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).