'Garuda' rejected by East Timorese refugees

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara (JP): About 150 East Timorese refugees residing in East Nusa Tenggara protested over the use of the Garuda, the mythical bird incorporated in the official seal of the Republic of Indonesia, as the symbol for the option of staying in Indonesian in the scheduled June 6 ballot.

The other option, returning to East Timor, is symbolized by a picture of East Timor.

"We object to the Garuda symbol because the refugees here only know the red-and-white flag which represents Indonesia," one of the refugees, Yanto da Costa, said, adding that the majority of the refugees were illiterate.

The refugees, who came from various refugees camps, staged the protest outside the office of the Kupang regent. They threatened not to take part in the coming ballot if the Garuda symbol was not removed.

Another refugee, Joanico Cesario Bolo, said the East Timorese were still traumatized by the UN-sponsored ballot in 1999 which used a similar method of voting in the plebiscite on whether to remain part of Indonesia or become independent.

The ballot was won by the proindependence camp, and enraged prointegration groups then ran amok shortly after the ballot result was announced. Thousands of people were forced to leave the homes to avoid the violence.

"If the government wants to collect data on those who want to stay in Indonesia and those who want to return to East Timor, they should not use balloting as a method," said Joanico, who was formerly one of prointegration militia group leaders.

A refugee from Noelbaki refugee camp, Zeka Mujiana Lay, said the government should just set up posts in the refugee camps and the refugees would be free to register themselves and to choose whether to stay or to leave Indonesia.

"I will help register all the East Timorese in Noelbaki if the government ensures that the symbol is changed," he said. (30)