Timorese refugees urged to relocate<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Unsure about the outcome of reconciliation attempts by former
\npro-Indonesia fighters, leaders of East Timorese people in
\nsqualid camps in Belu, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), have started
\nurging refugees to participate in transmigration programs to
\nother parts of the country.<\/p>\n
East Timorese leader Salustiano de Sousa said in Atambua, NTT,
\non Saturday that East Timorese refugees had to be realistic in
\nassessing the situation in the newly-declared nation of East
\nTimor.<\/p>\n
\"If reconciliation attempts by former prointegration fighters
\n(PPI) hit a snag, the options left are either relocation or
\ntransmigration,\" Salustiono was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
\"Camp leaders are obliged to encourage refugees to join the
\ntransmigration program should they wish to stay in Indonesia,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Former PPI commander Joao Tavarez has met several times with
\nEast Timorese leaders negotiating for reconciliation and safe
\npassage for all former pro-Jakarta fighters wishing to return to
\nEast Timor.<\/p>\n
However, East Timorese leaders have given a cool response to
\nTavarez' request, insisting that human rights offenders be
\nbrought to justice before being pardoned.<\/p>\n
As many as 250,000 East Timorese fled to Indonesia's West
\nTimor in 1999 after pro-Jakarta militia members, angered by the
\nresult of a UN-organized referendum, went on a bloody rampage,
\nkilling dozens of proindependence supporters and destroying up to
\n80 percent of the infrastructure in the former Portuguese colony.<\/p>\n
While most refugees have returned to East Timor, slightly over
\n30,000 East Timorese are still living in makeshift camps in West
\nTimor, many suffering from malnutrition due to food shortages.<\/p>\n
The government has stopped all repatriation programs for East
\nTimorese refugees, and, according to Salustiono, has offered two
\noptions apart from repatriation: either resettlement or
\ntransmigration.<\/p>\n
The East Timorese are to lose their refugee status in
\nDecember.<\/p>\n
\"Transmigration is the only option for refugees now after
\ngovernment-sponsored repatriation was stalled and resettlement
\nsites are full,\" Salustiano said.<\/p>\n
The NTT manpower and transmigration office has recorded some
\n1,475 people as being ready to migrate to Sumba in NTT and
\nCentral Kalimantan province.<\/p>\n
Another East Timorese leader, Ansesco Sessas, said that he had
\nbeen encouraging East Timorese refugees to sign up for
\ntransmigration.<\/p>\n
\"Refugees in this camp have said that if reconciliation and
\nrepatriation of those accused of violating human rights in East
\nTimor hits a snag, the last option will be transmigration,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Ansesco expressed optimism that over time East Timorese
\ncommitting themselves to transmigration programs would still
\nreturn to East Timor, which declared its independence at midnight
\nof May 19.<\/p>\n
Blasius Joseph Manek, a senior community member in Belu, said
\nhe was convinced that East Timorese refugees opting for
\ntransmigration would be successful because they were hardworking.<\/p>\n
He said that the refugees should be made aware of the positive
\naspects of transmigration so that they could make an informed
\ndecision about it.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund (Unicef) halted its
\noperations in the district after the UN declared a level 5 alarm
\nstatus on Sept. 8 in the border area between the Indonesian
\nprovince and East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"Some 2,000 children are likely to drop out of school as
\nUnicef had already withdrawn its assistance, while their parents
\nare too poor to send their children to school,\" said head of Belu
\ndistrict Marsellus Bere.<\/p>\n
He said that while the UN Transitional Administration in East
\nTimor (UNTAET) guarded East Timor territory near the Indonesian
\nborder, Unicef had taken care of the children's educational needs
\nby providing scholarships, books, uniforms and sports equipment.<\/p>\n
Marsellus hoped that the UN would re-evaluate the security
\nsituation in NTT so that Unicef could support the children's
\neducation again.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/timorese-refugees-urged-to-relocate-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}