Megawati meets E. Timorese refugees

Megawati meets E. Timorese refugees

JAKARTA (JP): Holding back tears after receiving an emotional
welcome, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri talked with East
Timor refugees in Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara, to get firsthand
information on their plight.

Hordes of refugees surrounded the vice president when she
arrived at a camp in the small border town in Belu district. Many
not only shook her hand but readily kissed it as a sign of
respect.

Megawati arrived in Atambua on Wednesday for a brief visit to
review the refugee situation.

Accompanied by an entourage, which included Coordinating
Minister for Political Affairs and Security Gen. Wiranto,
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty
Eradication Hamzah Haz, Minister of Education Yahya Muhaimin and
Minister of Settlement and Territorial Development Erna Witoelar,
she arrived on her one-day visit after a stopover in the
provincial capital of Kupang where she was briefed by Governor
Piet Tallo.

Tallo told the vice president that despite the limited
resources of the province, everyone was doing their best to
welcome and help the refugees.

"Although 52.59 percent of 3.5 million people in East Nusa
Tenggara are still living below the poverty line, we are still
able to help them," he said.

According to Tallo, the number of refugees in the province had
steadily declined from 270,000 to 197,000.

About 145,000 of them are sheltered in Belu district, Antara
reported from Kupang.

He revealed that some 60 percent of the pledged Rp 32 billion
in donations for refugees had been received by the province.
(mds)