Member of Parliament Eladio Faculto has criticized the government for using force to move on fish and coconut vendors at the Lecidere beachfront.
Faculto said the vendors only wanted to make a living.
“They should be moved politely. One day I went to a vendor at the beach and he said that the government had moved them by force,” he said.
“They should be moved to the proper place but do not make them upset because all they’re doing is making a living.”
Santa Cruz xefe suku Manuel Corrreia said the government moved vendors on but did not create good conditions for them elsewhere.
Vendors in Taibesi battled dusty conditions while vendors who were formerly at the Hari Laran markets still did not have a place to sell their goods.
“Physical violence isn’t the only offence one can commit against a person; treating people improperly is also a violation of their human rights,” Corrreia said.
Lecidere coconut vendor Lorenço de Jesus said patrols from the Dili district Department of Sanitation used force against vendors to stop them from selling their goods by the street.
“If we do not sell things, where will we get the money to support our families?” he asked.
“If we try to sell at the market, people won’t buy our products because there are already a lot of other vendors there.”
