E. Timorese lack news from home

E. Timorese lack news from home

ATAMBUA, East Nusa Tenggara: East Timorese living in the Insana
regency in East Nusa Tenggara lack access to news about their
homeland, causing many to decide to stay in the Indonesian half
of Timor island, an official said on Thursday.

"The East Timorese community here are really short of news on
the political, economic and security developments in their
homeland," Insana regent Piet Sanan said.

Around 295 East Timorese families or 1,780 people have settled
in the regency, which has a population of 33,675, he said.

The East Timorese were former refugees who fled East Timor due
to the violence that followed its separation from Indonesia in
1999.

Piet said many of the East Timorese wanted to go home, but due
to the lack of information they feared the situation might still
not be safe for them.

Many of the refugees were pro-Jakarta militia members who,
backed by the Indonesian Military, led a violent rampage in East
Timor following a United Nations supported referendum that led to
its independence.

Piet urged the East Timor government to help Indonesia
disseminate information among its people here about progress in
the new country. -- JP