XANANA: "VETERANS ARE GIVING THE STATE HEADACHES"

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Jornal Nacional Diario - Friday, 18 May 2013 - Translation from Tetun

Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão said that the state has a headache with all of the demands of veterans for benefits. 

"All of the veterans demanding their price, all of problems from veterans right now are giving the state a headache, because there are many problems with veterans, but I say this to you veterans, I am not going to give you any more attention, said Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão during a public dialogue to discuss the Municipalities decentralization plan and program in the Viqueque district administration auditorium (15.5.2013).

The head of government explained that if veterans continue to protest about more money, then the problem of the veterans will become more complicated for the state. 

"If things continue like this, everyday protests amongst you about more monetary payments for you, then the veterans problem will become more complicated for this state," Xanana added. 

Xanana added that, the government has already created a permanent commission to deal with the problems of the veterans, but has been unable to resolve them, and has instead added more problems for the state. 

"The problems of the veterans are not just in Viqueque district, because it was not only Viqueque district that fought, everyone everywhere also fought," Xanana added. 

The head of government and former resistance leader spoke about the fact that the government has till now been unable to resolve the veterans problems because everyone uses their right as a veteran to look for the payment of a pension from the government. 

Xanana said that before, the veterans were united and were examples of nationalism in liberating the country, are now no longer being the good example for today's young people they had been in the past. "Before, you taught us well, we respected you a lot, but now you teach us us bad things instead, you veterans have no shame," Xanana said. 

On the same occasion a representative of the veterans for Viqueque district, Adriano Camara explained that veterans we also involved in corruption against the state's sovereignty thorugh submission of false information and data presented to the ad hoc commission on veterans. 

"Viqueque's own veterans have been fabricating things and have been involved in a lot of corrupt conduct with regard to the state," said Adriano Câmara. 

According to Adriano Camara, veterans have to veterans have to correct these wrongdoings, because in recent times the list of veterans has been falsified with the names of people who were not genuine veterans, and these wrongdoings were all done just to receive payments from the state they were not entitled to. 

"Even those who only participated 3 years in the struggle ended up claiming 8-14 years participation, 5 years participation ended up claiming 15-19 years," he affirmed. 

Adriano Camara also said that, often veterans scream the loudest that the government is corrupt, but it is veterans themselves who are now being corrupt. 

 "We veterans have no conscience anymore, we are just so startled by the money that many false veterans have emerged, thousands and thousands of dollars have been thrown out for veterans," Adriano said. 

 Adriano Camara also spoke about the fact that this was able to happen because the state itself did not know its people, and because of this many people were able to take advantage of the situation. 

Tetun - “Xanana: “Veteranu Halo Estadu Ulun Moras”

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