“Major General Lere Asks CPD-RDTL Not to Play Around With the RDTL Flag and FALINTIL Anthem”

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TVTL News - Translated from Tetum News service - Friday 8 February 2013 

The Head of the FALINTIL-Timor-Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL) Major General Lere Anan Timur has condemned the actions of CPD-RDTL members who used the national flag to sit on in their cars. The F-FDTL discovered this when they carried out searches of CPD-RDTL members in the Fatoberliu sub-district. 

The Timor-Leste National flag has its legacy in the blood and mortal remains of nearly 200,000 Timorese who died for this beloved nation. The head of the F-FDTL, Major General Lere Anan Timur told this to the CPD-RDTL masses gathered in Transmigration site SP2 in Kiras, Sub district of Fatoberliu, Manufahi. Lere Anan Timur speaking firmly said that the F-FDTL and Police had proof that some CPD-RDTL members had used the national flag to sit on whilst travelling in their cars. 

“During these searches we found a lot of things out. Your CPD-RDTL members spread the national flag down inside the car and sat on top of it. Now you are making a mistake doing this. This flag you are raising, was bought with blood and remains of people, with which we must be careful. If you want to sit on this flag, then which flag do you want instead? This flag has the price of blood spilt, the price of fallen bodies. This was the flag many of our compatriots died for. We will defend this flag against anyone, another country invading our country. Your compatriots dressed in this uniform (the F-FDTL) have sworn, I have sworn, to defend this flag with our lives. Only after have all died and gone can others tromp on our flag, but nobody will stomp on our flag whilst we are still alive. Some time ago I went to Lospalos to meet with your CPD-RDTL colleagues, and heard them singing the Falintil Anthem. But, they changed the words, with references to hoes, to motor vehicles, buffalos, horses and other things. So I told them that the Falintil anthem is a sacred anthem. No one can change the words to refer to cars, carrying machetes, horses, buffalos. The Falintil anthem was established with blood, with the bones and bodies of the fallen. That is why you should not change the words to the Falintil anthem. If you want to change the words then find another piece of music. The Falintil anthem must not turn into a song about cars, be about cornfields, about rice paddies. The Falintil anthem is a warriors anthem, not a farmers anthem. It’s alright, because sometimes we do not know what democracy is. So firstly, you as Timorese, also as Timorese citizens, you have to accept that you are subject to the government and the state,” said Lere Anan Timur. 

Also, during the searches of the CPD-RDTL members, they also found weapons (knives and such hand implements) carried in bags. 

“Then, we also detected you CPD-RDTRL carrying sharp weapons (swords and fighting knives),” Lere said.

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