In the Service of Timor-Leste: Recognising the Value of Security Institutions and Their Commitment to the Rule of Law

By: Dionísio Babo Soares*

Security, public order, and trust in institutions are public goods that Timor-Leste has built through the contributions of successive generations. The National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) is defined in its Organic Law as a uniformed and armed security force. Throughout this process, the PNTL and other services responsible for the security of the State and its citizens have carried out an essential mission that deserves continued recognition, respect, and support.

Every day, security personnel are called upon, within their respective mandates, to protect communities, prevent conflict, respond to emergencies and uphold the law. They often do so in demanding circumstances that require firmness, sound judgement, community engagement and respect for everyone’s rights. Recognising the value of this mission also means ensuring that they have the training, resources, guidance and support needed to carry it out with confidence.

In this spirit, I offer these reflections on strengthening security institutions in Timor-Leste. The purpose is to contribute to an ever stronger relationship between institutions and society, recognising the progress achieved and identifying opportunities to protect both citizens and security personnel better.

Recognising the Journey and Consolidating Progress

The history of the PNTL is inseparable from the building of the Timorese State. The institution developed in a context of national reconstruction, following a prolonged occupation and the violence surrounding the 1999 Popular Consultation, when public services had to be restored, personnel trained and democratic institutions established.

The diverse backgrounds of the PNTL’s first officers, the country’s urgent needs and the challenge of building an organisation from the ground up help explain the scale of that undertaking. Support from the United Nations and bilateral partners complemented national authorities’ work in training, developing specialised capabilities, and strengthening the PNTL’s relationship with communities.

The 2006 crisis and the subsequent support provided by the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) marked a particularly demanding stage in this journey. The transfer of policing responsibilities to the national authorities and the mission’s subsequent closure in 2012 marked important milestones in consolidating national responsibility for internal security. Recognising this trajectory allows us to appreciate progress in its historical context, while remaining mindful of the work required at each new stage.

Institutional improvement should therefore be understood as a continuation of this national investment, rather than a dismissal of what has already been achieved. Professional institutions grow stronger when they recognise their members’ achievements, examine difficulties, and adapt their procedures in light of experience.

Learning from Difficult Situations While Respecting People and Institutions

The cases of Kulu Hun, Lahane, Uatucarbau and Wetaba discussed in this article warrant a measured reflection on different aspects of security and public trust. Each case must be considered individually, without automatically equating them or drawing general conclusions about the PNTL or security institutions as a whole.

The first responsibility is to respect the dignity of the victims and the suffering of their families. It is equally essential to safeguard the rights of those under investigation and preserve the independence of the judicial authorities. Public discussion will be most useful when it reconciles these requirements with a responsible examination of measures that could help prevent similar situations.

Kulu Hun and Lahane: Strengthening Prevention and Safeguards on Access to Firearms

According to reporting by The Guardian, the incident in Kulu Hun, Díli, in the early hours of 18 November 2018, during a ceremony marking the end of a mourning period, resulted in the deaths of three young people and injuries to five others. Authorities identified an off-duty PNTL officer as the main suspect. Alongside the judicial response, this case invites reflection on the conditions governing access to service firearms and on preventive measures that protect both citizens and police officers.

An analysis published by Fundasaun Mahein described an incident in Lahane on 5 June 2021, in which an off-duty PNTL officer allegedly used his service firearm during a dispute between neighbours, killing a father and son and seriously injuring another family member. Although distinct from the earlier case, this incident reinforces the importance of assessing firearm storage arrangements, supervision and compliance with applicable rules.

A preventive approach does not replace the determination of individual responsibility. It complements that process by ensuring institutional procedures provide the greatest possible protection against impulsive decisions, weapon misuse, or situations in which a person’s fitness to handle them may be impaired.

Uatucarbau: Supporting Safe and Proportionate Operational Decisions

According to RAFA, Silvano Gomes was shot during an incident involving a PNTL officer in Uatucarbau, in the municipality of Viqueque, on 15 August 2026, in circumstances described as a traffic enforcement operation. He died at the Guido Valadares National Hospital on 17 August. The competent authorities will establish the precise circumstances and any responsibility through a thorough and impartial investigation.

Without anticipating the findings of that investigation, this case provides an opportunity to reflect on the support PNTL officers need when making decisions in demanding operational situations. Risk assessment, communication, de-escalation and the selection of appropriate means are skills that require continuous development and supervision.

The United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials prioritise non-violent means wherever possible and require restraint and proportionality when force is unavoidable. They reserve the intentional lethal use of firearms for situations in which it is strictly unavoidable to protect life. Such guidance must be translated into clear procedures, practical training and supervision that help officers act safely and within the law.

