Dili, December 13, 2024 (Média Democracia) – Press Release by students of the Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL) because they regret the brutal actions carried out by PNTL against students and the illegal arrest of 12 students on December 13, 2024 at UNTL. This press release was held at the Central Campus, UNTL, Dili, on Friday.
In a press release delivered by the MC, Denilson Ganna as the Senate of the Faculty of Philosophy said that the Academic Student Association of the Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e (AAE-UNTL) would like to express its regret over the brutal actions of the UNTL Chancellor who yesterday entered the PNTL to the Central Campus to chase, beat and arrest a number of students on the UNTL field.
“Regarding the brutal actions of the UNTL Rector who yesterday brought PNTL into the Central Campus to prevent a peaceful action organized by Senate students to demand the Rector Prof. Dr. João Soares Martins, related to the source of the UNTL box money which has also been donated by students amounting to $20.00 every year and its implementation which is unclear and not transparent.” Said MC, Denilson Ganna
He continued, related to the PNTL action yesterday, which entered the Central Campus brutally, chasing, beating students and arresting UNTL Senate General, Cesar João Baptista, Academic Senate, Arlindo Rodrigues, Evarist Senate and Education Senate consisting of 8 students and are currently in the detection room in Aimutin.
With this action, the UNTL Academic Student Association assesses that:
- The Honorable Rector Prof. Dr. João Soares Martins does not have the capacity to solve the problem, that is why he entered the PNTL to prevent the action organized by the students.
- The honorable Chancellor himself does not understand democracy and university autonomy and does not understand the rules.
- This action wants to say that in the world only the Chancellor of UNTL did this in Timor because he did not have the capacity and was anti-democratic.
- Yesterday’s PNTL action was actually inappropriate and did not happen, because UNTL is not a militaristic, dictatorial campus and UNTL students are not criminals, brutalists and traitors.
- We also question the capacity of the PNTL, especially the Dili command who gave orders to troops without legal basis and entered the UNTL central campus without permission.
- PNTL, especially the Dili Command, needs a legal entity that is oriented to provide training for PNTL agents. So that their performance does not deviate from the legal corridor.
- With the presence of PNTL entering the central campus, we as students no longer believe in the university structure, therefore as the UNTL Student Senate, we emphasize that with the presence of PNTL guided by the Chancellor, it will never kill our spirit and desire to fight to defend the rights and interests of students.
- We ask the Dili PNTL command to immediately release our friends, the four Senate and eight students who are being held in the Aimutin detention cell.
“This issue, we ask the General Chairperson of UNTL, the Ministry of Higher Education and the Prime Minister to direct and supervise properly, so that it does not happen again in the future. We also ask the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ) to discuss and handle this case, because this is the most severe violation of Human Rights in this state, especially against students at UNTL. We also ask the National Parliament, especially the commission (G) that handles education issues, to carry out fiscalization to combat the inhumane actions of PNTL that occurred at UNTL, due to the lack of capacity of the university governance organs.” He continued.
He added that in the future such things would not happen again in public institutions that use state funds, he also asked parents, veterans, and social cadres not to remain silent about the inhumane actions that occurred yesterday against students as citizens at UNTL. Finally, as a student senate, he continues to appeal to UNTL students not to be afraid and asks that together with the senate they fight to defend the rights and interests of all students.
As the Senate of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Cesaltino de Jesus added, related to the arrest that occurred yesterday at 15.30 to 16.00 WIB against the general senate and students totaling 12 people, it was an unlawful act, because during the demonstration process for four days there were no criminal acts on the field and no damage was done to goods or cultural heritage in the place.
“We, the students of the Faculty of Social Sciences, regret the actions of the police against students who were illegally arrested and we also show solidarity with those who are currently still in the Aimutin detention cell,” he said.
He continued, the senate must urge and ask PNTL to immediately release the students and ask PDHJ to take a stance against the illegal arrests carried out by PNTL against the students, also ask the PNTL Commander to control PNTL members who are professionals so as not to carry out inhumane actions in order to strengthen security integrity, also ask the rectors of structures that do not disguise the place where banditry occurred against PNTL to ensure institutional ignorance and urge the rectors to open a dialogue as a way out of this problem.
Reported by : Domingas
Picture by : Domingas