Medan welcomes fleeing teachers

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Teachers fleeing East Timor for safety will be eligible to teach at schools here, the local educational office announced on Monday.

The office head, Abdul Muin Harahap, said for the time being only teachers who were North Sumatrans would be helped. They would be posted to areas where there were vacancies, or sent back to their birthplaces.

"(Acts of) terror and threats aimed at teachers in East Timor have wreaked havoc to our national educational system. That's why we offer a way out for those who fall victim to the political tension there," Harahap said.

He said the migrant teachers would not be subject to any expenses, but they would face legal consequences if they were found counterfeiting diplomas or other documents in their applications.

The Forum for East Timor Teachers Brotherhood, the organization which carries out the teachers' relocation program, has helped 76 North Sumatrans return to their hometowns from the troubled former Portuguese colony. The teachers are expected to start work next month. (39)