Government of Timor-Leste

On May 6, 2013 the Ministry of Justice, represented by the Secretary of State for Land and Property, started conducting the public consultation on the Package of Laws on Land and Property in Hatulia sub-district, Zone A, Ermera district. During one week (from 6 to 11 of May) the Secretary of State visited this sub-district to listen to, and clarify, the population on this package of laws. Asulau-Saré suco was the first to be visited on May 6. The Package is composed of three laws: the Special Regime for the Definition of Ownership of Immovable Property, the Expropriation Law, and the Real Estate Financial Fund.

The Secretary of State for Land and Property, Jaime Xavier Lopes, stressed that “land is a very important good for the lives of the people. The Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, in its article 54, enshrines this right to all Timorese citizens, the right to ownership of private property. The objective of this visit is to explain the population of Asulau-Saré suco about the issue of land occupation, so that they do not attempt to take on land that does not belong to them. We wish to sensitize on the meaning of independence, which confers control over one’s own goods and not over someone else’s goods”. The Secretary of State also explained that abandoned lands cannot be used by the population, unless a lease agreement is established with the Government.

Jaime Xavier Lopes underscored that the solution to disputes on possession of plots of land cannot be found through violence or crime, “because to kill someone on account of a piece of land is definitely not the solution. The Government already found out that, after Dili, Ermera is the second district in the country with disputes over land. I call upon the entire population to resort to peaceful solutions, such as, for instance, the traditions linked to family relations, or, whenever necessary, the involvement of the elderly, of the community leaders, and of witnesses. Where this mechanismsis not enough, people should resort to sub-district authorities”, the Secretary of State recommended.

The Commander of the Police Station of Hatulia sub-district added that “these issues relating to disputes over ownership of land should count on the involvement of community leaders, notably the Village Chiefs, the elderly, and the owners themselves. This is not the competence of the Police. However, where there is a threat of commitment of a crime, then the Police is to be involved, because committing crimes is against the law”.

The Asulau-Saré suco has 40,000 square Km² and borders with Cailaco sub-district, Bobonaro district, to the West, with Maubara sub-district to the East, and with Ermera sub-district to the North. It is composed of six villages and has a total of 426 heads of family. The main activities are: rice and coffee plantation, teca, livestock (buffalos, horses, goats and pigs). Lack of access to roads and to water and sanitation are the main problems faced by the population of this suco, located between two major streams, which destroy a considerable part of  rice plantations every year.

The event counted with thepresence of the Secretary of State for Land and Property, Jaime Xavier Lopes, of the National Director of Land and Property of Ermera District, of the Commander of the Hatulia sub-district Police Station, of the community leaders, and of the entire population.