'No intimidation of Timorese refugees'<\/p>\n
KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara (JP): Udayana Military Commander
\nMaj. Gen. Willem T. da Costa denied on Wednesday the military
\nintimidated East Timorese refugees into choosing to remain in
\nIndonesia during last week's registration.<\/p>\n
He also refuted claims that military personnel took part in
\nthe registration, accounting for what many see as an unexpected
\nincrease in the number of \"refugees\" participating in the
\nregistration.<\/p>\n
Speaking during a visit here, he said the Indonesian Military
\nwas not directly involved in organizing the registration, rather
\nserving only to maintain public security and state defense.<\/p>\n
\"We will take action against any military personnel implicated
\nin acts of intimidation, whatever the motive may be, as long as
\nthere is adequate evidence,\" he assured.<\/p>\n
The number of refugees taking part in the registration process
\nwas considered by some as higher than expected. There have been
\nallegations that this increase was the result of military
\npersonnel, police officers, civil servants and teachers taking
\npart in the registration.<\/p>\n
A total of 113,794, or 38.48 percent of 295,751 East Timorese
\nrefugees, were eligible to take part in the registration to
\ndecide whether they would remain in Indonesia or return to East
\nTimor.<\/p>\n
Only 1.10 percent of the refugees, or 1,250 people, chose to
\nreturn to East Timor, while 111,540 (98.02 percent) refugees
\ndecided to remain in Indonesia and 714 people (0.63 percent)
\nabstained.<\/p>\n
Willem expressed surprise that some of the refugees had
\nrefused to opt either to return to East Timor or become
\nIndonesian citizens.<\/p>\n
\"I want to visit their camps and talk to them to find out
\ntheir reason for abstaining,\" he said.<\/p>\n
To ensure the safety of the 1,250 East Timor-bound refugees,
\nWillem raised the possibility of setting up transit camps. This
\nfollows reports of parties threatening those who opted to return
\nto East Timor.<\/p>\n
The spokesman for the provincial administration, JB
\nKosapilawan, said those refugees planning to return to East Timor
\nwould be assisted by the International Organization for Migrants
\nand the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).<\/p>\n
He said that upon their arrival in East Timor, the refugees
\nwould be quarantined before being sent home to ascertain their
\nhousing situation.<\/p>\n
According to him, the UNHCR will help rebuild destroyed
\nhouses, with food aid being provided by the East Timor
\ntransitional government.<\/p>\n
For those refugees who chose to remain in Indonesia, the
\ngovernment will relocate them to transmigration areas in East
\nNusa Tenggara, Sumatra, Kalimantan and other locations,
\nKosapilawan said.<\/p>\n
In these resettlement areas, they will receive aid in the form
\nof kitchen utensils, farm tools and livestock breeding equipment,
\nas well as food.<\/p>\n
Those refugees who abstained are regarded as economically
\nestablished, independent people, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Their postregistration rights, in fact, are not regulated
\nbecause of their economic status. But their nationality remains a
\nquestion that has yet to be resolved,\" the spokesman concluded.
\n(30)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-intimidation-of-timorese-refugees-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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