Military to help repatriate refugees

Military to help repatriate refugees

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang

The East Nusa Tenggara provincial government has asked the
Wirasakti Military Subdistrict overseeing West Timor to help
speed up the repatriation of East Timorese refugees, says a local
military official.

Col. Moesanip, chief of the military subdistrict, said here on
Friday that the local military would play the role of coordinator
of the task force assigned to facilitate the repatriation of the
refugees.

"The government has asked for our help to help speed up the
repatriation program," he said.

The instruction came after the central government decided to
stop financial assistance and rice rations for the refugees, who
had fled East Timor in August 1999 as pro-Jakarta militias
ravaged the territory after it voted to break away from
Indonesia.

Jakarta has instead offered Rp 750,000 as an assistance fund
for each family willing to return home.

On Thursday, a delegation from the United Nations High
Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) met East Nusa Tenggara Governor
Piet A. Tallo to express the commission's support for the swift
repatriation of the refugees.

The UNHCR promised to provide an unspecified amount of money
to buy food and other daily necessities for the East Timorese
refugees after they arrive home.

"After arriving in East Timor, they will receive assistance in
the form of food allowances, but the amount will be clear when
they arrive there," Deputy Governor Yohanis Pake Pani said.

He said all groups of East Timorese welcomed the return of the
refugees to rebuild their independent territory.

"I have met with East Timor's leader Ramos Horta and he calls
on all the refugees to return," added Yohanis, who just returned
from the neighboring state.

Moesanip also said his troops would help local police provide
security when East Timorese leader Jose Alexander "Xanana" Gusmao
and other local figures visit Kupang from Nov. 26 to Nov. 30,
2001.

He warned any militias against attempting to disrupt the
planned visit, otherwise they would face tough actions from
security forces.

Xanana's delegation will include two influential bishops
Ximenes Belo and Nascimento as well as former Fretilin armed
force chief Taur Matan Ruak.

"The intention of Xanana's visit is very good. He will visit
the refugee camps because that is what the refugees want,"
Moesanip said.