Indonesia must beef up security in West Timor camps, UN says<\/p>\n
DILI (AFP): Indonesia must beef up its security forces in West
\nTimor to help resolve the problem of pro-Jakarta militia
\nintimidating East Timorese refugees, the head of the UN mission
\nsaid on Thursday before flying to Jakarta for talks.<\/p>\n
\"We are encouraged by the recognition of the need to inject
\nnew forces into West Timor,\" Sergio Vieira de Mello told
\njournalists.<\/p>\n
\"No doubt, the numerical weakness of the TNI (Indonesian armed
\nforces) and Polri (police) in West Timor is part of the problem.\"<\/p>\n
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that
\nmore than 110,000 East Timorese remain in Indonesian West Timor.<\/p>\n
De Mello last met on Aug. 23 with Indonesian officials, who
\nhave proposed the refugees be given a free choice about whether
\nto stay in Indonesia or return to East Timor.<\/p>\n
This could not happen unless \"gangs of former militia, thugs,
\ncall them as you wish\" are removed from the camps,\" de Mello
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"As part of the plan... they would be deploying sufficient TNI
\nand police forces in NTT to enable this separation to finally
\noccur,\" he said, referring to the Indonesian province of Nusa
\nTenggara Timur, to which West Timor belongs.<\/p>\n
The UNHCR says more than 168,000 people have returned to East
\nTimor since they were forcibly expelled in an Indonesian-backed
\nterror campaign that followed last year's Aug. 30 vote in which
\nEast Timorese opted for independence.<\/p>\n
Over the last 11 months aid agencies have repeatedly faced
\nintimidation and violence from militias who remain in the West
\nTimor refugee camps. The UNHCR has suspended operations in the
\ncamps since Aug. 22 when its members were attacked.<\/p>\n
Joseph Yeo, a UNHCR official in Dili, told AFP on Thursday
\nthat Indonesian security forces were not doing enough to stop
\nattacks on aid workers in West Timor.<\/p>\n
But Yeo contended that the number of security personnel was
\nnot the issue. \"It's the amount of effort they put in,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The UNHCR's discussions with the Indonesian military could
\nsoon lead to a resumption of work in the West Timor camps, Yeo
\nadded.<\/p>\n
\"We were thinking that we could re-start our operations after
\nthe celebrations of the 30th. It could be next week,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Although the recent security crisis brought a halt to the
\norganized return of refugees by land, Yeo said some East Timorese
\nhave managed to return on their own.<\/p>\n
\"We have had some spontaneous returns to (the border town of)
\nSuai the last few days,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A ship is due to arrive in Dili on Saturday with an additional
\n160 refugees from Kupang in West Timor, Yeo said.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, UN officials said de Mello would meet Indonesian
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid on Friday morning, and coordinating
\nminister for security and politics, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\nlater in the day.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-must-beef-up-security-in-west-timor-camps-un-says-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}