| At the seminar, Vice
Minister for the Interior Alcino Barris said that East Timor needs
such a law because it is still in a post-conflict situation and
experiencing cross-border infiltration. The Internal Security Act
is important in guaranteeing stability and ensuring the physical
protection and freedom of every citizen, he explained. The Act allows
for some intelligence activities, such as surveillance and communications
monitoring, and establishes two security policy and coordination
bodies.
The government's stated aim for the Internal Security Act is
to prevent crime and enforce public law and order while ensuring
the smooth operation of democratic institutions and the exercise
of human rights. Public concern about the Act centers on the possible
infringement of fundamental civil rights, such as the right to
privacy and silence, and, more generally, on the limited amount
of information available to the public before and during the parliamentary
debate and vote.
Vice Minister Barris maintained that the Act passed by parliament
does not contravene human rights. NGO representatives, however,
expressed concern that without adequate definitions of terms such
as ‘terrorism’ and ‘criminal activity’,
implementation of the Act could lead to human rights abuses.
Radio Tokodede from Liquica recorded the seminar and will produce
a one-hour program for broadcast around East Timor. Seminar organizer
Julio Pinto concluded that people needed better information on
the Internal Security Act. Mr. Pinto said that the transcript
from the seminar will be provided to members of Parliament.
In an effort to address the limited public information on policies
and legislation of public interest, the National Democratic Institute
(NDI) provides support for a series of public seminars conducted
by the UNDIL's Centre for Strategic Studies. This seminar was
the seventh in a series of seminars facilitated by NDI to promote
public discussion and debate on key security sector reform issues,
and the third held in cooperation with UNDIL.
Funding from USAID-ET supports the efforts of NDI’s Security
Sector Reform Program to promote public discussion on the role
of the armed forces and police in a democratic society and works
to strengthen civilian oversight of the security forces.
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