Discussion tomorrow on Poverty & Economic Development

Please join Monash University researchers, La'o Hamutuk, government and ADB representatives for a discussion on Poverty and Timor-Leste's Economic Development Strategy

Wednesday, 5 November 9:30-12:30 at Hotel Excelsior.

 

Click here for information about a preliminary discussion of a related topic a few months ago.  

Update: Download the presentations from this workshop from

Bele hetan aprezentasaun sira husi seminariu ida nee husi:

 http://www.laohamutuk.org/econ/Monash/14PovertyAgric.htm#Nov14

TL e a CPLP não deviam acolher um ditador corrupto

Liga ba blog ida ne'e iha Tetum or English

Líderes dos países de língua portuguesa reúnem-se em Dili para a X Cimeira de Chefes de Estado e de Governo da Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP). Um dos items mais importantes e mais controversos da sua agenda será a adesão da Guiné-Equatorial como membro permanente da CPLP.

Em Dili tem-se discutido muito as preparações para as visitas destes VIP – construção urgente generalizada e alto volume de despesa – mas a La'o Hamutuk propõe que se preste mais atenção ao que se vai passar na própria Cimeira. Ontem a La'o Hamutuk e muitos outros timorenses preocupados com os Direitos Humanos enviaram uma Carta Aberta (original em tetum ou English) ao Presidente da República Taur Matan Ruak e a outros dirigentes timorenses, lembrando-os de que “muitas pessoas não concordam com esta adesão da Guiné-Equatorial, uma nação não-falante de português” e pedindo-lhes que a Cimeira “não ratifique esta adesão ou que, no mínimo, a torne condicionada à existência de melhorias significativas na área dos direitos humanos e da redução da corrupção.”

1995: protestos contra a visita de Suharto à cidade de Nova Iorque.

Durante a ocupação de Timor-Leste pela ditadura brutal e corrupta de Suharto, amigos em todo o mundo protestavam sempre que Suharto visitava os seus países. Em conjunto com os líderes de muitos países de língua portuguesa, fizeram-se campanhas para isolar o regime indonésio da legitimidade internacional. Acreditamos que o povo da Guiné-Equatorial tem direito ao mesmo tipo de apoio na sua luta contra o regime que os tem governado nos últimos 35 anos.

A La'o Hamutuk colocou uma página no seu site com a nossa Carta Aberta e outros materiais de referência. As principais razões pelas quais pensamos que Timor-Leste e a CPLP não deveriam acolher este ditador no nosso país e na nossa comunidade são as seguintes:

• Não existência de democracia, violação permanente de direitos humanos, incluindo mortes
• Limitação da liberdade de imprensa e da possibilidade de os cidadãos expressarem as suas opiniões
• Pobreza generalizada num país que é um dos países africanos com maior riqueza petrolífera
• Inexistência de transparência sobre finanças governamentais
• Um dos regimes mais corruptos do mundo.

A Guiné-Equatorial tem menos população, mais petróleo e maior pobreza do que Timor-Leste, e é um caso exemplar de “maldição dos recursos”. Ainda assim, o ditador Teodoro Obiang vai trazer com ele 80 pessoas para a Cimeira da CPLP. Foi-nos explicado que o seu avião é grande demais para poder aterrar em Dili, razão pela qual terá de alugar dois aviões mais pequenos em Singapura.

A Constituição de Timor-Leste determina que a RDTL estenderá a sua solidariedade a todos os povos do mundo na sua luta pela libertação nacional mas os Estatutos da CPLP dizem que um Estado membro não pode “interferir” nos assuntos internos de outros membros. Se Timor-Leste e a CPLP aceitarem a Guiné-Equatorial como membro, estarão a abandonar o seu compromisso com os direitos humanos do povo deste país.

