Feisal brands asylum seekers 'unpatriotic'

Feisal brands asylum seekers 'unpatriotic'

JAKARTA (JP): Commander of the Armed Forces (ABRI) Gen. Feisal
Tanjung yesterday called the East Timorese youths who recently
requested political asylum at foreign embassies "irresponsible"
and "unpatriotic".

Speaking during a visit to a number of military commands and
bases in Dili, East Timor, Feisal said that if the youths had
loved their country, they would have stayed and worked hard to
develop their homeland.

"If they loved the country, they wouldn't have fled to another
country when they didn't even have a reason to do that," he told
the Antara news agency.

"They were not being persecuted, there was no problem," he
added.

"By fleeing the country, they have tarnished their own names
and the names of their hometowns.

"Please take note that none of the asylum seekers were
accepted in any other countries but Portugal," he said. "It would
have been better for them to stay in East Timor."

Feisal was commenting on the recent waves of East Timorese
youths entering the embassies of Japan and France to request
political asylum, citing persecution by the Armed Forces at home.

All of the groups who sought sanctuary in the foreign
embassies were eventually helped by the Jakarta office of the
International Commission of the Red Cross to leave for Lisbon,
Portugal.

In another part of his explanation, Feisal said the presence
of the military in the region aimed only at helping establish
stability and security, so that development programs could
commence well.

In a related development, East Timor Police Chief, Col.
Andreas Sugianto, reported yesterday the foiling of an attempt by
35 East Timorese to flee to Darwin, Australia, by hijacking a
motor boat.

The captain and five crewmen of the Tasi Diak 114 were paid to
take the group from Hera port, East Dili, to Kisar Island in
Maluku province on Saturday. En route, the East Timorese forced
the captain to change direction and head for Darwin.

The crew members tried to thwart the group's plan by taking
the boat to Com port in Lautem regency, where the crew tried to
abandon the boat. Their passengers forced them back onto the
vessel.

The captain then dumped the fuel, stranding the boat on Beaco
beach in Viqueque regency, 265 kilometers east of Dili, where it
was found by local security personnel.

The East Timorese escapees -- including four children and nine
women -- were returned to Dili. The police are holding them for
questioning.

"So far we have found out that they did this because they
wanted to have a better life in Australia," Andreas said.

Viqueque Regent I Ketut Lunca told The Jakarta Post that the
East Timorese had split into two groups in Lautem regency. Nine
of them changed their minds about fleeing to Australia and got
off the boat there. (yac/fai/swe)