Former members of the Timor-Leste Youth Parliament (ATLYP) has called on the government to propose legislation to control internet access in the country as people often use it to threaten or intimidate others.
ATLYP President Zaulino da Silva said that as a new country the government should take steps to prevent cyber bullying otherwise it could impact on the country’s stability and the future of young people.
“Internet is not the problem, the problem is the way it’s being used because we don’t use it in a positive way,” he said.
He said the internet is like an online library for society and could also be a good tool for young people to increase their knowledge.
He said ATLYP continued to raise awareness to communities about accessing positive information online.
Last year ATLYP conducted a campaign in Ermera, Liquica, Manatuto, Aileu, Ainaro and Dili to promote ethical internet use.
In terms of technology development, he said Timor had made significant progress as the majority of Timorese people now had access the internet via their mobile phone.
ATLYP is a youth association, which aims to raise awareness about education, mental wellbeing and promote the rights of young people.
Meanwhile, Director Movement of Women Organization (MOFFE) Yasinta Lujina agreed that there needed to be a legal basis to regulate internet use in the country because people continued to use it to defame others.
She said the use of communication technologies had many benefits for society to improve their life, but often people didn’t take advantage of it.
“I see that young people never use [the internet] to look for information to support their studies, but use it for posting their everyday activities,” she said.
She therefore called on the competent authorities to take this into consideration as it could potentially lead to cyber bullying.
The National Member of Parliament also urged the government to control social media use and follow the lead of other countries like Indonesia and block pornography sites.
