14 September 2013

Konsultasaun ba proposta Kódigu Mineiru hahú ona

Informasaun foun, Junu 2014: MPRM hatete ba La'o Hamutuk katak sira muda ona sira nia planu, no sei LAIHA konsultasaun publiku iha Dili kona-ba ezbosu lei ida ne'e.  Sira hanoin atu haruk nia ba Konsellu Ministru iha tempo badak.

Ministériu Petróleu no Rekursu Minerais ko’alia ona ho ema barak iha nasaun ida ne’e kona ba ezbosu Lei Mineiru ba lisensiamentu no regulamentu operasionál minerais nian iha nasaun ne’e. Konsultasaun primeiru iha Oekusi hahú iha 26 Agosto, no konsultasaun tuir mai sei hala’o iha Suai iha 25 Setembru. La’o Hamutuk sírkula ezbosu lei ne’e no liu husi pájina ne’e ami enkoraja ita boot sira atu estuda no fó sujestaun.

Operasaun mineiru kria problema barak ba ema iha mundu tomak. Maski sei fó rendimentu ba governu no kompañia transnasional sira, atividade operasaun ne’e dala barak hamosu destruisaun ambientál, kria problema hanesan eviksaun; poluisaun rai, bee no atmosfera; violasaun direitus umanus; konflitu; funu no harahun buat barak ba ema hirak ne’ebé hela besik ka iha area atividade operasaun minerais.

Iha Novembru 2008, Sekretáriu Estadu Rekursu Naturais estabelese
Asosiasaun Lia Na’in ne’ebé simbolikamente fó direitu esplorasaun
mineira nian ba Primeiru Ministru Xanana Gusmão.
Esperiénsia hatudu katak regulasaun ne’ebé efetivu sai esensiál (maski dala barak la sufisiente), atu redús devastasaun no proteje povu nia direitu. Haree ba realidade katak atividade minerais la'os sustentavel (ho gastu rikusoin minerais naun renovavel hodi hetan osan), ne’e sempre iha dezafiu boot atu minimiza impaktu negativu. Ami espera katak konsultasaun públiku ne’ebé efetivu - no mós ho boa vontade hosi governu no Parlamentu hodi rona - sei ajuda implementa lei ne’ebé sei proteje ita nia povu nia interese ba tempu badak no mós tempu naruk.

La’o Hamutuk halo scan ezbosu lei ne’ebé inklui artigu 178 iha ezbosu Kódigu Mineiru, ne’ebé ita bele download iha Ingles hanesan PDF ka dokumentu Word. MPRM mós fasilita versaun Tetun no Portugés.

Ministériu Petróleu no Rekursu Minerais seidauk husu atu hakerek submisaun, maibé ami espera katak sira sei konsidera hanoin balu hosi ema matenek na’in sira, espesialmente ba ema ne’ebé iha esperiénsia ba operasaun mineira nian. Labele ignora atividade operasaun ne’e tanba nia risku boot liu hanesan lisaun ne’ebé hatudu iha nasaun hotu. La’o Hamutuk husu komentáriu no sujestaun atu aumenta ami nia submisaun ne’ebé ami sei hakerek (favor bele haruka ba laohamutuk@gmail.com), no ami enkoraja ba públiku no organizasaun sira atu haruka sira nia komentáriu ba Ministru Alfredo Pires. La’o Hamutuk kontente atu publika iha ami nia pájina web kualkér submisaun ka análize ne’ebé ita boot sira fahe ba ami.

08 September 2013

Draft Mining Law consultation starts

Lee blog ida ne'e iha Tetum.

Update, June 2014: MPRM told La'o Hamutuk that they have changed their plans, and there will NOT be any public consultation on this law in Dili. They expect to send it to the Council of Ministers soon.

Timor-Leste's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MPRM) has been talking with people around the country about a proposed law and code to license and regulate mining operations in the country.  The first consultation was in Oecusse on 26 August, and another will take place in Suai on 25 September. La'o Hamutuk is circulating the draft law through this posting, and we encourage people to study it and offer suggestions.

Mining operations create problems for people all over the world. Although they may provide income for governments and transnational companies, they often result in environmental destruction; displacement; pollution of land, air and water; human rights violations; conflict; war and other devastating consequences for people living near or downstream from the mines.

Experience shows that effective regulation is essential (although not always sufficient) to reduce damage and protect people's rights. Given the intrinsic non-sustainability of mining activities (which use up non-renewable mineral resources in order to provide cash), it is always challenging to minimize their negative impacts. We hope that effective public consultation -- together with the willingness of the Government and Parliament to listen -- can help Timor-Leste enact legislation which will protect our people's short- and long-term interests.

In November 2008, the State Secretariat for Natural Resources created an
association of Timor-Leste's traditional leaders (lia nain) who symbolically
handed over the right to explore for minerals to Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.
La'o Hamutuk scanned the English translation of the draft law and associated 178-article draft Mining Code, which you can download as a PDF or Word file. MPRM has also provided Portuguese and Tetum versions.

MPRM has not yet asked for written submissions, and we hope that they will consider input from knowledgeable people, especially those who have experience with mining operations.  The risks are too high to ignore lessons already learned all over the world. La'o Hamutuk welcomes comments and suggestions to improve the submission we will write (please send them to laohamutuk@gmail.com), and we encourage people and organizations to send their own comments to Minister Alfredo Pires. La'o Hamutuk is happy to web-publish any submissions and analyses which are shared with us.

07 September 2013

LH Bulletin highlights land rights, food sovereignty

After a lapse of several years, the La'o Hamutuk Bulletin has resumed publication.  The July 2013 issue includes:
  • Whom Will the Land Laws Empower?
  •      Land Law glossary
  •      New books on land consultation
  • Food Sovereignty and Food Security
  •      Seed Policy glossary
  •      La'o Hamutuk Submission on Seed Policy 
  • Editorial: Together We Can End Impunity
Paper copies of the Bulletin are available in English or Tetum from La'o Hamutuk's office in Bebora, Dili. The Bulletin can also be read online in English or Tetum or downloaded as PDF in English or Tetum.

Click here for links to all previous Bulletins and a list of the articles they contain.