President to visit RI-E. Timor border area<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri was scheduled to visit Belu in
\nWest Timor in May to have a firsthand look at the development
\nprograms in the regency bordering East Timor, after attending
\nEast Timor's independence celebration.<\/p>\n
Belu Regent Marsellus Bere said that according to his
\ninformation from the East Nusa Tenggara provincial
\nadministration, the President would make the visit after
\nattending the inauguration of Xanana Gusmao as the country's
\nfirst president and the new country's independence celebration on
\nMay 20, 2002.<\/p>\n
He said that besides installing the Benanain bridge in Central
\nMalaka Subdistrict in the regency and a water reservoir project
\nin Kupang regency, the president would make a tour to a number of
\nvillages along the border areas with East Timor.<\/p>\n
The bridge was rebuilt after being damaged by a flood in May,
\n2000.<\/p>\n
\"We are making necessary preparations to greet the president,\"
\nBere said as quoted by Antara on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The regent declined to answer whether the president would hold
\ntalks with local government and military officials to help
\nrepatriate the tens of thousands (The UNHCR claims there are
\n55,000 and Kupang officials claim over 100,000) of East Timorese
\npeople still in the province.<\/p>\n
He said the president's historic visit was expected to give a
\nmoral boost to local people and officials to accelerate the
\ndevelopment programs in the border area.<\/p>\n
Joachim Lopez, secretary of the Belu administration, hailed
\nthe importance of developing the border areas in anticipation of
\nEast Timor's independence.<\/p>\n
\"We have proposed to the central government the development of
\ninfrastructure such as roads, bridges and markets in an
\nanticipation of a new trade development with East Timorese people
\nliving in villages bordering Indonesia,\" he said, saying it would
\nbe a golden opportunity for the government to help improve the
\nsocial welfare of local people.<\/p>\n
He said that the central government had not yet responded to
\nthe proposal.<\/p>\n
Blasius Joseph Manek, deputy chairman of the Belu regency
\nlegislative council, said besides giving a morale boost to local
\nofficials and people, the president was also expected to make a
\nvisit to the refugee camps to help convince the refugees that
\nEast Timor was secure to live in.<\/p>\n
\"The president's visit is also expected to encourage the
\nrefugees to go back home,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said tens of thousands of East Timorese refugees have
\nrefused to make a clear choice for returning to their homeland
\ndue to a perceived fear of reprisals as many were involved with
\nthe militia mayhem in 1999.<\/p>\n
Despite the fears, some 3,000 East Timorese families recently
\nhave registered for repatriation.<\/p>\n
Col. Moeswarno Moesanip, chief of the East Nusa Tenggara
\nMilitary District, expects a majority of the refugees to return
\nafter the inauguration of Xanana.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, 22 delegates from East Timor's Liquisa district
\nwere at the refugee camps over the weekend trying to allay any
\nfears that refugees have of returning.<\/p>\n
Eurora Ximenes who led the delegation, said their main mission
\nin the regency was to facilitate reconciliation with refugees who
\nwere from Liquisa.<\/p>\n
\"We want them (the refugees) to return home to develop their
\nhome country and celebrate independence with us on May 20,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Lt. Col. Didi Sudiana, chief of the Belu Military Subdistrict,
\nappreciated the reconciliatory mission, saying East Timorese
\nauthorities and UNHCR should send more such district-specific
\ndelegations until all refugees returned home.<\/p>\n
\"We will continue persuading the remaining refugees to go back
\nhome to resume their new life in their homeland, instead of the
\nuncertainty in the refugee camps,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/president-to-visit-ri-e-timor-border-area-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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