GUIDANCE FOR THE REPORT OF SRSG TO TIMOR-LESTE

UNCLAS STATE 050323 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC TT SUBJECT: GUIDANCE FOR THE REPORT OF SRSG TO TIMOR-LESTE CORE GROUP ¶1. (U) ACTION REQUEST: The Core Group for Timor-Leste will receive the report of the Secretary General's Special Representative for Timor-Leste, Atul Khare, at 10:00 on May ¶13. USUN is requested to draw on material in para 3 below in responding to Khare's report. End Action Request. ¶2. (U) Objectives -------------- -- Convey U.S. Government interest in improving the effectiveness of policing in Timor-Leste. -- Emphasize the continuing importance of achieving accountability for the 2006 crisis and for the restoration of stability. Accountability can be advanced through a fair and transparent vetting process of the Timorese police and implementation of the recommendations of the UN Special Independent Commission of Inquiry (COI). -- Ask what UNMIT's top priorities are for the coming year and how SRSG Khare plans to accomplish them. ¶3. (U) Talking Points -------------- -- We are concerned that the task of rebuilding the capacity of the Timor-Leste National Police (PNTL) remains unfinished. -- What are UNMIT's plans for strengthening PNTL, including the timeline for handing over authority for law enforcement to PNTL during the coming year? -- Buy-in by the Government of Timor-Leste will be critical to any security sector reform initiative. -- How does UNMIT plan to handle the issue of separating Timorese police officers implicated in human rights abuses? (Note: We understand that at least 300 police have been identified as implicated in human rights violations and should be separated with a severance package. We are concerned that failure to settle the terms of their separation will create a new source of conflict. End note). -- The actions of the UN in Timor-Leste send a clear signal to the Government of Timor-Leste and the Timorese public as to whether the international community remains committed to achieving accountability for the events of 2006 as called for by UNSC resolution 1802. -- We understand that a UN agency operating in Timor-Leste plans to hire a former senior Government of Timor-Leste official named in the COI Report who has neither been investigated nor prosecuted. -- The U.S. strongly opposes action by UNMIT or any UN agency to hire, directly or indirectly, any individual named by the COI Report as reasonably suspected of participation in serious criminal activity in 2006 until the competent authorities of the GOTL have acted on the COI recommendations. RICE