The protection of life, the safety of personnel and respect for procedural safeguards should guide both police action and the subsequent assessment of events. The victim’s family should receive appropriate information, and the officer involved must benefit from the presumption of innocence and all guarantees necessary for a proper defence.

Wetaba: Supporting the Establishment of the Facts and Confidence in Justice

The case of Wetaba, in the administrative post of Tilomar, in the municipality of Covalima, concerns the disappearance of Terezinha Cardoso and the suspicions of homicide that subsequently became the subject of an investigation. The seriousness of the allegations calls for determination in seeking the truth and caution in forming public judgements.

According to TATOLI, authorities arrested four people on 31 August 2026. Following their initial judicial questioning, the Suai Court of First Instance ordered their remand in custody on 3 September. The defendants were described as three individuals allegedly linked to the National Intelligence Service (SNI) and one officer from the PNTL’s Border Patrol Unit (UPF). This measure does not constitute a conviction, nor does it remove the requirement to establish each individual’s criminal responsibility through a fair trial.

At the time of RAFA’s report on 3 September, Terezinha Cardoso’s remains had not yet been located. Support for the family, continued search efforts and the preservation of evidence deserve particular attention, without anticipating conclusions about facts that remain to be established.

The investigation should determine what happened, under what circumstances and what involvement, if any, each person had. If the evidence warrants it, the investigation should also establish whether State resources or powers were misused, whether third parties were involved, or whether any acts were intended to obstruct establishing the facts.

The United Nations Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death provides a relevant framework for the independence, impartiality, thoroughness, promptness and transparency of investigations, as well as family participation and witness protection. Observing these principles helps reconcile the need to establish the truth with the integrity of the investigation and the rights of everyone involved.

The possible conduct of particular individuals should not automatically be attributed to the institutions to which they belong. At the same time, institutional cooperation with the justice system and a willingness to review internal procedures are practical ways of protecting the credibility of those institutions and the work of the professionals who serve in them with integrity.

Linking Accountability to Institutional Improvement

The four cases raise distinct issues: safeguards governing off-duty access to firearms, decision-making capacity during police operations, and guarantees of integrity and effective investigation when suspicions involve members of security institutions. Their analysis should neither seek to rank suffering nor replace the individual assessment of each case.

The most useful contribution is to identify measures proportionate to the risks actually demonstrated. This approach requires rigour, engagement with institutions, attention to communities and a clear distinction between facts, allegations and public policy recommendations.

When a death or serious injury occurs in an incident involving security personnel, it is important to ensure proper investigation by the competent authorities, alongside an appropriate administrative and operational review. These processes serve different purposes: one seeks to determine any legal responsibility; the other examines training, supervision, available resources and the procedures followed.

Internal reviews must respect the independence of criminal proceedings, defence rights and the requirements for preserving evidence. Subject to these safeguards, institutions can identify and adopt preventive measures that do not depend on prejudging anyone’s guilt.

This capacity to learn is a sign of professionalism. When an institution examines a difficult situation seriously, it protects its mission, supports its personnel and demonstrates to society its commitment to improvement.

Ensuring Adequate Resources and Safe Firearms Management

PNTL officers and other security personnel should have the equipment legally appropriate to their respective duties to address operational risks and protect the population. A responsible weapons policy must balance operational needs with authorisation, transport, storage, and use procedures that provide safety and clarity for everyone involved.

For the PNTL, the starting point should be the framework already established by its Organic Law, approved by Decree-Law No. 34/2024 of 18 October. Article 13(2) requires that, when an officer is off duty, the weapons assigned to that officer be stored at the unit or subunit to which they are posted, in facilities designated for that purpose. The priority should therefore be to ensure the conditions for effective compliance with this obligation, proper supervision and secure procedures, rather than to create a rule that already exists.

It may be useful to conduct a comprehensive, independent review of service firearms management, in coordination with commanding officers and the legally competent authorities. Its purpose should be to identify good practices, address any vulnerabilities and support consistent application of the rules, while respecting the particular circumstances of each institution.

The choice of equipment and methods should correspond to the mission and the assessed risk. In community policing, communication, knowledge of local communities, and the ability to resolve conflicts should remain central, alongside legally authorised coercive measures when necessary.

Investing in Practical Training and Recognising the Importance of Leadership

Investment in police training should continue to be recognised and strengthened. Consolidating that investment requires connecting acquired knowledge to the situations personnel face in practice and supporting the application of those skills in everyday service.

