East Timor's Xanana to visit West Timor early November
East Timor's Xanana to visit West Timor early November
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang
East Timor President Jose Alessandro Xanana Gusmao is scheduled
to arrive here on Nov. 1, 2002, to hold a dialog with thousands
of remaining East Timorese refugees in his attempt to persuade
them to return home.
Upon his arrival in the city, Xanana is slated to hold a
meeting with East Timorese leaders taking refuge in Kafemanu,
Kupang and Atambua.
A number of East Timor officials, led by Johanis Lay, director
of East Timor's Reconciliation Department, have been in the city
to prepare for Xanana's three-day visit.
Djidon de Han, an assistant to the secretary of the East Nusa
Tenggara provincial administration, confirmed Xanana's visit,
saying the visit was being made in coordination with the central
government and the foreign ministry.
Meanwhile, Joao Tavares, former chief of the dissolved
prointegration militia (PPI) hailed Xanana's visit, saying it was
expected to speed up the remaining refugees' repatriation.
"I'm sure Xanana's visit will produce a good impact on the
planned repatriation of all East Timorese refugees because he is
an East Timorese leader who is widely accepted by refugees," he
said.
During the planned meetings, Xanana is expected to speak about
the actual situation in East Timor, especially the acceptance of
other refugees who have already returned, and his policy of
reuniting all East Timorese people.
"The meetings are expected to encourage the refugees to return
in order to start a new life in an independent country," he said.
The Belu regency administration said on Thursday that it would
continue coordinating with the Presidium for East Timorese
Refugees (PPTT) as its partner in carrying out the repatriation
program for the refugees.
Secretary of the regency administration Joachim Lopez said the
local administration and PPTT, chaired by Agustinho Pinto, would
continue to promote the repatriation program to persuade refugees
to return home.
He said PPTT was also making an inventory of the remaining
refugees to avoid any confusion on behalf of the government, the
media and the wider international world.
According to local administration data, the number of East
Timorese refugees remaining in the province was 33,000, of which
60 percent were still living in Belu regency.
Some 295,000 East Timorese fled East Timor in 1999 and took
refuge in the province following the UN-sponsored election at
which a majority of East Timorese people cast their vote in favor
of the territory's independence. East Timor's independence was
declared under UN auspices and in the presence of several world
leaders, including President Megawati Soekarnoputri, on May 20,
2002.
The government has terminated its humanitarian and financial
aid for the refugees due to the continuing economic crisis. The
refugee repatriation program was carried out in cooperation with
UNHCR and the International Migration Organization (IOM).