'Garuda' rejected by East Timorese refugees

'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)