Timor-Leste no CPLP labele simu ditadór korruptu

Link to this blog in English or Portuguese

Lider lusofon halibur malu iha Dili ba Simeira ba dala sanulu Xefe Estadu no Governu komunidade nasaun ne’ebé ko’alia lian Portuguese (CPLP). Asuntu ida ne’ebé importante tebes no kontrovérsial iha sira nia ajenda mak simu Gine Equatorial nudár membru permanente ba CPLP.

Ema sira ne’ebé hela iha Dili preokupa barak ba preparasaun atu simu bainaka espesiál sira -- halo konstrusaun emerjénsia barak no despeza ne’ebé as, La'o Hamutuk hanoin katak importante mós atu konsidera konferénsia ida ne'e rasik. Horisehik La’o Hamutuk ho Timor-oan lubuk ne’ebé preokupa ba direitus umanus haruka karta aberta (Ingles ka Portuges) ida ba Prezidente Taur Matan Ruak no leader RDTL sira seluk, hodi fó hanoin ba sira katak “iha ema barak la konkorda adesaun Gine Equatorial, nasaun ida ne’ebé la ko’alia lian Portuguese hodi sai membru CPLP” no husu ba konferénsia ne’e atu “labele ratifika adesaun ida ne’e, ka mínimu halo desizaun ne’e kondisionál atu hadi’a direitus umanus no hamenus korrupsaun.”

1995: protesta vizita Suharto ba Sidade Nova Iorke

Durante ditadór Suharto nia okupasaun ne’ebé brutal, korruptu iha Timor-Leste, maluk barak iha mundu tomak, protesta bainhira Suharto ba vizita sira nia nasaun. Hamutuk ho lider hosi nasaun sira ne’ebé ko’alia lian Portuguese, sira halo kampaña atu izola nia rejime hosi lejitimidade internasionál. Ami fiar katak povu iha Gine Equatorial merese hetan suporta ne’ebé hanesan, tanba sira nia luta iha rejime ne’e nia okos ne’ebé ukun ona sira ba tinan 35.

La’o Hamutuk publika ona pájina ida iha ami nia website ho ami nia karta no material referénsia sira. Asuntu sira tuir mai ne’e mak sai razaun forte ne’ebé ami hanoin katak Timor-Leste no CPLP labele simu ditadór ida ne’e ba iha ita nia nasaun no ita nia komunidade:

• Laiha demokrasia no iha violasaun barak ba direitus umanus, inklui oho ema
• Liberdade imprensa ne’ebé uitoan ka espasu uitoan de’it ba ema atu espresa sira nia hanoin
• Pobreza ne’ebé maka’as iha nasaun Áfrika ida ne’ebé riku liu ho mina-rai
• Laiha transparénsia ba finansa governu nian
• Rejime ida ne’ebé korruptu liu iha mundu

Gine Equatorial iha ema uitoan, mina-rai barak no pobreza ne’ebé maka’as liu kompara ho Timor-Leste, no hare ba nudár livru lisaun ida hosi kazu “malisan rekursu.” Maski nune’e, Ditadór Teodoro Obiang lori nia ema na’in 80 atu mai ho nia ba Simeira CPLP. Ami rona katak nia aviaun ne’e boot demais atu bele tun iha Dili, nune’e sira aluga aviaun rua hosi Singapore.

Konstituisaun RDTL hateten katak RDTL sei fó solidáriu ho povu hotu-hotu ne’ebé luta ba libertasaun nasionál, maibé Estatutu CPLP hateten katak membru sira sei labele “interfere” iha asuntu internal membru seluk nian. Karik Timor-Leste no CPLP simu Gine Equatorial nudár membru ida, ita abandona ona ita nia kometimentu ba direitus umanus povu sira ne’ebé moris iha ne’ebá.

TL and CPLP should not welcome a corrupt dictator

Liga ba blog ida ne'e iha Tetum or Portuguese

Portuguese-speaking leaders are gathering in Dili for the Tenth Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP). One of the most important and controversial items on their agenda is the acceptance of Equatorial Guinea as a full member of CPLP.

