East Timor refugees reregistered

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Authorities began on Monday the reregistration of thousands of East Timorese refugees languishing in camps across East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) to determine their citizenship, officials said.

The program is implemented on the basis of Presidential Decree No. 25/2003 ordering registration of East Timorese refugees ahead of the 2004 elections.

The registration will exclude former East Timorese civil servants, including soldiers and police officers, as they are automatically considered Indonesian citizens for their service to the country, said spokesman for the NTT administration Johanis Kosapilawan.

He said the registration also aims to determine the exact number of East Timorese refugees living in the camps.

It is expected that the registration will assist the refugees' to participate in the 2004 general elections.--JP

;JP;SPS; ANPAa..r.. Brebes-seizing-car Brebes Police seized People's Council's member car JP/5/acr5

Brebes police seize councillor's car

BREBES, Central Java: A van with the license-plate number B- 8674-PS was seized from Raharjo, a member of the Brebes regency legislative council, as the owner had failed to provide valid documentation, police said on Monday.

Brebes Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Bambang Purwanto said the Kijang car has the same registration number (STNK) as another reportedly belonging to a police officer in Jakarta.

"It is impossible that two cars share a STNK. That's why we confiscated it," he said.

Bambang said Raharjo, a councillor with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), claimed he brought the car from Renaldi, a broker in Jakarta.

The police chief said that the councillor had tried to trace the car's previous owner and had found out that the vehicle was registered under the name of Junaidi, instead of Suhartini which was recorded on the STNK. --Antara