Roberta Lopes
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - The United Nations (UN) named a special commission to investigate the East Timor crisis, which began on April 28, when conflicts erupted in the country's army. So far 37 people have died as a result of the conflicts. The Independent Special Commission of Inquiry, headed by Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro of Brazil, has been entrusted with the task of establishing responsibility for the events and recommending appropriate measures to punish violations of human rights committed during the period.

The commission will begin its inquiry in July and report its findings to the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, within three months. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro has been a member of the UN Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights since 1998. The other members of the commission are Zelda Holtsman of South Africa and Ralph Zacklin of Britain

The commission was created at the request of the East Timor minister of Foreign Relations and Defense, José Ramos Horta, who sent Annan a letter in which he requested that a commission be formed to assign responsibility for the conflicts that occurred in the country in April and May.

The crisis in the former Portuguese colony was provoked by the dismissal of 600 members of the Army. On April 28 of this year, they organized a protest on the grounds that they were victims of government discrimination. The protest ended in a confrontation with the police. Since then the conflicts have been frequent, and around 37 people have been killed.

The governments of Australia, Portugal, New Zealand, and Malaysia have sent troops to help stabilize the country. Brazil already has a representative there as part of a mission from the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP). Around 150 Brazilian live in East Timor. Most of them are working in cooperation programs in areas such as culture, health, and education.

Translation: David Silberstein