Dili residents are talking a lot about the preparations for the VIP visitors -- widespread emergency construction and high spending -- but La'o Hamutuk thinks we should also pay attention to what will happen at the Summit itself. Yesterday, La'o Hamutuk and many other Timorese concerned about human rights sent an open letter (Tetum original or Portuguese translation) to President Taur Matan Ruak and other RDTL leaders, reminding them that "many people do not agree that Equatorial Guinea, a non-Portuguese-speaking nation, should join CPLP" and asking the Summit "not to approve this accession or at least to make it conditional on significant improvement in human rights and reducing corruption."

1995: protesting Suharto's visit to New York City.

During the Suharto dictatorship's brutal, corrupt occupation of Timor-Leste, friends around the world protested when Suharto visited their countries. Together with the leaders of many Portuguese-speaking countries, they campaigned to isolate his regime from international legitimacy. We believe that the people of Equatorial Guinea deserve the same support, as they struggle under the regime which has ruled them for 35 years.

La'o Hamutuk has posted a page on our website with our letter and reference materials. The following are the main reasons we think Timor-Leste and CPLP should not welcome this dictator to our country and community:

• No democracy and many human rights violations, including killings
• Little freedom of the press or tolerance of people expressing their views
• Widespread poverty in one of Africa's most oil-rich countries
• No transparency about government finances
• One of the most corrupt regimes in the world.

Equatorial Guinea has fewer people, more oil, and deeper poverty than Timor-Leste, and is seen as the textbook case of the 'resource curse.' However, Dictator Teodoro Obiang is bringing 80 people here with him to the CPLP Summit. We have been told that his plane is too large to land in Dili, so they are chartering two planes from Singapore.

Timor-Leste's Constitution says that RDTL will extend solidarity to people around the world who struggle for national liberation, but the CPLP Statutes say that members cannot "interfere" in the internal affairs of other members. If Timor-Leste and CPLP accept Equatorial Guinea as a member, we abandon our commitment to the human rights of the people who live there.

New La'o Hamutuk page on Oecusse Special Economic Zone

La'o Hamutuk has just published the first edition of an extensive web page on the Special Zone for Social Market Economy planned for Oecusse. The page, in both English and Tetum, contains many graphics, documents, links and videos.  It will be updated and revised as we obtain more information.  The main topics are:

• Aiming high - the project's dreams and goals
• Many Timor-Leste laws don't apply - autonomy and unelected governance
• Consulting the public - or the lack thereof, especially for women
• Spending and/or investment - $1 million in 2013, $23m in 2014, $4 billion more in future
• Documents, laws, videos, plans and other resources

Nauk ona husi Timor-Leste

Link to this blog in English

La’o Hamutuk fó ona avizu ba tinan barak nia laran katak riku soin petróleu Timor-Leste, bainhira hare hosi kuak iha ita nia sistema jestaun no nivel esperiénsia no kapasidade ne’ebé limitadu, Timor-Leste sai tiha alvu atu nauk. Kriminozu sira iha mundu tomak laran monu tanba Timor-Leste gasta dolar biliaun kada tinan, no sira kaben turu ba ita nia biliaun $16 iha Fundu Petrolíferu. Ohin loron, ami nia ta’uk sai tiha realidade.

Ofisiais FBI nian iha EUA kaer ona cidadaun EUA ne’ebé moris iha Nigeria Bobby Boye kinta-feira liu ba, akuza nia ho krime hitu ne’ebé involve nauk osan liu tokon $3.5 hosi Povu Timor-Leste.

Boye mai Timor-Leste iha 2010 nudár parte ida hosi programa asisténsia hosi Noruega iha Setór Petróleu ho valor tokon $ 4 ba programa tinan hat nian ne’ebé hotu iha 2012, no nia servisu nudár assessor iha Diresaun Nasionál ba Reseita Petróleu iha Ministériu Finansas to’o tinan kotuk. Tuir FBI, Boye kria kompañia legal falsu ida iha New York no uza kompañia ne’e atu hetan kontratu ho valor tokon $7.8 hosi Ministériu Finansa Timor-Leste. Timor-Leste la hatene katak “Opus & Best” nudár kompañia ne’ebé la eziste ka Boye mak iha kompañia ida ne’e nia kotuk. Aliende ne'e, Timor-Leste seidauk hatene kona-ba nia istoria tinan sanulu hanesan bosok-teen, koruptor, na'ok-teen, no kriminoso.

