Govt sets deadline for East Timor refugees<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang<\/p>\n
As of January 2002, the government will no longer provide any
\nfinancial or food assistance to East Timorese refugees in West
\nTimor as it will reinstate the Indonesian citizenship of those
\nwho choose to stay in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Yohannis Pake Mani, deputy governor of East Nusa Tenggara,
\nsaid that according to an official letter sent by Minister of
\nHome Affairs Hari Sabarno to the governor and regents in the
\nprovince on Oct. 25, 2001, the government had decided to grant
\nIndonesian citizenship status to all East Timorese refugees who
\nhad not returned home by Dec. 31, 2001.<\/p>\n
\"Consequently, those who remain in the province beyond the
\ndeadline will be treated as Indonesian citizens, will receive
\ntheir civilian rights and will be given Indonesian identity cards
\nas stipulated by Law No. 5\/1960 on Indonesian citizenship,\" he
\ntold The Jakarta Post here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He added that the decision had been made following
\nconsultations with the UN Development Program (UNDP) and UN High
\nCommission for Refugees (UNHCR).<\/p>\n
More and more East Timorese refugees are returning to their
\nhomeland as the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor
\n(UNTAET) has given a security guarantee for those who have chosen
\nto go home.<\/p>\n
The government has offered Rp 500,000 and rice aid to refugees
\nwho want to return.<\/p>\n
Of around 143,000 East Timorese refugees in West Timor, more
\nthan 8,000 have gone home while the remainder have been offered
\nthe choice of remaining in the province permanently or joining
\nthe government-sponsored resettlement program in other provinces.<\/p>\n
During their stay in the province, the government has provided
\nthe refugees with Rp 1,500 and 400 grams of rice per day per
\nperson.<\/p>\n
Yohannis said the refugees had actually retained their
\nIndonesian citizenship because they had been Indonesian citizens
\nduring East Timor's integration with Indonesia.<\/p>\n
But he added that the Indonesian citizenship of refugees who
\nchose to stay in Indonesia would be reinstated by a joint decree
\nto be issued by Minister Hari Sabarno, Minister of Justice and
\nHuman Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra and Minister of Foreign Affairs
\nHassan Wirayuda in the near future.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-sets-deadline-for-east-timor-refugees-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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