There are currently 648 prisoners detained in Gleno and Becora prisons for committing murder and other crimes.
The National Director for Prison and Social Registration, Helder Cosme Marçal Belo, said 541 were imprisoned in Becora and 107 were in Gleno prison, with numbers increasing every year.
“It is ours and the media’s duty to prevent crimes in Timor by making a strategic plan to reduce or prevent crime,” said Belo.
Of the 648 prisoners currently detained, 146 were serving sentences, 488 were in preventative detention and 14 were in temporary detention.
This number also included 29 foreigners, of which six were women and 23 male.
Prisoners included nationals from Indonesia, China, the Philippines and Australia, mainly for murder and drug-related crimes.
Meanwhile, national MP Cristovao Barros called on the wider public to be aware, avoid violence and take an active role in conflict prevention.
“The government should look at the issue as the number of prisoners is increasing every year [and] it is not good,” he said.
He also called on the government to raise awareness of the law to the communities so they knew and avoided the crimes.
