Exiled Timorese return to Indonesia from Portugal
Exiled Timorese return to Indonesia from Portugal
JAKARTA (JP): Ten East Timorese who were sent into exile 35 years ago by the Portuguese government for their anti-colonialist activities are due to return home here on Thursday.
The 10 are members of the famous 1959 Viqueque rebellion and their families. They include Venacio da Costa Soares, Evaristo da Costa, Domingos Soares and Armindo Soares Amaral.
A statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Lisbon had repeatedly rejected their appeals to return to East Timor.
It was not until October 1994 that their appeals were brought by Lopes da Cruz, a senior East Timorese politician, to the attention of Indonesian President Soeharto, who then with the help of the International Commission of the Red Cross, facilitated their return to East Timor.
The former Portuguese colony was integrated into Indonesia as its' 27th province in 1976.
The Viqueque rebellion occurred on June 4, 1959, when several hundreds East Timorese in Viqueque, Uatokarbau and Uatolari took up arms against the oppression of the Portuguese colonialists.
Quelling the rebellion, some 500 people were reportedly shot by Portuguese guards and another 68 arrested and exiled abroad to Angola, Mozambique and Portugal.
About 45 of those exiled were released and allowed to return to East Timor in the 1960s.
Jakarta awarded 13 veterans of the Viqueque rebellion commendations in August.
According to the foreign ministry it was the personal preference of those returning on Thursday to come back to an integrated East Timor.
Meanwhile in Dili the speaker of the East Timor legislature, Antonio Freitas Parada, said the 10 returning Timorese will be warmly welcomed by the people.
Both Parada and head of the Golkar's East Timor chapter, Armindo Soares Amaral, said they should be considered heroes.
"The elders with their 1959 Viqueque Movement was the embryo of the integration process into Indonesia," Armindo said as quoted by Antara in Dili.
He added that because they laid the groundwork for integration, their return should not only be rejoiced by the Timorese people, but also Indonesians at large.
"It is only fitting that they be given a commendation," Armindo said.
He could not however determine whether the government would then present them with a job or position, saying only that these men are now well into their 50s. (mds)