East Timorese vow to forgive ex-militiamen<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Dili<\/p>\n
East Timorese residents want their compatriots -- including
\nformer anti-independence militiamen -- currently sheltering at
\nrefugee camps in East Nusa Tenggara to return home, signifying
\ntheir full acceptance in their homeland.<\/p>\n
Pro-Indonesia militias were blamed for the rampage in East
\nTimor when it voted to break away from Indonesia in August 1999.<\/p>\n
The violence forced some 250,000 people to flee to East Nusa
\nTenggara for safety, but many of them have returned home.<\/p>\n
The remainder -- about 128,000 refugees -- are reluctant to
\nreturn to East Timor, despite the threat of starvation in the
\ncamps, until after the UN-administered territory becomes a fully
\nindependent state on May 20.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government has ceased the supply of food
\nassistance to the refugees and has offered two choices:
\nrepatriation or resettlement in Sumatra, Sulawesi or Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
The halt to food aid has created food shortages in the camps.
\nLocal residents have complained of some cases of intimidation,
\nviolence and blackmail by refugees struggling to feed themselves.<\/p>\n
Some pro-Indonesia refugees fear revenge may be taken against
\nthem by pro-independence East Timorese if they return home,
\nthough their leaders have vowed to guarantee security for
\nreturning people.<\/p>\n
East Timorese residents living in the districts of Baucau,
\nViqueque and Lospalos said they missed their fellow townspeople
\nstill in East Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
\"There is no revenge planned for proautonomy (Indonesia) East
\nTimorese. Those involved in the murders and scorched-earth
\nactivities in East Timor will have to face the law. Civilians
\nhave no right to try them. They should come home and stay in
\ntheir respective houses,\" Marito Reis, temporary head of the
\nBaucau administration, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.<\/p>\n
He said at least 600 refugee families from Baucau were still
\nliving in East Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
\"They used to be civil servants, police, soldiers and
\ncivilians. Some of them have been identified as former members of
\nmilitias involved in the post-ballot scorched-earth activities in
\nEast Timor,\" Marito added.<\/p>\n
Support for the repatriation of refugees also comes from
\nFrancisco da Costa, 58, head of Baucau village, who has pledged
\nto accept militiamen willing to return.<\/p>\n
\"If there are militia members wanting to return home, please
\ngo ahead. We will not take revenge against them nor ill-treat
\nthem. We want to live in peace,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Viqueque tribal leader Joao Matheos da Costa, 66, said he and
\nlocal residents were ready to protect all returning refugees,
\nincluding proautonomy ones, from any possible attack.<\/p>\n
A similar opinion was voiced by Agustino Soares, a 23-year
\nyouth from Watulea village, and Abili da Costa, a resident from
\nViqueque.<\/p>\n
They told the Post that the youths of East Timor did want to
\nsee the future of East Timor destroyed again merely due to
\ndifferent political aspirations of locals.<\/p>\n
\"Although we are divided on our political ideology, we still
\nlove those still in West Timor. We don't have a sense of revenge,
\nalthough some of them used to serve as militiamen,\" said
\nAgustino.<\/p>\n
Anything they are guilty of should be tried by the courts, he
\nadded. \"We will return their houses, land and other assets to
\nthem.\"<\/p>\n
In Lospalos, 30-year-old Aramando da Costa from Lautem
\ndistrict said on Monday: \"Many of our brothers are still in West
\nTimor. If they return home, we will welcome them warmly. The law
\nhas taken effect. There is no 'jungle law' here because we want a
\ndemocratic country\".<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-timorese-vow-to-forgive-ex-militiamen-1447893297",
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