IV CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT
SECRETARIAT OF STATE OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

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PRESS RELEASE

Council of Ministers Extraordinary Meeting from December 22, 2011

The Council of Ministers met this Thursday, December 22, 2011, in the Council of Ministers Meeting Room, at the Government Palace, in Díli and approved:

1. Measures to ensure public order and internal security of the country

Considering the recent incidents involving martial arts groups in Díli and other districts – particularly in Zumalai / Suai-Covalima, Ainaro and Lautém – which have brought serious disturbances, destruction of property and have killed and wounded people, the Council of Ministers heard the Díli District Commander of the Timor-Leste National Police (PNTL), Pedro Belo, and the PNTL Commissioner, Afonso de Jesus, who presented a detailed report on the security situation in the country.

Despite repeated statements of commitment made by the representatives of the various martial arts groups to safeguard the respect of the principles of social coexistence, culminating in the signing of a document in May 2011, in which the groups vowed to contribute to a peaceful and stable environment in the country, we have seen systematic violation of this agreement.

The Council of Ministers also analyzed the negative effects derived from the game “bola guling” and of lotteries, which affect the welfare and undermine the moral and ethical value of young people and families, contributing to violence, especially domestic violence, and to social unrest in general.

In this sense, and with the approach of Christmas, New Year and the 2012 elections, the IV Constitutional Government considers it urgent to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety and well-being of the population.

Therefore, the Council of Ministers, after a thorough analysis of the PNTL General Command’s report, has decided to suspend, until December 21, 2012, the authorization to practice martial arts group activities that have lately proven to provoke unrest, violence and crime, including a ban on training and practice of martial arts, and the absolute obligation not to mobilize people to join the groups who practice martial arts.

This suspension will be renewable for one year periods against all groups that, in the meantime, violate this measure of suspending the practice of martial arts. ‘Zero tolerance’ will be applied to all members of PNTL and F-FDTL that participate in the activities of the martial arts groups, and will be subject to disciplinary sanctions, including dismissal of their respective institutions, in accordance with their organic laws and disciplinary statutes.

The Council of Ministers decided to prohibit “bola guling” gambling and lotteries in the Timor-Leste national territory from December 22, 2011.

Those public or private precincts where the practice of activities covered by this resolution are held, shall be immediately terminated. All acts of licensing or authorization of the practice of the activities covered by this diploma will also be repealed.