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)