Catholics mobilize against `dictatorship' in East Timor

[dArKeR]

East Timor's influential Catholic clergy yesterday rallied thousands to protest against Dili's "dictatorship regime" in the latest sign of a growing rift between church and state in the fledgling country.
More than 5,000 people gathered outside government offices to demand Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri's resignation in the peaceful demonstration, one of the largest displays of anger since East Timor gained sovereignty in May 2002.

The protest was sparked by the government's decision to drop mandatory religious education from the national school curriculum, but is the latest in a series of disagreements between the country's leaders and the church.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2005/04/20/2003251223

Does the Pope have a "Pope Moboat"?

[komplex]

1. Well, I wouldn't trust them...

What's their position on the real important issues: Gay Rights, Women Priests and condoms.

[rpannier]

2. The government in East Timor is practically a dictatorship

but not for the reasons they give.

[allemand]

3. What? Did I miss something?

I don't like Alkatiri at all (I do admire Xanana Gusmao, though), he is showing more and more authoritarian tendencies, but he came to power through democratic elections and we can still hope that he will be ousted in the next elections.


Alkatiri and Xanana Gusmao (and in the background Sergio Vieira de Mello who was killed in Iraq).