Search for Common Ground (SFCG) has discussed the need to protect young people from manipulation. 
SFCG country director Jose Francisco de Sousa said it was a good opportunity to tell youths to avoid group pressure, which he said young people were susceptible to because they are vulnerable and easily influenced.
“Youths should keep their own position so they cannot fall into any temptation and take sides of the groups,” Director Sousa said, at Dili University (UNDIL), Dili.
Community Development Institute director Olandio Rui de Andrade, said youths between the ages of 17 and 29 were easily influenced.
He said youths were a prime target for use by groups involved in drugs and illegal activities to mobilize and influence other people’s opinions to further those groups’ interests because the youths are hot-tempered and muscular.
“They have to be firm not to let other people to manipulate them and we know that there are toxic substances in our country,” he said.
National Youth Council president Leovigildo Costa Hornai said he was very concerned by people taking advantage of young men and women, with those at social and economic disadvantage the most at risk.
He urged coordinated action as the groups in question use both direct and indirect forms of manipulation to achieve their goals.
“We have to think and put in effort to gain leadership skills in all levels, especially district and sub-district administrators, village chiefs including sub-village chiefs to find a solution to this problem,” he said.
Human Right Ombudsman (PDHJ) deputy Silverio Pinto said if human rights were violated, a crime had been committed, therefore authorities should work to find out the situations.
“Human rights are violated when a state authority commits a violation but when youth or civil people (do the same) it is a crime,” Deputy Pinto said.
He says PDHJ was prioritizing criminal cases over human rights violations. This was because when a state authority commits a violation against a community it was not only a violation of human rights but also a crime, so it should be investigated as such.
“Bring the cases to the Ministry of Public to make an accusation to the court,” he said.