Ofisiais Timor-Leste nian hahú deskonfia hafoin halo pagamentu liu tokon $3.5 ba Boye nia kompañia falsu ida ne’e durante 2012. Ema hateten ami katak hafoin ne’e, Timor-Leste nia ofisiais sira servisu hamutuk ho FBI EUA, Ministériu Negósiu Estranjeiru Noruega no dala ruma ema seluk tan, atu dezenvolve kazu kontra Boye.

Tuir FBI nia dokumentu legal katak, Boye gasta osan sira ne’ebé nia nauk ne’e atu sosa rai pedasuk haat iha New Jersey, karreta luxu tolu (inklui Rolls Royce no Bentley) no sasán sira seluk tan. Karik provadu sala ho alegasaun tomak, Boye bele hetan pena prizaun ba tinan 140, ho multa dolar tokon balu, no tenke selu fali osan ne’ebé nia hetan hosi nauk ne’e.

La’o Hamutuk iha informasaun no dokumentu kona-ba nia kazu ida ne’e iha ami nia pájina web, ne’ebé sei atualiza bainhira ami hetan tan informasaun.

Bobby Boye dudu Governu Timor-Leste atu akuza ConocoPhillips no kompañia mina-rai sira seluk ne’ebé lohi atu selu sira nia taxa ba Timor-Leste, lori kazu lubuk liu sanulu resin rua hodi kontra sira ho valor rihun tokon dollar. Kompañia sira selu osan sira ne’e maibé nafatin protesta atu selu hodi hanoin atu evita atu selu barak liu tan multa, nune’e sira lori kazu ba arbitrajen. Kazu barak hosi ne’e agora iha ona painél arbitrajen nia oin iha Singapore, ne’ebé sei deside servisu Boye nian iha Timor-Leste ne’e lejítimu ka lae.

Aleinde hetan saláriu hosi Noriega no osan ne’ebé nia hetan hosi nauk nian (fraude), Boye mós saláriu rihun $250 hosi Fundu Kontinjénsia hosi Governu Timor-Leste durante 2011, ne’ebé halo nia nudár ema ida ne’ebé hetan saláriu ida ne’ebé as liu iha rai ida ne’e. Bainhira ami hakarak atu hatene asuntu ida ne’e iha fulan Novembru 2012, La’o Hamutuk husu ba Boye buat ne’e, no nia hatán:

“Primeiru Ministru Timor-Leste ho rekomendasaun hosi Vice Ministru Finansa, DG Reseita no Alfándega no Diretór Nasionál ba Diresaun Nasionál Reseita Petróleu nian aprova kompensasaun adisionál ba ha’u bazeia ba ha’u nia dezempeñu. Kontratu servisu ho Norwegia (ne’ebé hakotu ona) la impede kompensasaun adisionál ne’ebé ha’u hetan hosi Governu Timor-Leste ba servisu ne’ebé ha’u halo durante kalendáriu 2011. Atu simu ida ne’e ka lae, daudauk ne’e labele debate. ...
   “Atu hateten loloos katak ema ne’ebé hakarak atu husu pergunta tenke la’o ba oin no halo ida ne’e maibé ha’u sei enkoraja sira atu mós hare ba rezultadu servisu ne’ebé ha’u halo iha ne’e. Aleinde hosi buat la'os tanjivel seluk hanesan hasa’e kapasidade, estrutura iha Diresaun Nasionál Reseita Petróleu, ha’u lori duni ona liu tokon $300 reseita adisionál ba TL liu hosi esforsu mesak ne’ebé la’ós de’it atu ke’e de’it ida iha leten maibé atu konsidera saida mak iha ba kadoras ba TL.

