Lautém, 26 June 2026 – Twenty-four members of the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL)—9 women and 15 men—have successfully completed a five-day intensive human rights training program in Lautém municipality, held from June 22 to 26. The training was carried out through a cooperation between the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ), the PNTL, and the United Nations Human Rights Advisory Unit (UADU), aiming to reinforce professional conduct and the constitutional obligation to respect human rights in all law enforcement interventions.
The Provedor for Human Rights and Justice, Virgílio da Silva Guterres ‘Lamukan’, personally addressed the participants, grounding the training in the nation’s constitution. “Article 147 clearly mentions that crime prevention must respect human rights,” he stated. “Human rights are not brought by the United Nations, nor by PDHJ—this is a constitutional mandate. When the PNTL performs its function, it must always respect human rights.”
The Provedor emphasized that PDHJ holds a constitutional mandate to monitor all public institutions, including PNTL, FALINTIL-FFDTL, and the Prison Guard, and that this training falls squarely within that oversight responsibility. He outlined three pillars of accountability for police officers—professional responsibility, social responsibility, and political responsibility—urging officers to internalize these principles in their daily duties.
Reinforcing the PDHJ’s guidance, Lautém Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent Chief António Rego Fernandes, stressed the practical value of the refresher course. “This knowledge does not occupy space,” he told the officers. “This training is very important to help you all refresh your knowledge. Violations that occur are personal responsibilities. It is essential to know professional conduct so that interventions can follow the law and respect human rights.”
Ajwa Petra from UADU also addressed the participants, underscoring the critical role of police in a democratic society. “The role of police is fundamental in maintaining public order, ensuring community safety, protecting lives and property, and upholding the rule of law,” she stated. “These are essential responsibilities for police in any democratic society. At the same time, its duties must be carried out with full respect for human rights, human dignity, and the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, accountability, and non-discrimination.”
The Provedor also took the opportunity to address systemic challenges facing the police force, particularly delayed recruitment processes. He revealed that he has actively communicated with the Ministry of Interior to ensure the fulfillment of police officers’ professional rights, drawing a clear link between institutional support and individual accountability. “We cannot demand that police respect human rights if the state violates the police’s own professional rights,” he asserted. “It is PDHJ’s obligation to continue communicating with relevant parties to resolve this.”
Throughout the training, the Provedor anchored police conduct on four core principles: legality, proportionality, accountability, and necessity—criteria he said would help officers act responsibly and be held professionally accountable for their actions.
On the sidelines of the main program, Ajwa Petra from UADU, accompanied by the Provedor, held a separate meeting with the Lautém Municipal Commander. The discussion served to exchange ideas and gather feedback on the human rights training that had just taken place. At the same time, the meeting provided an advocacy platform to push for the formal inclusion of human rights training into the basic PNTL curriculum—a critical step to guarantee the program’s sustainability and foster a strong sense of ownership among police personnel.
The training, which ran from June 22 to 26, reaffirms PDHJ’s active role in mentoring and monitoring public security institutions, ensuring that human rights protections are not only a legal requirement but a lived practice at every level of policing in Timor-Leste.
This post is also available in: Tetun