East Timor refugees to join transmigration program
East Timor refugees to join transmigration program
KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara (JP): Most of the remaining East
Timor refugees taking shelter here have chosen to join the local
transmigration program as Indonesian citizens, an official said.
Vice Governor Johanes Pake Pani told reporters recently an
estimated 75,000 refugees would join the resettlement program,
with some already relocated to two transmigration sites in the
province.
"These people wish to stay in Indonesia and so far the
government has prepared 1,350 houses in Sulamu area in South
Central Timor regency," Pani said, adding that the government has
plans to build another 7,600 houses.
Of some 260,000 East Timorese fleeing their violence-ravaged
home soil in September last year, 100,000 are still camping in
the province.
The government has set a March 31 deadline for the remaining
refugees to choose whether to be repatriated or remain part of
Indonesia. The self-determination census, conducted in
cooperation with Cendana University, finished on Monday and the
results will be announced next week.
Pani said the provincial government would ask the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide funds
to finance the construction of the houses.
In the weekly coordination meeting between the local
government and the international agencies on Tuesday, Pani asked
representatives of the UNHCR to transport 236 families from two
camps here to resettlement areas in Sulamu.
The UNHCR has yet to respond to the requests, but asserted
that it would help the local government implement the
resettlement program. The international body is responsible only
for repatriation of East Timorese.
Head of the local social services office Yohanes Payong Beda
said other resettlement areas had been built in Temun in North
Central Timor regency, Ponu in South Central Timor regency and
Central Malaka in Belu regency.
"There are 200 houses in Ponu and another 300 in Central
Malaka available for the refugees," Beda said. He added that over
the past month, the local government had moved almost 1,000
refugees to these areas.
Recent polls conducted by 30 local reporters revealed that
only 12.24 percent of the refugees wish to return to East Timor,
48.55 percent pledge to stay in Indonesia and the rest remain
undecided.
According to the study, nationalism and safety are the reasons
for East Timorese to remain part of Indonesia. Those who have not
decided say they are waiting for surety in East Timor.
The landmark plebiscite in East Timor last August resulted in
overwhelming rejection of Indonesia's autonomy offer, ending 23
years of Indonesian rule over the former Portuguese colony. (dja)