Dili, 17 March 2026 (Média Democracia) – Timor-Leste National Police (PNTL) Dili Municipality Command received orientation from the General Command through the Operations Command to guarantee security during demonstrations, also ensuring that public movement isn’t impeded, and protest activities should follow rules defined in the Demonstration Law No. 1/2006.
“From the Dili Municipality Command, we received orientation from the General Command through the Operations Command regarding their demonstrations, I can say that the Dili Municipality Command supports ensuring security in the capital Dili as a democratic nation. There’s freedom of assembly to express in public but we still follow the rules of the Demonstration Law No. 1/2006.” Said Dili Municipality PNTL Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police, Orlando Gomes, to journalists at Dili Municipality Command Caicoli, Monday (16/03/2026)
Even though the protesters have submitted a notification letter to the General Command through the Operations Command, demonstrations still shouldn’t be held in public spaces according to the law in effect. Therefore, today the Dili Municipality Command on the ground supports security for the location, ensuring no impediment to public movement, meaning everything should proceed normally and as usual.
Chief Superintendent of Police explains, the notification letter was submitted to the General Command last week and the operations command has contacted the new cadet candidates to meet up and decide on the demonstration location but they weren’t reachable.
Therefore, the Dili Municipality Command maintains its order that they aren’t authorized to hold demonstrations in public places, which would impede the public and could disrupt teaching and learning at the UNTL Faculty of Social Sciences campus. If they continue, PNTL will have to clear the area.
Orlando informs, as Dili Municipality Commander, we following orders from the general command. Since there’s no definite location decided yet, the new cadets should gather at the Operations Command to decide on a location.
According to the Dili Municipality Command’s security plan, they’ve deployed members from the force, with squads positioned in the area around the Ministry of Interior to ensure nothing happens there.
At the same location, spokesperson for the 2025 PNTL new cadets, Titio Elias, said the action is based on the new cadets’ results, which mostly involve nepotism and favouritism.
“We, the 2025 cadets, are taking this action because of the system of nepotism, favouritism, meaning we have no power. Based on the supervision commission’s statement that identified 71 police officers’ children, including 72 veterans’ and martyrs’ children, that’s the problem for us, that’s why we’re demanding a total annulment, with the numbers of police officers’ children and veterans’ children.” Said spokesperson for the 2025 PNTL new cadets, Titio Elias
In the public competition, all citizens have rights, and veterans’ children should meet the criteria, but the results are different, that’s why we’re demanding a total annulment, restart the process from the beginning, the commissions have violated the ministerial diploma, violated the tribunal’s decision.
He also said they’ve sent a letter to PNTL to ensure it’s not about seeking authorization, besides that, the protesters have also sent a letter to the Rector, but the Rector didn’t authorize the FCS campus location, to give opportunity for academic teaching.
Reporting : Estefania
Photo : Estefania