Twenty-six East Timorese citizens have requested political asylum
\nfrom the Indonesian government due to fear of intimidation back
\nhome, an Indonesian official has said.<\/p>\n
However, the Indonesian government initially turned down the
\nrequest on the grounds that the 26 East Timorese previously
\nrefused to become Indonesian citizens, said Col. Moeswarno
\nMoesanip, the chief of Wirasakti Military Resort overseeing East
\nTimor Province (NTT).<\/p>\n
"The 26 East Timorese took refuge in Indonesia after the 1999
\nEast Timor mayhem, and they were given a chance to obtain
\nIndonesian citizenship.<\/p>\n
"However, instead of doing that, they returned later on to
\ntheir hometown and became citizens of East Timor," Moeswarno told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The 26, who are now being accommodated at Belu police station
\nin NTT, were part of a group of 48 East Timorese citizens who
\nrecently crossed into NTT after claiming to be victims of
\nintimidation in East Timor.<\/p>\n
The remaining 22 East Timorese citizens, who are now living in
\nseveral refugee camps in Belu regency here, have yet to request
\npolitical asylum from the Indonesian government.<\/p>\n
The 48, who came from Bobonaro district, East Timor, were
\namong some 250,000 East Timorese who fled the mayhem in East
\nTimor in 1999, when angry pro-Indonesian militias, allegedly
\nbacked by elements of the Indonesian Military, burned down the
\nEast Timor capital of Dili after the majority of the East
\nTimorese voted to break away from Indonesia.- JP<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/twenty-six-east-timorese-citizens-have-requested-political-asylum-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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