Timor-Leste Police โคDeploy Tear Gas Against Protesters Opposingโฃ MPโข Vehicleโ Purchases
Dili, Timor-leste โ – Police in Timor-leste firedโฃ tearโข gasโฃ Monday at a demonstration in โฃthe capital, Dili,โฃ sparked by a โฃgovernment plan to purchase new vehicles for members of โคparliament. The protest, largely comprised of university โstudents, underscores โฃgrowing public frustration with government spending in one โofโ Southeast Asia’s poorest nations.
More than 1,000 people gathered near the National Parliament to voice opposition โto the plan,โ approved โคlastโ year, to provide โa vehicle to eachโฃ of the country’s 65โฃ parliamentarians.โค The controversy highlightsโข Timor-Leste’s struggleโข with economic inequality and its heavy reliance โคonโ dwindling oil revenues, with overโข 40 โpercent of theโ population living below the poverty line accordingโ toโค the โWorld โคBank. Theโ incident raisesโ questions about the government’s priorities as itโข faces challengesโฃ inโ addressing widespread poverty, malnourishment,โ and unemployment.
The demonstration began peacefully, but escalated after some protesters threw rocks toward parliament, causing damage to several โฃcars.โ Police responded by deploying tear gas, injuring at least four protesters whoโข required medical attention at โฃa nearby health facility, according toโ an โขAFP journalist on the scene.
“We ask for the parliament members to โcancel the decision to purchase the (Toyota) Prado for theโ sake of self-enhancement,” said Leonito Carvalho, a student at the Universidade da Paz inโ Dili. โค”Otherwise, we โwill remain standing here.”
National โขpolice official โฃJustino Menezesโฃ stated that authorities will summon protest organizers to โคaddress responsibility โfor the damage. Several political parties that initially approved the 2025 budget including the vehicle purchasesโ have now indicated theyโข will request parliament โคreconsider โtheโ plan.
In โคa joint statement, the National Congress for โคTimorese Reconstruction,โค the Democratic โคParty, โคand the Enrich โคthe National Unity โofโ the Sons of Timor, acknowledged the purchase “did not reflect public interests.”
Timor-leste, whichโ gained independence from Indonesia in 2002 after a 24-year occupation,โฃ remains heavilyโฃ dependent on oil revenue and faces significant hurdles โin diversifying its โฃeconomy.Theโ current โขunrest underscores the urgent need for enduringโ development and equitable resource โallocation in the young nation.
