When the shooting stopped outside police headquarters in Dili on May 26, staff members from Timor-Leste's new watchdog office for human rights, governance, and corruption were among the first to visit the scene. The Provedor's Office has a strong monitoring mandate from Parliament and has expanded its human rights work to look into a range of complaints since the start of civil disturbances on April 28. The May 26 shooting of unarmed policemen under UN protection is one of the incidents that the office is focused on. As part of their work, staff members have already conducted more than 80 interviews and visited sites in 10 districts outside Dili.

The Provedor's Office was established last year with support from USAID and other donors to investigate reports of human rights abuses, corruption, and poor governance. It submitted its first annual report to Parliament on June 30, meeting the legal deadline despite the current political and social upheaval. The on-time

submission sends a strong message that the office has not only continued to function throughout the crisis but also has rapidly increased the human rights monitoring component. The annual report includes a section on the recent events and also makes recommendations for strengthening the independence and effectiveness of the institution in protecting citizens’ rights. The report will be translated from Portuguese into Tetum and English and distributed widely.

"This report is very important for us, and we see it as an opportunity to have a 'dialogue' with Parliament and society about the establishment of the Provedor's Office and the plans and project which lay ahead of us in the near future”, said Provedor Sebastião Dias Ximenes. "I believe that this office is shaping up as an independent mechanism worthy of the trust of all [*parties*], including those who may want to raise their concerns in the areas of human rights violation, good governance, and corruption. We are responsibly exercising our legal powers and we are working very hard and intensively to improve and strengthen this institution on a day-to-day basis. I would like to reiterate here that the doors of the Provedor's Office are open to all."

Current USAID-funded activities in the Provedor's Office include human rights monitoring, data collection and analysis, and public assistance. Staff members have also mobilized a new monitoring team with a network of 10 human-rights-focused non-governmental organizations to assist in these operations. The Provedor's senior legal research specialist, public assistance specialist, and administration specialist are funded through USAID's partner, Management Sciences for Development (MSD). All are fully engaged as the office undertakes the tasks of human rights monitoring operations, site visits, statement collection, and reporting.

The office opened its doors to the public on March 22, 2006, after 9 months of intensive preparations. It had received 48 complaints even before the official opening, and has since received 38 more. All complaints received by the office are investigated and findings of possible criminal liability and complicity are forwarded to the Office of the Prosecutor General for the filing of the appropriate indictment and prosecution.

USAID supported the establishment of the Provedor's Office and continues its funding through its partnership with MSD. The activities of the Provedor's Office help strengthen Timor-Leste's democracy by encouraging effective oversight of its institutions and protection for its people.

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