In January Mr Mendonca spearheaded the establishment of a Baucau Task Force, to try to address the violence. It was an opportunity to exchange ideas and build bridges between the different groups. It was attended by the leaders of the main MAGs, the Police, the Church, the Baucau Sub-District Administrator, and members of the civil community. We have to work with the communities to identify and defuse potential conflicts before they end in violence'.Ī recent roundtable discussion in Baucau, organised by the United Nations Development Programme's Justice Sector project, highlighted many of the key issues and challenges relating to the MAGs, and the wider community. We can't always wait for the formal justice system to deal with offenders. 'Since the start of the year there have been around 15 incidents involving MAGs in the Baucau district resulting in one fatality, multiple injuries and substantial physical damage.

He says there are seven MAGs operating in the district, with a total membership of over 3,000. Kamis Miguel Mendonca is the Head of Community Policing in Baucau. Personal vendettas often trigger violence between rivals, and the actions of individual members are blamed on the whole MAG'. It makes it very hard to control individuals. The problem is that even within a single district members are so spread out. 'We have thousands of members around the country. He admits that some Kera Sakti members are involved in violence: Januario Freitas is the Baucau District Coordinator for Kera Sakti (Magic Monkey), which claims to be the largest MAG in Baucau. The violence that erupted in Timor-Leste in 2006 is a constant reminder of how quickly unrest and trouble can spread.Īlthough many members of Martial Arts Groups (MAGs) are entirely peaceful, there are elements within the membership who consistently resort to illegal behaviour and violence.

Dili, 18 August 2010 - The Martial Arts Groups in Timor-Leste constitute a substantial social problem for the authorities.

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