Funds sought to finance repatriation

JAKARTA: Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla said on Friday that Indonesia still needed US$20 million to repatriate 9,000 former civil servants and military personnel currently staying in makeshift refugee camps in West Timor.

"We've collected US$5.5 million since November from Portugal, Australia and the European Union as well as Indonesia," Jusuf said after a meeting with representatives of 28 countries at the United Nations' building in Jakarta.

According to Jusuf, the 9,000 former servicemen and civil servants could not return to East Timor before they received government compensation ranging from Rp 10 million to Rp 15,000 million each.

He did not say if any foreign countries had pledged financial assistance for the repatriation program within Indonesia.

Jusuf stressed the urgency of the matter, saying that the refugee problem should be solved prior to East Timor's independence in May 20.

Those attending the meeting included representatives from the United States, Australia, Austria, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Germany, Canada, Egypt, Norway and France. -- JP