'FRETILIN Media Release: Gusmao's Budget Plan on Silencers for Timor Police' News Headlines

FRETILIN Media Release: Gusmao's Budget Plan on Silencers for Timor Police

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Voice of East Timor (144.138.143.12) -

FRETILIN Media Release Dili: Friday, January 9, 2009 Silencers for police guns – another step towards a secret police state

A move to equip Timor-Leste police with firearms silencers is more evidence of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao's intention to establish a police capability to undertake secret operations, FRETILIN warned today.

FRETILIN Vice President and MP, Arsenio Paixao Bano, said the party would oppose a government proposal to buy silencers for the police "Rapid Intervention Unit".

"As Minister for Defence and Security Gusmao is in command of and directly responsible for the police.

"He apparently intends to give his police force the capability to undertake clandestine 'hit' or 'dark' operations. Why would you seek to acquire the capability to shoot people quietly, unless you did not want the shooters identified?" asked Bano.

Bano said the proposed budget for 2009, approved by Gusmao's Council of Ministers, contains a request for USD $421, 000 for the purchase of "equipment to maintain public order" described as "special operations equipment" such as "laser illuminator", "night vision optical" and "silencers" noting this "equipment to be used by the Rapid Intervention Unit". (see Item 830 Security Equipment, in the Minor Capital section of the 2009 Budget Proposal for the Ministry of Defence and Security).

ETLJB

• East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin

Reply #1 moises VAZ (86.18.84.140) -

I dont personally think that police need silencer gun at this time yet, unless MR XANANA have another dirty plan to destroy

our nation, our police force will need of course but still long time yet, specially with limit capacity and limit knowledge

as we all know that XANANA was the one behind 2006 crisis and now he want another plan, tell you the truth that he will loss the next election, so that he prepared all his game plan before that

thanks

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