During Tuesday’s plenary session, the opposition benches expressed their regrets about the list of veterans published by the Council of National Liberation Fighters. They considered the list to be full of political elements, bias, discrimination and allegations of falsification of documents.   These concerns were raised by MP Florentino Ximenes, who believes that this problem harms the people of East Timor and their years-long struggle for self-determination.  

 The opposition bench also raised questions about the re-verification of the list of veterans already published, asking that the verification process carried out before its release to the public guaranty transparency. Some members of parliament also proposed carrying out a new verification, due to allegations of incorrect data, even though the previous verification had already been carried out some time ago.

 In response to this, the Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs-VMAP, Adérito Hugo da Costa, explained that during the first verification carried out in the period 2003-2005, document forgeries were already detected.   He said: “Some people who were not eligible falsified documents to obtain veteran status. These cases are being currently taken to the courts to recover the amounts received illegally.”

 In meantime, the most recent data, published on 15 January 2025, covers the period from 2009 and has been released by means of an official announcement presented to the public for 60 days, so that they can receive responses.

H.E. the Vice-Minister for Parliamentary Affairs (VMAP) also pointed out that Law No. 3/2006, implemented during the first and second legislatures, aimed to grant status and rights to veterans.    He explained that the verification process began in 2009 and continues until today. In addition, he mentioned that the verification also includes those who have not yet been registered, ensuring that everyone can be confident that only those who fulfil the requirements will obtain their rights. In addition to discussing data verification, the plenary also debated proposals to amend Law No. 3/2026, relating to the status of Veterans and Combatants of National Liberation. The government proposed this amendment with the aim of resolving potential conflicts in society and avoiding discrimination against veterans. However, the proposal has raised concerns, as there are fears that the changes could reduce the rights of  . The proposed changes establish that only veterans’ children or spouses who are still alive will be able to receive benefits.   This proposal has generated concern, as many believe it will ignore the rights of veterans’ families who have already made great sacrifices.   Many fear that this new policy will create enormous discrimination against veterans and their families, further exacerbating inequalities. 

 One MP expressed concern about the discrimination that may arise because of certain changes, especially in relation to veterans who have already passed away or whose families feel that their rights are not properly recognised. For this reason, the Deputy Minister promised to resolve this issue wisely, also taking into consideration some concerns that have been raised.

These concerns are related to changes made to an earlier law passed in 2003 on veterans’ rights. The changes are seen as an attempt to eliminate the rights of veterans who have already fought, especially those who have passed away, or the rights of their families to receive the benefits provided. Previously, veterans and their families, including their parents, siblings and children, had the right to receive compensation or other benefits in recognition of their struggle to liberate the homeland.

The Deputy Minister also emphasised the importance of all parties respecting the struggle of the veterans, who made great sacrifices for independence, saying that issues relating to their rights should be handled carefully to avoid aggravating social tensions.

The plenary ended with the agreement to continue discussions on the proposed legislative changes, pending the results of a more detailed data check.