More E. Timorese return to RI over fears of violence
More E. Timorese return to RI over fears of violence
KAFAMENANU, East Nusa Tenggara (JP): Anxiety of a possible
outbreak of violence in this August's general election and the
scarcity of staple food have forced East Timorese to continuously
leave their homeland and illegally enter neighboring East Nusa
Tenggara province, officials said.
Data from the local administration of Belu district in North
Central Timor regency revealed that there have been 168,816 more
East Timorese streaming into East Nusa Tenggara over the past two
months. In February the regency administration recorded only
63,632 people from 14,360 families coming from the former
Indonesian province.
"We are still traumatized, afraid of bloodshed in the coming
general election, like what happened in the 1998 ballot," East
Timorese Anthonio da Costa who came from Oecusi told The Jakarta
Post on Friday.
The East Timorese admitted they crossed the border through
isolated pathways which were unattended by troops from both the
Indonesian Military and the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces.
The refugees hailed from various parts of East Timor, such as
Suai, Bobonaro, and Oecusi.
The people, bringing no visas, came in groups and immediately
joined their relatives in the refugee camps which were situated
only around two to three kilometers away from the border areas.
"I left Bobonaro (in East Timor) in March through pathways and
jungles. We went to Indonesia because everything is expensive
there, all goods are priced in Australian dollars," refugee Maria
Fatima Amaral told the Post at the Motaain refugee camp in East
Tasifeto district.
North Central Timor regent Hengki Sakunab admitted there were
an increasing number of illegal entries and said that border
officers had done their best but they lacked personnel.
Hengki added that people in East Timor and in East Nusa
Tenggara shared the same historical background and even though
one had become a free country, family ties between the two
communities could not just be put aside.
"If there are problems in Oecusi, they will flee to our areas.
That has been going on for a long time," he said.
Some 250,000 East Timorese fled their ravaged homes after
people in the former Portuguese territory opted for independence
in 1999.
Meanwhile the Wirasakti Regional Military Commander Col. Budi
Heryanto admitted the lack of personnel had hampered the border
patrol. He said there were only 3,500 troops securing an area
stretching over 173 kilometers. (30/emf)