COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

Forty-seventh session

14 January - 1 February 2008

WRITTEN REPLIES BY THE GOVERNMENT OF timor leste CONCERNING THE LIST OF ISSUES (CRC/C/OPAC/tls/Q/1) TO BE TAKEN UP IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONSIDERATION OF THE INITIAL REPORT OF timor leste UNDER ARTICLE 8 (1) OF THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD ON THE INVOLVEMENT OF CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICT (CRC/C/OPAC/tls/1)

[Replies received on 9 January 2008]

Question 1 ( CRC/C/OPAC/TLS/Q/1, para. 1)

1. Under the draft Children’s Code, a child is a person under the age of eighteen. Moreover, article 14, paragraph 2, of the FALINTIL-FDTL Organic Law provides that no person under the age of 18 may be recruited for military service. At the time of writing, it is not possible to provide a fuller response to the question posed .

Question 2 ( CRC/C/OPAC/TLS/Q/1, para. 2)

2. A number of education and training sessions on human rights have been conducted for Government officials. At the time of writing, it is not possible to provide specific information on human rights education for members of FALINTIL-FDTL or on the degree of emphasis placedon the provisions of the Optional Protocol in the human rights education provided .

Question 3 ( CRC/C/OPAC/TLS/Q/1, para. 3) :

3.If candidates are not in possession of a UNTAET ID card, the normal procedure is to verify the age of recruits by the birth certificate of the candidate. If this is also unavailable, it is thought that an affidavit is used whereby three persons verify the candidate’s age, although at the time of writing it has not been possible to confirm this with the relevant department.

Question 4 ( CRC/C/OPAC/TLS/Q/1, para. 4)

4.All FALINTIL veterans are entitled to the support provided by FRAP. According to the National Division for Social Reinsertion (DNRS, formerly DNSS), even if the soldiers were children at the time of the conflict they still constitute veterans and are entitled to the benefits associated therewith.

5.Efforts are made to reintegrate former child soldiers in the community. According to the DNRS, there does not seem to be a particular problem regarding the reintegration of children who, having formed part of the Indonesian militia, are returning to Timor-Leste. The DNRS has no reported cases on maltreatment of this particular group, which is entitled to the same education, health and other social benefits.

6.Efforts have also been made to reintegrate former child soldiers who are now adults into the FALINTIL-FDTL. Disabled former child soldiers have received a monetary award and a medal and have been assisted with housing.

Question 5 ( CRC/C/OPAC/TLS/Q/1, para. 5)

7.The National Division for Social Reinsertion (DNRS) has no particular information on the question of martial arts groups. However, during the 2006 crisis efforts were made to promote an understanding of mutual acceptance amongst different groups which had been in conflict with each other, including some martial arts groups.

8.Furthermore, a working group under the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports has been established to draft a law to regulate martial arts groups, which will be presented to the Council of Ministers for approval.

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