Land and repatriation issues for refugees

ATAMBUA, East Nusa Tenggara: Residents of Belu Regency in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) have said they would not allocate land for East Timorese refugees who refused to return home after Dec. 31, 2002, the government deadline for all refugees to return their homeland.

"The local people don't want to give up part of their land for East Timorese refugees, because the land would be bequeathed to their children and grandchildren," Belu Regent Marsellus Bere said on Thursday. Besides, locals felt they had experienced too many problems with the East Timorese during their stay in NTT, he added.

The regent was commenting on requests from East Timorese refugees to stay in NTT after the repatriation program deadline.

The local government would seek state-owned lands to resettle those refugees who preferred to stay in Indonesia, he said. --Antara.