Contact: Juvinal Dias (La’o Hamutuk/Movimento Kontra Deve), +670-734-8703, juvinal@laohamutuk.org

John M. Miller (ETAN), +1-718-596-7668; john@etan.org

8 September 2011 - Timor-Leste and international organizations today urged "the government of Timor-Leste to keep the nation debt-free and refrain from borrowing money from international lenders.... to protect its future generations."

The groups argue that "Rather than repeat the mistakes of other developing countries that have struggled with debt during recent decades, Timor-Leste should learn from their experiences, which often inflicted great hardships on their people."

The letter warns that, despite Timor-Leste's current petroleum wealth: "When Timor-Leste's oil and gas run out in less than 15 years, and debts still must be repaid, Timor-Leste's children and grandchildren will suffer the consequences."

The letter was initiated by Timor-Leste's Movimento Kontra Deve (Movement Against Debt, facilitated by La’o Hamutuk) and the U.S.-based East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN).

The full text of the statement in Tetum and English with a complete list of signers can be found at  http://www.etan.org/news/2011/08debt.htm and  http://www.laohamutuk.org/econ/debt/2011/11ETANMKDStmt5Sep2011.htm.

The statement was endorsed by 137 organizations based in 32 countries. International networks with long experience in opposing onerous debt on developing countries are among the signers, including: Focus on the Global South, Jubilee South - Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development, Third World Network and CADTM International (Committee for the Cancellation of Third World Debt).

20 groups in Timor-Leste signed the statement, including the Timor-Leste Institute for Development Monitoring and Analysis (La’o Hamutuk), NGO Forum, Student Front, Community Leaders Forum, Haburas Foundation and ETADEP. Signing organizations from Timor-Leste’s southeast Asian neighbors include WALHI - Friends of the Earth Indonesia, Freedom from Debt Coalition ­ Philippines, International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID) and EARTH (Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand).

Other signers include sustainable development advocates and groups that have long supported the people of Timor-Leste, such as Jubilee USA, the International Platform of Jurists for East Timor, Oil Change International (USA), Aidwatch (Australia), Friends of the Earth U.S., Bank Information Center (USA), Tapol (U.K.), CAFOD (U.K.), Free East Timor Japan Coalition, and the Free East Timor Foundation (VOT, Utrecht, the Netherlands).

Income from oil and gas provides 95% of Timor-Leste's state revenue, making the country the most petroleum-export dependent in the world. Although Timor-Leste has not yet borrowed funds from other countries or international financial institutions, the government has passed several laws to enable borrowing, including the 2009 Budget and Financial Management Law, as well as revisions to the Petroleum Fund Law and the new Public Debt Law both passed just two weeks ago. In early August, the Asia Development Bank posted information on its website about a proposed $8.15 million loan to Timor-Leste to upgrade the national road network.

The Movimento Kontra Deve is a coalition of civil society organizations in Timor-Leste opposed to the country taking out loans. ETAN ( http://www.etan.org ) is a 20-year old U.S.-based group working in solidarity with the people of Timor-Leste.

Additional background on Timor-Leste and borrowing can be found in
English: http://www.laohamutuk.org/econ/debt/09Borrowing.htm and
Tetum: http://www.laohamutuk.org/econ/debt/09BorrowingTe.htm

Kontaktu: Juvinal Dias (La’o Hamutuk/Movimento Kontra Deve), +670-734-8703, juvinal@laohamutuk.org

John M. Miller (ETAN), +1-718-596-7668; john@etan.org

8 de Setembro de 2011 – Organizasaun Naun Governmental sira hosi Timór-Leste no internasional ohin husu ba “Governu Timór-Leste atu mantein nasaun ne’ebe livre hosi deve no hases-an hosi impresta osan hosi kreditor internasional sira no mos atu proteze jerasaun futuru.”

Grupu sira ne’e argumenta katak “infez ita repete erru sira ne’ebé nasaun sub-dezenvolvida sira komete iha pasadu, iha ne’ebé sira luta ona durante dekade barak nia laran, Timór-Leste tenki aprende hosi esperiénsia hirak ne’e, ne’ebé dala barak lori naha todan ba sira nia emar sira.

