Villagers protest over E. Timor refugees<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang<\/p>\n
Possible clashes are looming between East Timorese refugees and
\nIndonesian farmers seeking to reclaim land used to accommodate
\nthe refugees on the border of West Timor and East Timor.<\/p>\n
About 130,000 refugees have refused to choose between
\nreturning to East Timor or resettling in Indonesia as part of the
\ngovernment's transmigration program.<\/p>\n
Food and other aid to the refugees, living in the area for
\nthree years, has been stopped since Jan. 1.<\/p>\n
They vowed to leave the refugee camps in May after East Timor
\nofficially became an independent state. The refugees have broken
\nan earlier promise to return to their homeland last year.<\/p>\n
Recently, many villagers in the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT)
\nborder area have protested, demanding local authorities return
\nland used by the refugees.<\/p>\n
The protesters, all farmers, complained of a loss of income
\nsince the refugee camps were built on their land in 1999. They
\nalso raised legal ownership of the land issues.<\/p>\n
In a response to the case, Udayana Military Commander Maj.
\nGen. Williem T da Costa, overseeing security in NTT and Bali,
\nsaid he agreed that the issues should be resolved soon.<\/p>\n
Speaking during a meeting with refugees at Tuapukan and
\nNoelbaki camps on Wednesday, he told them to leave the
\naccommodation centers immediately.<\/p>\n
The camps would be demolished in May, he said.<\/p>\n
\"They have to decide on their stance whether to return to East
\nTimor or stay with Indonesia by joining transmigration programs.\"<\/p>\n
The refugees, offered resettlement on the islands of Sumatra,
\nSulawesi or Kalimantan, can also stay within NTT, but they must
\nfind land by themselves to build houses or plantations, Williem
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Only a small number of refugees have bought or rented houses
\nin the NTT capital of Kupang or other towns in the province,
\nwhile most of the 130,000 still stay at the camps in the Kupang,
\nsouth and north central Timor and Belu regencies.<\/p>\n
Kupang's Wirasakti Military Commander Col. Moeswarno Moesanip
\nsaid only 50 families had left their camps but their whereabouts
\nwas not clear.<\/p>\n
He said some of the departing refugees were allegedly involved
\nin manipulating aid packages intended for the refugees.<\/p>\n
Williem said the refugees could demolish their camps and bring
\nthe building materials with them when they were resettled.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/villagers-protest-over-e-timor-refugees-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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