E. Timor to deport 274 Indonesians<\/p>\n
Agencies, Dili<\/p>\n
East Timor will deport 274 Indonesians, some of whom have been
\nliving in the former Indonesian colony for decades, for failing
\nto acquire proper immigration documents, officials said on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
\"We have to act according to law, even though it must hurt to
\nleave their homes,\" said Carlos Jeronimo, head of East Timor's
\nimmigration office. \"We gave them time to sort out their
\ndocuments.\"<\/p>\n
Indonesian Ambassador Ahmed Bey Sofwan said the 274 people
\nclaimed they had no money to pay for immigration documents and a
\ntax on foreigners, and they didn't want to claim East Timorese
\ncitizenship.<\/p>\n
Under East Timorese law, a foreigner can be given citizenship
\nfive years after the application is filed.<\/p>\n
Indonesia invaded the former Portuguese colony East Timor in
\n1975 and annexed it the following year.<\/p>\n
East Timorese voted overwhelmingly for independence in 1999 in
\na UN-sponsored referendum.<\/p>\n
Relations between the two countries have improved since East
\nTimor became independent in May 2002.<\/p>\n
In a separate development, Eight former pro-Jakarta militiamen
\nhave been jailed in East Timor for crimes against humanity
\ncommitted in mayhem surrounding a 1999 UN-backed vote that led to
\nthe country's separation from Indonesia, officials said.<\/p>\n
A special court on Thursday convicted the eight of abducting
\nand torturing two independence supporters in Dili in May 1999.<\/p>\n
The convictions brought to 72 the number of people convicted
\nin East Timor over the violence, according to a statement
\nreceived on Monday from the country's serious crime unit.<\/p>\n
Among those jailed were Alarico Mesquita and Florindo Moreira,
\neach imprisoned for six years and eight months.<\/p>\n
Six others received sentences of between five and six years
\nfor the same crimes.<\/p>\n
Pro-Indonesian militiamen, aided by soldiers, waged a campaign
\nof intimidation and revenge in the months around the August 1999
\npoll, which saw East Timorese vote overwhelmingly to split from
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
An estimated 1,000 people were killed and whole towns razed.<\/p>\n
United Nations-funded prosecutors have indicted 369 people,
\nbut 281 of them are in Indonesia, which refuses to hand anyone
\nover for trial.<\/p>\n
Of 18 people sentenced by a rights tribunal set up in Jakarta
\nto try those accused of abuses in East Timor, all have since been
\ncleared or remain free pending appeal, prompting criticism from
\nactivists and foreign governments.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/e-timor-to-deport-274-indonesians-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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