Scared citizens asked not to flee troubled E. Timor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Amid the exodus of thousands of migrants leaving
\nEast Timor, Governor Abilio Jose Osoario Soares called for calm
\nyesterday and urged people not to panic on hearing rumors of
\nriots in the province.<\/p>\n
\"I am appealing to all people from other provinces who have,
\nfor a long time, resettled in Dili to wisely assess the
\nsituation,\" he said in the provincial capital Dili.<\/p>\n
\"I ask you to report to the authorities whoever is spreading
\nrumors of riots and demonstrations,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Abilio apologized to those who had fled the province in fear
\nand called on indigenous Timorese to respect the rights of all.<\/p>\n
Thousands, almost all migrants who had settled in East Timor,
\nhave reportedly fled in the last two weeks and the exodus appears
\nto be continuing as many fear wider unrest coinciding with the
\ncoming anniversary of East Timor's integration on July 17 1976.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of refugees boarded buses and ships while many others
\nflew to towns in neighboring East Nusa Tenggara province.<\/p>\n
All ships and passenger buses plying the route from Dili to
\ntowns in East Nusa Tenggara have been fully loaded by refugees in
\nthe last two weeks, Antara reported yesterday.<\/p>\n
Most of those who fled then usually took a ship to return to
\ntheir home province.<\/p>\n
East Timor Police chief Col. Timbul Silaen, however, yesterday
\ndenied reports that the province, especially Dili, was no longer
\nsafe to settle.<\/p>\n
South Sulawesi Governor Z.B. Palaguna said yesterday he had no
\nplans to launch an evacuation of people from his province who had
\nresettled in East Timor, adding that he had received assurances
\nfrom East Timor officials that the situation was under control.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that many had returned home to South Sulawesi
\nbut pointed out that this could also be due to the long holiday
\nseason and the unfounded rumors of unrest in the country's
\nyoungest province.<\/p>\n
Around 1,500 people who left East Timor last week have arrived
\nin their home villages in South Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
They said they returned after being intimidated by
\nunidentified men.<\/p>\n
\"Besides being threatened with death, we were forced to hand
\nover our house keys and to return home,\" Zaenal, who resettled to
\nDili eight years ago, said in his village of Pattalasang, about
\n75 kilometers north of Ujungpandang.<\/p>\n
Ambo, another refugee, said many people originally from his
\nvillage of Maros, 60 kilometers north of Ujungpandang, could not
\nleave Dili because they could not get tickets to board a ship out
\nof the province. (rms\/37\/yac)<\/p>",
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