Jorge Teme said 17 families evicted in Oecusse last week had not received any compensation.

The ZEESM project under development in Oecusse is led by Fretilin member, Mari Alkatiri.

Although the costly development project is under direction of the coalition government commentators continue to sideline the project as Fretilin- led.

Natalino dos Santos, member for the National Congress for Timorese Resistance (CNRT), said the process of evictions in Oecusse – “without intervention” – was being carried out in a threatening way.

“The land that people occupy belongs to their ancestor’s so they have a right to live on their land,” Santos said.

Manuel Castro, member of Fretilin party, defended the ZEESM project, branding the backlash as fake information and populist vote buying.

He said in 2016 nobody questioned the government’s national electricity project when it took over land and reduced Timorese farmer’s land. “There is not balance,” Castro said of the accusations.