Scenario-based exercises can cover traffic enforcement, domestic violence, a person experiencing a mental health crisis, an alcohol-related dispute, an attempted escape or a public gathering in a tense environment. Across all these situations, officers need opportunities to practise communication, negotiation, risk assessment, maintaining safe distances and the proportionate use of available means.

Training should also provide opportunities to review decisions and share experience in a professional learning environment. The aim is to help officers recognise alternatives, understand the limits of their powers and know when to request support, without fearing that a prudent decision will be mistaken for a lack of authority.

Commanding officers play a decisive role in this process. Clear guidance, regular supervision and recognition of good performance help consolidate a culture in which integrity, sound judgement and the ability to prevent conflict are valued in performance assessment and career progression.

Cooperation with international partners can continue to support these priorities in accordance with needs identified by Timorese institutions. External contributions are most useful when they strengthen sustainable national capabilities and respect the country’s operational, legal and social context.

Caring for Those Who Protect the Population

Valuing security personnel means recognising the human demands of their work. Exposure to violence, suffering and unpredictable situations, combined with family responsibilities and service conditions, makes accessible and credible support mechanisms particularly important.

Psychological support, confidential counselling, burnout prevention and programmes addressing alcohol or other substance use should form part of an occupational health and well-being policy. Encourage help-seeking and ensure it is not interpreted as a lack of ability or commitment to the institution.

Fitness assessments should be individualised and conducted by qualified professionals, balancing confidentiality, personnel rights and operational safety. Whenever temporary adjustments to duties are necessary, they should be accompanied by appropriate support and clear criteria for reassessment.

Decent working conditions, rest periods and support after particularly difficult incidents also deserve attention. Caring for personnel is essential to investing in the quality of service provided to the population.

Strengthening Oversight, Protection and Communication

Credible oversight should be understood as part of supporting the mission of security institutions. By clarifying concerns and addressing possible shortcomings, it protects citizens and personnel who perform their duties properly.

It is important to ensure that the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice, Parliament and other competent bodies have the resources necessary to fulfil their responsibilities under the Constitution and the law. For intelligence services, such oversight must reconcile the legitimate protection of sensitive matters with effective accountability mechanisms.

Accessibility, impartiality, protection for complainants and referral of indications of criminal conduct to the competent authorities should be central elements.

In sensitive proceedings, protecting witnesses, family members, investigators, and journalists requires particular care. Institutions must ensure that no one faces intimidation or retaliation for cooperating with the justice system or legitimately performing their duties.

Timely and accurate public communication can also strengthen trust. Without compromising an investigation or disclosing protected information, authorities can clarify the procedures underway, distinguish confirmed facts from matters still under examination, and explain the measures adopted to ensure impartiality.

A Shared Responsibility in the Service of the Country

Strengthening professionalism and public trust does not depend solely on security personnel or their command and leadership structures. It requires commitment from political authorities, judicial and oversight bodies, communities and the partners supporting Timor-Leste’s institutional development.

Authorities must provide consistent guidance, adequate resources, and policy continuity. Institutions must consolidate good practices, cooperate with oversight mechanisms and respond proportionately to the situations identified. Society has a responsibility to participate in an informed and respectful debate, attentive to both citizens’ rights and the demands of police work.

Recognising the achievements of security institutions and their personnel, while upholding high standards of conduct, are mutually reinforcing commitments. Accountability, when pursued impartially and respectfully, helps distinguish individual responsibilities, protects institutional reputations and recognises those who serve the country with dedication.

Timor-Leste’s experience of building its State invites us to preserve a shared ambition: institutions capable of exercising authority with legitimacy, competence and close engagement with the communities they serve. That ambition takes practical form in the everyday encounter between a police officer and a citizen, in how a conflict is resolved, and in the confidence with which each person can turn to public institutions.

Turning difficult experiences into better working conditions, appropriate training, clear procedures and protective mechanisms is a constructive way to honour that ambition. It means investing simultaneously in the dignity of personnel, the rights of the population and the trust that sustains the democratic rule of law.

Valuing those who protect Timor-Leste and strengthening the confidence of those they protect are parts of the same commitment. Through this shared commitment, security institutions can continue to contribute to a country that is safer, more cohesive and more confident in its future.

*This article expresses the author’s personal views solely and seeks to contribute to an informed and constructive debate on public policy. It does not represent the official position of any institution with which the author is affiliated. References to ongoing proceedings are based on the identified public sources as at their respective publication dates and do not prejudge the findings of investigations or judicial decisions.