Exiled Timorese return to Indonesia from Portugal<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Ten East Timorese who were sent into exile 35
\nyears ago by the Portuguese government for their anti-colonialist
\nactivities are due to return home here on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The 10 are members of the famous 1959 Viqueque rebellion and
\ntheir families. They include Venacio da Costa Soares, Evaristo da
\nCosta, Domingos Soares and Armindo Soares Amaral.<\/p>\n
A statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
\nsaid Lisbon had repeatedly rejected their appeals to return to
\nEast Timor.<\/p>\n
It was not until October 1994 that their appeals were brought
\nby Lopes da Cruz, a senior East Timorese politician, to the
\nattention of Indonesian President Soeharto, who then with the
\nhelp of the International Commission of the Red Cross,
\nfacilitated their return to East Timor.<\/p>\n
The former Portuguese colony was integrated into Indonesia as
\nits' 27th province in 1976.<\/p>\n
The Viqueque rebellion occurred on June 4, 1959, when several
\nhundreds East Timorese in Viqueque, Uatokarbau and Uatolari took
\nup arms against the oppression of the Portuguese colonialists.<\/p>\n
Quelling the rebellion, some 500 people were reportedly shot
\nby Portuguese guards and another 68 arrested and exiled abroad to
\nAngola, Mozambique and Portugal.<\/p>\n
About 45 of those exiled were released and allowed to return
\nto East Timor in the 1960s.<\/p>\n
Jakarta awarded 13 veterans of the Viqueque rebellion
\ncommendations in August.<\/p>\n
According to the foreign ministry it was the personal
\npreference of those returning on Thursday to come back to an
\nintegrated East Timor.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Dili the speaker of the East Timor legislature,
\nAntonio Freitas Parada, said the 10 returning Timorese will be
\nwarmly welcomed by the people.<\/p>\n
Both Parada and head of the Golkar's East Timor chapter,
\nArmindo Soares Amaral, said they should be considered heroes.<\/p>\n
"The elders with their 1959 Viqueque Movement was the embryo
\nof the integration process into Indonesia," Armindo said as
\nquoted by Antara in Dili.<\/p>\n
He added that because they laid the groundwork for
\nintegration, their return should not only be rejoiced by the
\nTimorese people, but also Indonesians at large.<\/p>\n
"It is only fitting that they be given a commendation,"
\nArmindo said.<\/p>\n
He could not however determine whether the government would
\nthen present them with a job or position, saying only that these
\nmen are now well into their 50s. (mds)<\/p>",
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