Govt assists refugees

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: The central government is to provide Rp 11 billion (US$1.1 million) worth of building materials to assist 1,363 families of East Timor refugees who are still living in East Nusa Tenggara.

East Nusa Tenggara deputy governor Frans Leburaya said on Monday that the assistance would encourage the refugees, who are still living in Kupang, Timur Tengah Utara and Belu regencies, to leave their makeshift camps and improve their lives.

Apart from providing building materials, the central government is also to provide Rp 7.3 billion in 2005 to help improve the economic circumstances of 2,090 refugee families.

"This assistance is being targeted at refugees living in camps, while those who work as civil servants, or in the military or police will not be entitled to it as they are already in receipt of salaries," Leburaya explained.

He said one of the problems in dealing with refugee problem was the lack of productive land for agriculture and housing, as a result of which the refugees ended up being dispersed in a variety locations. -- JP