The Timor-Leste Coalition for Education feels upset with the conditions facing the students the government evicted from the former Hotel Rezende last month, because they’ve lost their home.
Program Manager of the Timor-Leste Coalition for Education (TLCE) Matias dos Santos said the students don’t have a place to stay in Dili.
“They still don’t have a place to live and many can’t go to school because this is causing pressure for them,” said Program Manager dos Santos in Kaikoli, Dili.
According to him,the problem could affect students in their studies, especially as exams were approaching.
“Some schools will start their exams, for example UNTL will hold exams, but now they don’t have a home and they must find another place to live,” said dos Santos.
He said the government should have actually arranged a new place first before evicting the occupants, most of whom were students.
In regards to the issue, the Dili District Administrator Gaspar Soares said not having a home wasn’t an excuse, because they should have planned where to live properly before coming to Dili for school.
“If you come from Ainaro, Aileu and Baucau to go to school in Dili, you must have the conditions, like a rental house and a way to find food to eat, there should be a plan,” said Administrator Soares.
He said actually university students understood better than ordinary people that the state’s property would be handed back to the state when it was needed.
Therefore he asked the community not to illegally occupy state land, so it would not be difficult when the government needed the land for development.
At the same place, Dili District Commander Pedro Belo said an order is an order, and the police were there to execute it.
“We cannot play with the order, if you want to complain, talk to the competent organs,” he said.
