62 deported Indonesians arrive home from East Timor<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post\/Kupang<\/p>\n
After five hours of immigration checks in Motaain, on the border
\nof East Timor and Indonesia, 62 people were deported from the
\nneighboring country, finally arriving on Monday evening in
\nAtambua, the capital of Belu regency in East Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
The 62 are among 274 people who have been deported from East
\nTimor for failing to acquire the proper immigration documents.<\/p>\n
Most of the people are originally from Sumatra or Java, some
\nhaving lived in East Timor long before it separated from
\nIndonesia in 1999.<\/p>\n
Most of them are small-scale traders or canteen owners, but
\nthere are also children among the group.<\/p>\n
Belu Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Ekotrio Budhiniar said that
\nEast Timorese officials had dropped the 62 people in Motaain,
\ndirectly handing them over to Indonesian immigration officials.
\nMost of the men in the group wore Muslim caps, the women head
\nscarfs. They were transported by Indonesian officials to Atambua,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Ekotrio said that earlier he had received a fax from the
\nIndonesian Embassy in East Timor, saying that East Timor would
\ndeport a number of Indonesians this week on separate occasions.<\/p>\n
The 274 immigrants had lived in Alor in Dili, the capital of
\nEast Timor. They earlier said that they had no money to pay for
\nimmigration documents or the tax imposed on foreigners, and they
\ndid not want to become East Timorese citizens.<\/p>\n
Ekotrio said the 62 people would be accommodated in Belu
\nadministration camps and hostels before journeying to their
\nhometowns.<\/p>\n
Separately, Atambua Immigration Office chief Slamet Santoso
\nsaid that the office lacked the funds to cover the expenses of
\nthe 62 people, and that the Belu Social Office was responsible
\nfor them.<\/p>\n
Indonesia invaded East Timor, a former Portuguese colony, in
\n1975, and annexed it the following year. The harsh treatment of
\npeople in the area by the Indonesian Military put the province in
\nthe international spotlight. Many countries have also questioned
\nthe legitimacy of East Timor's incorporation into Indonesia,
\nwhich cornered Indonesia in many international forums.<\/p>\n
Given the many diplomatic problems sparked by East Timorese-
\nIndonesian relations, former minister of foreign affairs Ali
\nAlatas once said that East Timor was \"a pebble in Indonesia's
\nshoe.\"<\/p>\n
Following the fall of Soeharto in 1998, the government under
\nHabibie offered in 1999 the people of East Timor the chance to
\nvote on whether to stay part of Indonesia under a wider autonomy
\nscheme or separate from the country. The East Timorese voted
\noverwhelmingly for independence in the UN-sponsored referendum.<\/p>",
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