu sustentavel. Portantu ohin ha’u mós informa ona ba Ban Ki-moon katak Timor-Leste adopa ona objetivu dezenvolvimentu sustentabel molok partisipa asembleia jeral ONU”, PM Rui liu-hosi nia diskursu iha Assembleia Jéral ONU, Sabadu, (26/9).

Maske TL la-konsege atinji implementasaun objetivu mileniu dezenvolvimentu durante tinan lima nia laran, maibé Rui Maria de Araújo ho fiar metin TL nafatin koopera no prontu implementa objetivu dezenvolvimentu sustentabel iha tempu oin mai. TL mós sei kontinua halo esforsu atu hadi’a kresimentu ekonómia. PM hato’o nia diskursu iha horas tuku 10 dadersan iha loron Sabádu, 26 Agostu 2015.

Estadu membru ONU ne’ebé hamutuk 193 inklui Vatikanu aprova ona SDG’s ne’ebé kompostu hosi pontu 17 ho nia durasaun tinan 15 mak remata. Antes ne’e, Milleniu Development Goal’s nian hamutuk pontu ualu de’it ne’ebé TL falla total hodi implementa programa ne’e rasik. (Raimundos Oki)