Minister Comments on Australian Travel Advice

16 May 2003

The government of Timor-Leste is very sensitive and respectful Australia's concern and obligations to protect its citizenship abroad and can state that all the authorities in Timor-Leste that include United Nations security forces and police, have provided and continue to provide a very safe environment for all foreigners that reside in Timor-Leste.

There has not been any terrorist attack in Timor-Leste in the last three years and the East Timorese government has no information that can validate the Australian travel advice. Timor-Leste remains very peaceful and safe for is people and then foreign residents.

Obviously the Australian government might have information that Timorese government does not have. The two governments do not have it an agreement on intelligence sharing. Therefore, the Timorese government does not have access to Australia's information and claims about possible terrorist threat in Timor-Leste.

The Timorese government has to relay on is own sources that have proved to be credible and effected in the past and based on its own information, conclude that terrorist threat in East Timor from internal or external resources namely Jamaah Islamiyah and Al-Queda are very low.