High costs and displacement – Pope's visit to East Timor criticised

The expected expenses for the Pope's visit to East Timor have drawn criticism from local human rights groups. Mariano Ferreira from the human rights organisation Lao Hamutuk told the Asian press service "Ucanews" (Thursday) that the costs of around 12 million US dollars stated by the government, including around one million for the altar alone, were far too high in view of the extreme poverty in the country.

The researcher at the Timor-Leste Institute for Development Monitoring and Analysis criticised that the government had only earmarked 4.7 million dollars to increase food production. This "really low" budget could hardly contribute anything to increasing the sustainability of food production and development in agriculture.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, East Timor is facing major challenges in terms of food security. High inflation and weather changes have reduced grain production, with the result that around 364,000 people, or 27 per cent of the population, are currently suffering from acute food insecurity.

The location of the papal mass is also causing displeasure

The location of the papal mass in Tasi-Tolu, an open area on the coast about eight kilometres from the capital Dili, is also causing displeasure. The government has confiscated 23 hectares of land for the event, which, according to human rights activists, would displace 185 families living there. Pedrito Vieira, a coordinator of the Land Network, told "Ucanews" that the government had not yet offered the poor families any alternatives. "They are still waiting for compensation. The date of their eviction is constantly changing. The lives of these families are uncertain at the moment, they don't know where to go." Land Network is a coalition of non-governmental organisations that campaign for land rights.

Apart from the Philippines, East Timor is the only country in East Asia with a Christian majority. Almost 98 per cent of the population professes allegiance to the Catholic Church. Pope Francis will visit the country for the first time during his trip to East Asia on 8 and 9 September. Around 700,000 of the 1.3 million inhabitants are expected to attend the papal mass. (KNA)