Timorese likely to leave Polish Embassy this week<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP: The 12 East Timorese youths holed up at the
\nPolish embassy since Thursday are expected to leave for Portugal
\nthis week.<\/p>\n
The head of the local office of the International Committee of
\nthe Red Cross, Henri Fournier, told Reuters yesterday that the
\nasylum seekers would probably leave on Monday (today). \"I don't
\nsee what could be the obstacle,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A diplomat at the Polish embassy told The Jakarta Post the men
\nwere still at the embassy, but he did not know if they had been
\ngranted asylum in Portugal.<\/p>\n
\"We gave them food, they had a wash, but up to now there's
\nnothing new,\" Commercial Attache Marec Kijewski said by
\ntelephone. \"Maybe there will be changes.\"<\/p>\n
He said the twelve men met with Fournier but added that the
\nembassy was not directly involved in the discussion.<\/p>\n
The 12 were the latest from the territory to seek refuge
\noutside Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Fifty East Timorese have in recent months secured passage to
\nPortugal, the former colonial power in East Timor, after seeking
\nrefuge in the British, Dutch, Japanese, French, Australian and
\nNew Zealand embassies in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
East Timor integrated into Indonesia in 1976. Lisbon, however,
\nis still regarded by the United Nations as the territory's
\nadministering power.<\/p>\n
The 12 men in the Polish embassy initially told diplomats they
\nwere seeking political asylum in Poland.<\/p>\n
The last batch of asylum seekers, five Timorese who sought
\nsanctuary at the New Zealand embassy on January 15, arrived in
\nPortugal two days later under the auspices of the Red Cross.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, troops killed six rebels and captured two in the
\nViqueque and Ermera regencies in an operation last week, local
\nmilitary spokesman Capt. L. Djoko Purwadi said in Dili Saturday.<\/p>\n
The soldiers also seized two M-16 and one SP-1 assault rifles
\nand a magazine of bullets in the operation, he said.<\/p>\n
In the dawn operation led by Second Sergeant Mukadi, troops
\nkilled a rebel identified as Kristofa, also known as Araca Bia,
\nand captured Martinho, alias Aranluli, in Ermera on Jan. 25.<\/p>\n
\"One of those caught alive was a member of a clandestine
\ngroup. He was returned to his family after some questioning,\"
\nDjoko was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
In Viqueque, the operation led by Capt. Eko S. ambushed a
\ngroup of seven rebels armed with M-16 and SP-1 rifles at 6.45
\na.m. on Jan. 26.<\/p>\n
Five of the insurgents were killed and their arms confiscated,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
\"In both operations, none of our soldiers were killed or
\nwounded,\" Djoko said. (swe\/pan)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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