The UNDP flagged up high levels
of poverty and unemployment in East Timor
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East
Timor has criticised the UN Development Programme over a draft report that
accuses the government of not doing enough to tackle poverty and prosecute war
criminals.
The UNDP acknowledged that substantial progress has been made
since East Timor gained independence in 2002.
But it also criticised the high levels of unemployment among
young people.
The row comes weeks before the UN Security Council reconsiders
its multi-million dollar mission in East Timor.
The draft UNDP report said that East Timor had not done enough
to relieve poverty or tackle high rates of youth unemployment.
There is also concern about the government's decision not to
pursue those responsible for alleged war crimes committed prior to independence
from Indonesia.
The report criticised the release of a militia leader suspected
of orchestrating a massacre of 200 unarmed civilians seeking refuge in a church
in 1999.
Senior East Timorese officials said that such commentary on
sensitive diplomatic issues was "inappropriate".
The state secretary for security, Francisco de Costa Guterres,
said the UN had failed to grasp the complexity of the relationship between East
Timor and its former colonial master, Indonesia.
Mr Guterres has labelled the UNDP study biased, inaccurate and
culturally ignorant.
He said the UN had not seen for itself the work the authorities
have done in many impoverished communities.
In response, the UNDP said the authors of its study were
reviewing the government's comments.
The final report is expected to be published later this year.
In the coming weeks, the UN Security Council is due to
reconsider the future of its current mission in East Timor, which began in 2006
following an outbreak of gang violence.
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