400 students leave East Timor

DILI, East Timor: Some 400 students in the last two months have moved to study outside the province due to the security disturbances which have continued to dog Indonesia's youngest province.

The head of the curriculum section of the local Education Office, Emanuel Ulu, said here Wednesday that the students had requested the transfer due to the rising political tension and various forms of intimidation occurring.

"If the situation here is not conducive for studying, then we cannot stop the students from moving," he said as quoted by Antara.

A series of demonstrations involving high school students have caused intermittent suspensions of the school year in the past few weeks.