Karta ida ne’e mos fo hanoin katak maski Timór-Leste iha riku soin petróleum ohin loron, “wainhira Timór-Leste nia mina no gas hotu iha menus de tinan 15 nia laran, no ita sei nafatin tenki selu fila fali tusan, ita nia oan no bei-oan sira sei sofre hosi konsekuensia hirak ne’e.”

Karta ida ne’e inisia hosi Movimentu Kontra Deve iha Timór-Leste (fasilita hosi La’o Hamutuk), no East Timór and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) ne’ebe nia baze iha Estadus Unidus da Amerika (EUA).

Statementu kompletu iha Tetum no Inglesh hamutuk ho organizasaun sira ne’ebé asina bele hetan iha http://www.etan.org/news/2011/08debt.htm  no http://www.laohamutuk.org/econ/debt/2011/11ETANMKDStmt5Sep2011.htm.

Statementu ida ne’e hetan suporta hosi organizasaun 137, husi nasaun 32. Rede internasional sira ho esperiensia luta naruk kontra naha todan deve nasaun sub-dezenvolvido sira nian asina hotu statementu ne’e, inklui: Focus on Global South, Jubilee South – Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development, Third World Network and CADTM International (Committee for the Cancellation of Third World Debt).

Grupu 20 iha Timór-Leste mak asina statementu ne’e, inklui Institutu Timór-Leste ba Monitor no Analiza Dezenvolvimentu (La’o Hamutuk), Forum ONG, Front Estudante, Forum Lider Comunitario, Fundasaun Haburas no ETADEP. Organizasaun sira hosi Sudeste Asiatiku, vizinho Timór-Leste nian, inklui WALHI - Friends of the Earth Indonesia, Freedom from Debt Coalition ¬ Philippines, International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID) and EARTH (Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand).

Organizasaun seluk ne’ebe asina, inklui grupu sira ne’ebé advoka ba dezenvolvimentu sustentavel, mos suporta povo Timór-Leste iha tempu naruk nia laran, hanesan Jubilee EUA, International Platform of Jurists for East Timor, Oil Change International (EUA), Aidwatch (Australia), Friends of the Earth U.S., Bank Information Center (EUA), Tapol (Inglatera), CAFOD (Inglatera), Japan East Timor Coalition, and the Free East Timor Foundation (VOT, Utrecht, Olanda).

Rendimentu hosi mina-rai no gas fornese 95% ba rendimentu estadu Timór-Leste nian, halo nasauin ida ne’e sai nudar nasaun ho nia dependensia ba petroleu ne’ebe as liu iha mundu. Maski Timór-Leste seidauk impresta osan hosi nasaun seluk, ka instituisaun finanseiru internasional, governu Timór-Leste aprova ona lei balu atu bele deve, inklui Lei Orçamentu e Gestão Financeira 2009, no mos revizaun Lei Fundu Petróleum, no Lei foun ba Divida Públiku. Lei rua ne’e hetan aprovasaun semana rua liu ba. Iha inísiu fulan Agostu, Website Banku Dezenvolvimentu Asiátiku (ADB) publika proposta deve hamutuk $8.15 millaun ba Timór-Leste atu hadi’a rede dalan nasional Timór-Leste nian.

Movimentu Kontra Deve nudar koalisaun organizasaun sosiedade sivil ida iha Timór-Leste ne’ebé kontra Timór-Leste atu deve. ETAN (http://www/etan.org) mak organizasaun fo solidaridade ba povo Timór-Leste durante tinan 20 nia laran, ne’ebe nia base iha EUA.

Ita-boot bele nformasaun tan kona-ba Timor-Leste no deve iha
Inglesh: http://www.laohamutuk.org/econ/debt/09Borrowing.htm ka
Tetum: http://www.laohamutuk.org/econ/debt/09BorrowingTe.htm