Boatpeople land in East Timor

Boatpeople land in East Timor

DILI, East Timor: Five Vietnamese boatpeople who escaped from
the Galang Island refugee processing center in Riau are now
stranded in East Timor after their boat lost control in rough
seas and was washed ashore.

The local navy said the five Vietnamese managed to flee Galang
and bought themselves a motorized sailing ship which they had
hoped would take them to Australia, Antara said.

Their boat, Kalam, however was stranded near Tutuala beach in
the Lautem regency, and was towed to Dili by two passing sailing
fishing ships, Trijaya and Berdikari, to the shore.

The five Vietnamese are identified as Tran Thonh Dung (43
years old), Huynh Hun Hao (25), Doan Truc Linh (24), Dang Huu
Phoug (23) and Tran Trong Kim (28). They were all originally from
Ho Chi Minh City before they found their way to Galang.

They fled the island, through Jakarta, and traveled overland
to Pamekasan, Madura, where they bought Kalam for Rp 3.5 million
($1,590).

They are currently under the care of the International Red
Cross Committee office in Dili. (emb)