East Timor's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao wants gun law change

Herald Sun ^ | 3 July, 2008 | NA

[marktwain]

EAST Timor's Prime Minister is supporting a new law that would allow civilians to own guns, less than five months after illegally armed rebel soldiers tried to kill him and the President.

[marktwain]

Nice to see some thinking outside of the authoritarian box.

[TLI]

Wow! A politician that "gets it."

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao last week introduced the proposed gun law to Parliament for "urgent debate" - pushing back scheduled budgetary discussions.

Under Article 4 of the law, civilians would be allowed to own firearms. Currently, only police and military personnel can carry weapons.

Why the light switched on...

In 2006, East Timor was rocked by violence that involved illegally armed civilian militias. Dozens died in the unrest, and 100,000 people were forced from their homes.

Former Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri was forced to resign over the unrest, and former interior minister Rogerio Lobato was later convicted of illegally arming civilian hit squads to eliminate political opponents.

Resulting in the parrot like standard response of...

The United Nations, which heads a stabilization force in the young nation, has expressed concern over the proposed gun law.
"The less weapons we have on the streets, the safer it is," said acting United Nations Police Commissioner Juan Carlos Arevalo.

except in 2006, right Juan? That was One Hundred THOUSAND Timor citizens that "were forced from their homes" that could have stopped the b***s**t before it even started, Mr. United Nations Police Commissioner Juan Carlos Arevalo. As we can all see, the "United Nations Police" could not do squat.

[Flintlock]

Hello?
Anybody listening?
THE UN IDIOTS ARE NOW THE ‘BAD GUYS’ (!)
Iffen you are paying attention, that is.

[shekkian]

Maybe he took the cue from our own Supreme Court.

[marktwain]

“Maybe he took the cue from our own Supreme Court.”

---

Could be. I hope so, unlike that idiot Bremer who *insisted* that the Iraqi Constitution specificaly say that the citizens did *not* have a right to “Keep and Bear Arms”.

[correctthought]

illegally armed civilian militias - probably muslims, so this is a move that would allow non-muslims to protect themselves. I'm speculating, but given East Timor’s recent history, I think that's the case.

[piasa]

Former Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri was forced to resign over the unrest,

Mari Alkatiri is an incompetent Marxist.

[piasa]

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