   “Ha’u gasta maizumenus oras 14 ba loron ida, loron hitu iha semana ida ba saida mak ha’u halo iha ne’e. Ha’u nia talentu ne’e fasil atu lori ba mai no karik ema ruma iha Governu laran ka hosi li’ur hanoin katak ha’u hetan pagamentu ida ne’ebé barak liu, ha’u prefere liu atu sai lalais liu, hodi nune’e sira bele buka ema seluk ne’ebé baratu liu atu troka ha’u.”

Ami la duvida katak Boye servisu maka’as duni – aléinde ba nia servisu nudár assessor ida, nia mós sub-subar halo servisu tomak ba kompañia falsu ida (ka maizumenus nato’on atu fó atensaun hodi la hatudu nia an). No nia sai lalais bainhira ema hahú husu pergunta sira .... maibé hare ba nia la nato’on lalais hodi evita polisia EUA sira.

Ami buka atu aprende liu tan kona-ba kazu Boye, no preokupa hela karik iha ema EUA seluk ka Timor oan balu involve iha kazu ne’e. Timor-Leste tenke sente sorte katak Boye foti de’it tokon $4 hosi ita (maizumenus hanesan ho despeza mensal Ministériu Saúde nian). Uza kazu ne’e nudár lisaun ba ukun na’in sira, sidadaun no ema hotu ne’ebé fiar katak Timor-Leste nia riku-soin limitadu ne’ebé tenke uza atu hadi’ak moris ita nia povu sira.

Autoridade EUA nia hateten katak nia iha tinan 50, aas 190 cm, todan 96kg, nia fuuk metan no nia matan moreno.

Atualiza loron 6 Outubru: Iha loron 20 Juñu, loron ida hafoin FBI kaptura Bobby Boye, juiz ida fó liberdade kondisionál (TIR) ba nia hafoin diskusaun minutu sanulu iha tribunal. Boye promete nia uma (liman los) hanesan garantia ho valor tokon dolar $1.5.

Iha loron 2 Jullu, juiz ida adia prosesu iha tribunal to’o loron 22 Agosto atu fó tempu ba Boye nia advogadu no Ministériu Públiku atu hetan akordu (admite ba krime ki’ik liu) at kansela julgamentu "atu servi interese justisa."  Iha fulan Agosto, juiz adia prosesu liu tan, to'o loron 22 Outubru.

Bele hetan informasaun detalladu liu iha website La'o Hamutuk nian.

Timor-Leste has been robbed!

In April 2015, Boye admitted guilt to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. More here.

Updated 25 August; see below.  On 16 September, LH published an extensive webpage on this case.

Liga ba blog ida ne'e iha Tetum

La'o Hamutuk has warned for years that Timor-Leste's petroleum wealth, when viewed through the cracks in our  management systems and limited levels of experience and capacity, makes us a tempting target, Criminals from all over the world are enticed by the billion dollars Timor-Leste spends each year, and drool over our $16 billion Petroleum Fund. Our fears have now been confirmed.

FBI officials in the USA arrested Nigerian-born U.S. citizen Bobby Boye last Thursday, charging him with seven crimes involving the theft of more than $3.5 million from Timor-Leste's people.

Boye came to Timor-Leste in 2010 as part of Norway's assistance program in the Petroleum Sector, a $4 million, four-year program that finished in 2012, and he  worked as an adviser in the National Directorate for Petroleum Revenue in the Ministry of Finance until last year. According to the FBI, Boye created a fake law firm in New York and arranged for it to get $7.8 million in contracts from Timor-Leste's Ministry of Finance. Timor-Leste was unaware that the "Opus & Best" company didn't exist or that Boye was behind it.

RDTL officials became suspicious only after paying more than $3.5 million to Boye's fake company during 2012. We were told that they then worked with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Norwegian Foreign Ministry and perhaps others, to develop the case against Boye.

