Timor-Leste police fire tear gas on second day of car purchase protests
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University students are protesting against the Parliament’s plan to buy 65 vehicles for lawmakers.
PHOTO: AFP
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DILI, Timor-Leste – Timor-Leste police fired tear gas on Sept 16 at protesters railing for the second day against a plan to buy new official cars for lawmakers, which became the latest flashpoint in one of the poorest nations in South-east Asia.
More than 2,000 people – mostly students from several universities in the capital Dili – gathered near Parliament to protest against the plan to procure cars for each of the 65 members of Parliament, according to an AFP journalist.
The demonstration, which began peacefully, turned violent when police fired tear gas after some protesters hurled rocks towards them.
It followed a similar protest on Sept 15, which prompted several political parties to announce they would ask Parliament to cancel the purchase. Those same parties had previously approved the 2025 Budget that included the funding for the vehicles.
Protesters have vowed to continue their rallies until the plan is formally scrapped.
“We want the decision to purchase the cars to be cancelled. This decision needs to be taken by the president of the national Parliament,” said activist Domingos de Andrade, 34, on Sept 16. “They need to stop the bad habit of buying cars.”
Protesters carried a banner urging the authorities to “stop thieves, stop corrupters”. They also burned tyres and a government vehicle near the Parliament building.
As at Sept 16, the Timor-Leste government had yet to issue an official response to the protests.
East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta said on Sept 16 that there would be “no tolerance” of violence during the demonstrations. “You can hold demonstrations to protest against the government, Parliament when they do wrong, but you must not resort to violence,” he added.
In a joint statement on Sept 15, the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction, the Democratic Party and the Enrich The National Unity Of The Sons Of Timor party said the purchase “did not reflect public interests” and pledged to ask Parliament to cancel the purchase.
Timor-Leste, South-east Asia’s youngest country
