Foundation to send E. Timorese children home<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Harapan Timor (Timor's Hope), otherwise known as the HATI
\nfoundation, has pledged to return five East Timorese children
\nfrom schools and orphanages in Java to their families in refugees
\ncamps following demands from the East Timorese refugees.<\/p>\n
HATI chairwoman Natercia M. J. O Soares said on Friday those
\nchildren would be returned to their parents because the refugees
\ndid not trust the foundation anymore.<\/p>\n
"The children arrived in Kupang on Dec. 24. We will soon
\nescort them to their families," said Natercia who is also a
\nlegislator in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
The five children are Domingas de Jesus, Cacilda da Silva,
\nJosefa da Silva, Angelina da Costa, and Joaquim da Silva. They
\nwill meet their families in refugees camps in the Belu regency,
\nEast Nusa Tenggara, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Meantime, Hukman Reni, a lawyer for the HATI foundation, said
\nthat the foundation would return 20 children from schools in
\nCentral Java to their families in the next batch.<\/p>\n
Natercia revealed that there were still 156 children staying
\nin orphanages in Java in order to receive better education.<\/p>\n
All schools and orphanages where the children are staying
\nbelong to Catholic foundations, HATI said.<\/p>\n
Natercia said that families of the 156 children trusted her
\nfoundation.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, not all East Timorese refugees wanted their
\nchildren back.<\/p>\n
Filomeno Same, whose son George Xaves is in grade 6 at Santo
\nThomas elementary school in Jimbaran, Bali, said that he would
\nnot urge the foundation to bring his son back.<\/p>\n
Another refugee, Filomeno, said his son was studying in Java
\nand he was happy with that.<\/p>\n
"I am glad my son is getting an education in Java because life
\nin the camps is miserable," said Filomeno.<\/p>\n
There have been accusations made about HATI and other social
\nwelfare groups that they are not cooperating with the UN to
\nrepatriate the wanted children.<\/p>\n
TIME magazine, for instance, reported that some East Timorese
\nchildren had been "forced" to convert to Islam at some Islamic
\norphanages to get education and better nutrition.<\/p>\n
The magazine reported that during the bloody insurrection in
\nEast Timor, a man called Hasan Basri met residents in Venelale
\nand asked them if they wanted to give their children in order for
\nthem to get education and food.<\/p>\n
The only requirement was that the children convert from
\nCatholicism, which is practiced by most East Timorese, to Islam,
\nthe religion of their Indonesian guardians.<\/p>\n
According to the magazine, the United Nations has estimated
\nthere are 400 children scattered in orphanages and homes
\nthroughout Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Despite the intervention of international agencies and
\nrepeated requests from parents for their return, many remain
\nunder the guardianship of people like Hasan who want to raise
\nthem as Muslims.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/foundation-to-send-e-timorese-children-home-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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