According to the FBI's legal filing, Boye spent his ill-gotten gains on four pieces of land in New Jersey, three luxury cars (including a Rolls Royce and a Bentley) and other items. If convicted on all charges, Boye could be imprisoned for 140 years, fined several million dollars, and ordered to repay the money he obtained by fraud.

La'o Hamutuk has information and documents about this case on our web page on back petroleum taxes, which will be updated as we learn more.

Bobby Boye pushed Timor-Leste's government to accuse ConocoPhillips and other oil companies of cheating on their taxes to Timor-Leste, leading to dozens of cases against them totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. The companies paid under protest in order to avoid escalating penalties while appealing. Many of these cases are currently before an arbitration panel in Singapore, which will decide whether this part of Boye's work in Timor-Leste was legitimate.

In addition to his salary from Norway and the money he obtained by fraud, Boye received a $250,000 salary from the Timor-Leste Government's Contingency Fund during 2011, which probably made him the highest paid person in the country.  When we learned of this in November 2012, La'o Hamutuk asked Boye about it, and he replied:

"The Timor-Leste Prime Minister upon recommendation from the then Vice Minister of Finance, DG Revenue & Customs and the National Director of NDPR approved additional compensation for me based on my performance. The employment contract with Norway (now terminated) did not preclude the additional compensation that I received from the TL Government for the services that I rendered during the 2011 calendar year. Whether I am entitled to it or have earned is beyond debate. ...
   "Quite frankly the people that want to ask questions should go ahead and do so but I will encourage them to also look at the results of what I am doing here. Aside from other intangibles like capacity building, structure at NDPR, I have literally brought in over $300 million of additional revenue to TL through solo efforts and that is a mere scratch on the surface-considering what is in the pipeline for TL.
  "I spend an average of 14 hours a day, 7 days a week on what I do here. My talent is portable and if anybody thinks in and out government that I am paid too much, I am more than willing to move on-fairly quickly, so that they can get a cheap replacement."

We don't doubt that Boye worked hard -- in addition to his job as an adviser, he was secretly doing the work of an entire law firm (or at least enough to keep up appearances). And he did move on fairly quickly once people started asking questions ... but apparently not quickly enough to stay ahead of the feds.

We look forward to learning more about the Boye case, and wonder if other U.S. or Timorese people were involved. Timor-Leste should feel lucky that Boye only took us for around $4 million (about as much as the Ministry of Health spends each month). Let this be a lesson for officials, citizens, and everyone who believes that Timor-Leste's finite petroleum wealth should be used to improve the lives of its people.

U.S. authorities say Bobby Boye is 50 years old, 6'3" (190 cm) tall, weighs 211 pounds (96 kg), and has black hair and brown eyes.

Update, 6 July: On 20 June, the day after Bobby Boye was arrested, a judge granted him conditional pre-trial release (TIR) after a 10-minute court appearance. Boye offered his home (right) to guarantee the $1.5 million dollar bond.

On 2 July, a judge suspended proceedings in the case until 22 August to allow Boye's attorneys and federal prosecutors time to negotiate a plea bargain "in the interests of justice."

Update, 23 August: On 21 July, La'o Hamutuk wrote to the prosecutor, urging her to take the case to trial in order to reveal more information about possible violations of Timor-Leste and Norwegian law, as well as who may have conspired with Boye.

On 12 August, the judge extended the suspension of proceeding for 60 days more, until 22 October, because "both the United States and the defendant desire additional time to negotiate a plea agreement, which would render any grand jury proceedings and any subsequent trial of this matter unnecessary."

On 23 August the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten published a long article "(Norway's) Finance Department sends swindler to help Timor-Leste" detailing Boye's long criminal record and the sloppy procedures by which Norway hired him to work in Timor-Leste. Aftenpposten published a shorter English version two days later.

More information is on La'o Hamutuk's website.