MSE (CSJ) - Lusa
Díli, 06 fev (Lusa) - O prémio Nobel da Paz e Presidente de Timor-Leste, José Ramos-Horta, lamentou hoje a repressão contra organizações não-governamentais (ONG) no Egito e apelou às autoridades para retirarem as acusações contra 44 pessoas, incluindo 19 norte-americanos.
"O Presidente Ramos-Horta está familiarizado, há mais de 30 anos, com o trabalho do Instituto Republicano Internacional, do Instituto Nacional Democrático e da Casa da Liberdade, na promoção da democracia, do Estado de Direito e dos Direitos Humanos de uma forma aberta, transparente, num excelente desempenho de atividades também desenvolvidas em Timor-Leste", refere em comunicado a presidência timorense.
No comunicado, a presidência de Timor-Leste refere que antes de o país ser independente o Instituto Republicano Internacional e o Instituo Nacional Democrático desempenharam um papel importante na promoção da causa timorense junto do público.
"O Presidente Ramos-Horta acredita que este ato pode constituir um revés para o Egito na estrada para a democracia (...) também acredita que a situação pode ser o resultado de um mal-entendido por parte das autoridades egípcias sobre as fontes de financiamentos das ONG e suas atividades", acrescenta o documento.
No domingo, uma fonte judicial egípcia disse que 44 pessoas, incluindo 19 norte-americanos, vão ser julgadas por alegado financiamento ilegal de ONG a trabalhar no país.
Nenhum dos acusados foi detido, mas todos estão proibidos de deixar o país.
Os 44 cidadãos terão agora que aguardar o julgamento, cuja data ainda não foi marcada.
Além dos 19 norte-americanos, foram também presentes a tribunal cinco sérvios, dois alemães e três cidadãos árabes não egípcios.
Entre os cidadãos norte-americanos, está Sam LaHood, responsável pela delegação egípcia do Instituto Republicano Internacional e filho do secretário dos Transportes norte-americano, Ray LaHood, segundo a AP.
A investigação ao trabalho das ONG no Egipto está relacionada com a agitação política que tomou conta do país desde a queda de Hosni Mubarak, há quase um ano.
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E Timor-Leste. Oque fizeste em Timor aos ONGs?
THE AGE - Rory Callinan - February 7, 2012
EAST Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta has been forced to fend off allegations that he is trying to avoid media scrutiny before the upcoming presidential elections by refusing to pay an outstanding debt to a corruption-busting newspaper.
The allegations have been made by prominent local journalist Jose Belo, who has previously come under fire from the government over his scoops exposing everything from suspicious government contracts to a substantial deal to make a former Miss Australia tourism ambassador for East Timor.
Last year Mr Ramos-Horta asked Belo to publish extra copies of the newspaper Tempo Semanal and distribute them to rural communities and schools.
Belo now alleges the Nobel prize-winning President has since declined to pay the $US93,523 ($A87,500) printing and distribution costs for the extra editions - which has crippled the newspaper and resulted in publication being halted.
Mr Ramos-Horta yesterday denied the claims and told The Age that Belo failed to provide proof the money had been spent distributing the papers.
He also said Belo had left his job at Tempo and become involved with the campaign of presidential rival and army chief Taur Matan Ruak.
Tempo Semanal, which also has a website, was established by Belo in 2006 and has received some funding from Fairfax Media, owner of The Age.
Over the past two years, Belo published a series of hard-hitting scoops, often about corruption allegations and government contracts. He was charged with criminal defamation over one of them.
Another scoop detailed how the government had hired Miss Australia Caroline Pemberton to be the country's tourism ambassador for a substantial fee.
Last month Belo returned a medal of merit awarded to him by Mr Ramos-Horta for services to the country through journalism, in protest at the unpaid bill.
In an accompanying letter, he wrote that he suspected the ''withholding of the debt to Tempo Semanal as part of an attempt to control and probably kill the newspaper.
''Your excellency must be aware that our newspaper is thoroughly relying on the money which your office still withholds in order to function.''
Belo is no stranger to controversy or confrontation, having spent years supporting the resistance against the Indonesian occupiers and enduring capture and imprisonment.
He said yesterday that he stood by the letter.
But Mr Ramos-Horta described the return of the medal as ''hasty and silly''.
The President said papers just did not get to the country areas.
''I travel extensively in the country and I talk to villagers, and I ask do you have the newspaper and hardly anyone told me that they have the newspaper,'' he said.
''I don't blame Belo, logistically it's not easy … but we get audited here. We have to account for the money.''
Mr Ramos-Horta said he recently made arrangements with another donor to provide funding to the paper and the money should be transferred today so the paper can be restarted.
He said the situation had nothing to do with the article Belo published about the deal with Miss Australia.
''She [Miss Australia] is a friend of mine but the contract was not done by me, it was done by the Tourism Minister,'' he said. ''I don't care what he writes because I hardly ever read the newspaper.''
Caro Rory Callinan,
Muito interessante, mas porque não fala com os Aussies para ajudarem o Belo a publicar de novo o jornal??
Efectivamente o Tempo Semanal faz falta, aqui a Lucrécia não lia porque percebe pouco das linguas nativas, a Sra. Christy ainda não ensinou as linguas nativas à Lucrécia.
O Belo é fixe e Timor precisa de mais Belos destemidos.
Beijinhos da Querida Lucrécia
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