Twelve Timorese seek asylum at Polish Embassy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Polish Embassy became the latest foreign
\nmission yesterday to fall prey to young East Timorese asylum
\nseekers.<\/p>\n
Twelve of them scaled the embassy walls on Jl. Diponegoro in
\nCentral Jakarta at around midday. They requested refugee status.<\/p>\n
\"Their request has been forwarded to Poland,\" embassy official
\nJ. Grabowski told The Jakarta Post yesterday afternoon.<\/p>\n
He could neither predict the chances of Warsaw consenting to
\ntheir request nor say how long it would take before a response
\nwould be given.<\/p>\n
Embassy officials said the youths had been given water.<\/p>\n
Their average age is between 17 and 18 years old, with the
\neldest being in his 30s, according to one source.<\/p>\n
Apart from requesting political asylum, they have delivered a
\npetition demanding Timorese self-government.<\/p>\n
In the past five months, 50 Timorese youths have forced their
\nway into embassies in Jakarta and sought political asylum. All 50
\nhad their original request for asylum rejected, and left the
\nembassies only after Portugal agreed to take them.<\/p>\n
Just over a week ago, five East Timorese left for Lisbon after
\nspending several nights at the New Zealand Embassy located just a
\nkilometer down the road from the Polish Embassy.<\/p>\n
The former Portuguese colony of East Timor was integrated as
\npart of Indonesia in 1976.<\/p>\n
The United Nations, which still regards Lisbon as the
\nadministering power in East Timor, has been sponsoring meetings
\nbetween the Portuguese and Indonesian foreign ministers to find
\nan internationally acceptable solution. The last meeting was held
\nin London on Jan. 16.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Director of Information
\nGhaffar Fadyl yesterday questioned the motivation of the youths'
\naction.<\/p>\n
\"If they wish to leave, why should they jump over the fence?\"
\nhe said pointing out that the government is not obstructing them
\nin anyway.<\/p>\n
He noted that by looking at their age, it is evident that they
\ndid not themselves experience the Timorese struggle under
\nPortuguese occupation.<\/p>\n
\"It isn't wrong to say that they are misguided by
\ndisinformation campaigns from the likes of Ramos Horta and other
\nNGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) that oppose Indonesia,\" he
\nremarked.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in the East Timor provincial capital of Dili, police
\nyesterday were questioning 23 people who tried sneak their way
\ninto Australia by commandeering a fishing boat on Jan. 19.<\/p>\n
East Timor police chief Col. Sugianto Andreas said in Dili
\nthat they had used similar tactics of previous \"boat people\" who
\nfled to Australia.<\/p>\n
\"They rented a boat for Kaisar Island (southeast Maluku). But
\nby the time they were at sea, they threatened (the crew) and
\ndemanded to be taken to Australia,\" Sugianto said as quoted by
\nAntara.<\/p>\n
Five women were reportedly among the 23 that tried to sail for
\nAustralia.<\/p>\n
The attempt was foiled by the boat's four sailors who managed
\nto furtively steer the boat back towards East Timor.(mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/twelve-timorese-seek-asylum-at-polish-embassy-1447893297",
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