UN team begins probe into Atambua killing<\/p>\n
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): A special team led by United Nations High
\nCommissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Inspector General Nicholas
\nMorris arrived here on Tuesday to begin an investigation into the
\nkilling of three humanitarian staff members working for the
\ninternational body in Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara last month.<\/p>\n
\"Our team is probing the case by gathering information on the
\nbackground situation at the time of the incident and the causes
\nthat led to the killing,\" Morris told the media after a one and a
\nhalf hour meeting with Udayana Military Commander Maj. Gen. Kiki
\nSyahnakri and East Nusa Tenggara Police chief Brig. Gen. Made
\nMangku Pastika at Udayana Military Headquaters here.<\/p>\n
Pastika further explained that the team would also gather
\nfacts from witnesses of the incident.<\/p>\n
\"They (the team) is here to look for clarifications from
\nrelated military and police institutions so that everything is
\ntransparent and clear. We have already given them the description
\nof the situation before and after the incident,\" Pastika said.<\/p>\n
\"I've also told Insp. Gen. Morris and his staff that earlier
\npolice had given four warnings to UNHCR staff to vacate their
\npost since we'd heard reports of possible massive mass action
\ntoward their office,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A mob attacked the UNHCR office in Atambua early last month
\nallegedly after hearing the news that ex-militia leader Olivio
\nMoruk had been murdered the previous night by unknown assailants.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Marzuki Darusman revealed later that elements
\nof the Indonesian Military (TNI) have been implicated in both the
\nkilling of the UN relief workers and that of the militia leader.<\/p>\n
In remembrance of last month's incident, Pastika revealed that
\ntwo police officers had been sent to evacuate the UNHCR staff
\nprior to the fracas.<\/p>\n
\"But the three UNHCR staff members refused to leave the
\ncompound as they said their superior had not yet told them to
\nabandon their office. Because of that 'stubborn' motion the three
\neventually got killed in a riot that was allegedly conducted by
\nformer members of militias early last September,\" Made explained.<\/p>\n
Refugees<\/p>\n
On his account of the refugee issue, Maj. Gen. Kiki said
\nsecurity forces had refused the UN's request to move East
\nTimorese refugees residing in the neighboring NTT province by
\nland transportation.<\/p>\n
\"The United Nations has asked for the refugees' repatriation
\nprocess to be done overland. We refused this because it's too
\nrisky. We are thinking of moving them by plane, which is much
\nsafer.\"<\/p>\n
\"Imagine, the distance between Kupang (NTT's capital) to Los
\nPalos in East Timor is very far and along the route there are
\nstill many pro-independence militias roaming around. This is
\ndangerous as these (pro-independence) militias are likely to
\ntreat the refugees as enemies,\" Kiki said.<\/p>\n
\"The planned East Timorese refugee repatriation will be
\nconducted for the first time after a protracted dispute in the
\nborder of NTT and East Timor, so it must be conducted in a smooth
\nand secure way. If the plan fails, none of those refugees would
\nbe willing to go back to East Timor,\" Kiki said.<\/p>\n
He added that the security level in the town has been brought
\nback to normal.<\/p>\n
The top security level had probably been imposed in Kupang and
\nAtambua because of fear that the towns were not safe enough.
\n(edt\/zen)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/un-team-begins-probe-into-atambua-killing-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}