UNHCR neutral on East Timor refugees<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang<\/p>\n
The United Nations High Commission for refugees (UNHCR) has
\nadopted a neutral stance on the fate of 123 East Timorese who
\nhave been refugees for three years in East Nusa Tenggara
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
It would give its support if the refugees voluntarily choose
\nto go back to their homeland in East Timor or if they choose to
\nstay in Indonesia and join the local resettlement program.<\/p>\n
Robert White, UNHCR representative in Indonesia, stated this
\nduring a meeting with local officials to discuss the government's
\nplan to repatriate the refugees.<\/p>\n
Also attending the meeting were East Nusa Tenggara Governor
\nPiet A. Tallo, Deputy Governor Johanes Pake Pani, Husein
\nPancratius, chief of the local social affairs office, Budi
\nAchmadi Adiputra, a deputy of the coordinating minister for
\npeople's welfare, and local military and police officials.<\/p>\n
The meeting was held two weeks after the government terminated
\nits humanitarian assistance for the refugees on Jan. 1, 2002, and
\nset Jan. 31, 2002 as the deadline for choosing whether they would
\ngo home or stay in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Robert hinted that the government should consider all
\nobstacles and problems the refugees would be facing if they chose
\nto leave the province for their homeland.<\/p>\n
He said the government should use the upcoming Easter and East
\nTimor's planned independence as two major events for persuading
\nthe refugees to join the repatriation program.<\/p>\n
"We will provide our support if the local administration
\nstarts publicizing these two important events so as to persuade
\nthe refugees to go back home," he said.<\/p>\n
Of the around 290,000 refugees who came to the province after
\nthe 1999 ballot in East Timor, tens of thousands have already
\nreturned home and a small part has joined the resettlement
\nprogram in other provinces. Meanwhile, more than 123,000 are
\nstill languishing in camps in several regencies in the province.<\/p>\n
Budi Achmadi said the government hoped that 90 percent of the
\nremaining refugees would choose to return to their homeland.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/unhcr-neutral-on-east-timor-refugees-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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