Open Letter to PM to Save Dili Trees

24 February 2015

Sua Exelénsia Primeiru Ministru VI Governu Konstitusionál Repúblika Demokrátika Timor-Leste
Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo

Nu'udar Sidadaun Timor Lorosa’e ne'ebé hela iha Kapitál Dili. Apela ba ita hotu atu salva Ai hun sira ne'ebé atu hetan tesi no hare posibilidade ne'ebé iha hodi salva ai hun boot nativu (Calophyllum inophyllum) iha Dili laran. Ai-huun hirak ne’e importante tebes atu neutraliza rai nia manas no fo fresku ba ita ema nia movimentu. Ai-huun boot hirak ne’e mos halo Dili furak no serve ema ne'ebé moris iha Dili laran husi tinan naruk nia laran ona. Bainhira ita tesi ai-huun hirak ne’e, ita sei estraga ekosistema ne'ebé iha.

Ami haree katak ai-huun boot barak mak hetan marka mutin ona. Ami ta'uk ai-huun hirak ne’e sei tesi, hanesan ai-huun magnifíku sira seluk iha Dili laran ne’ebé tesi tiha ona.

Tuir ami-nia hatene, ai-huun hirak ne’e kuda nanis tiha ona dezde tempu koloniál Portugés. Sira sobrevive tempu okupasaun Indonézia no serve populasaun iha Dili liu husi dalan oin oin:

- Ai hun hirak ne’e nia sanak boot, fó mahon no malirin ba ema sira ne’ebé la’o ain, motorista no fa’an na’in sira.

- Ai-huun boot sira ne’e mos absorve karbonu dióksidu no produs oksijéniu atu mantein ambiente ida saudável, fresku no malirin.

- Sira mos kaer metin rai hodi prevene erozaun iha tempu udan.

- Ai-huun hirak ne’e mos hamenus rai-rahun durante tempu bailoro

Ami fó proposta ba ita-boot hodi ita boot konsidera:

- Tesi didi'ak ai hun hirak ne’e ninia sanak sira ho didi'ak, liu liu sira ne'ebé too ona ba fiu eletrisidade ka sanak sira ne’ebé bele hamosu risku ba ema sira ne’ebé la’o ain ka motorista sira;

- Bele hamenus Ai hun nia sanak husi ai hun ne'ebé tuan ona, maibé husik ai-huun sira ne’e moris tanba sira sei bele kontinua serve ba ambiente;

- Presiza promove no enkoraja hodi kuda espésie ai-huun nativu iha sidade Dili laran no mós iha área rurál sira atu mantein flora no fauna ida ne’ebé saudável no ekosistema úniku ida ba Timor-Leste.

Ami hato’o ami-nia obrigadu ba ita boot ninia atensaun no ami hein atu ita boot ninia servisu hamutuk bele halo desizaun ida ne’ebé di'ak.

Respeitozamente,

CC Sr. Domingos Soriano
Xefe Servisu ba Bee no Saneamentu (SAS)
Munisipál Dili

CC Membru VI Governu Konstitusionál Repúblika Demokrátika Timor-Leste

CC Sr. Virgilio Guterres
Diretór Ezekutivy, Haburas
Rua Gov. Celestino da Silva,
Farol-Dili

English Version

Your Excellency, The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste,
Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo

We, the undersigned residents of Dili appeal to your good office to do everything possible to keep the large native trees (Calophyllum inophyllum)around Dili standing. Trees are very important to keep a place clean and fresh. These large beautiful trees have served very useful purposes for many decades. Cutting them down will take away all of the ecosystem services associated with them.

It has come to our attention that quite a number of large trees have been marked with a large white cross. We are concerned that they will be taken down like many of Dili’s magnificent large trees before.

To our knowledge, these huge trees were planted during the Portuguese colonial era. They have survived the Indonesian occupation and have served the people in Dili well in many ways through:

- their huge canopy that gives shades and cool shelters to countless number of pedestrians, motorists and vendors.

- absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen to maintain a healthy, fresh and cool environment.

- holding onto soil and preventing it from eroding away in the rain.

- reducing dust during the dry and hot season.

We would like to propose the following measures for your consideration:

- to trim and prune trees with branches which have touched and affected overhead cable wires or those that pose a risk to pedestrians or motorists.

- to reduce the branch loads of weaker old trees but to keep the trees standing as they will still be useful as a live tree.

- to promote and encourage the planting of native species for the urban landscape in other parts of Dili and rural towns in order to retain a healthy flora and fauna ecosystem that is uniquely Timor Leste.

We thank you for your attention and we look forward to a wise decision from your office.

Yours sincerely,

CC To Honourable Mr Domingus Soriano.
Head of Serbisu Aqua no Saneamentu (SAS)
Municipality/District of Dili

CC Members of the Sixth Constitutional Government of the Republic of Timor-Leste

CC Sr. Virgilio Guterres
Executive Director, Haburas
Rua Gov. Celestino da Silva,
Farol-Dili