PPI chief and followers to return to East Timor
PPI chief and followers to return to East Timor
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang
Former chief of the Prointegration Forces (PPI) Joao da Silva Tavares said on Friday that he and thousands of his men would return back to their hometowns in East Timor next week.
Tavares, however, dismissed allegations that his decision to return home and become an East Timor citizen had been influenced by the Indonesian Military (TNI), which also expected him to carry out a special mission for the military.
"The decision to leave West Timor and return to our hometowns in East Timor is final. We really miss our families and homes ... We have to return home," he told reporters at the West Timor border town of Atambua.
He said that he and his followers had initially wanted to stay in Indonesia, but eventually decided to return to East Timor after the Indonesian government stopped paying attention to East Timorese refugees and PPI members any more.
"We wanted to stay in West Timor and remain as Indonesian citizens, but we are hungry. Therefore, it'll be better for us to return home (to East Timor)," he said.
Tavares also dismissed speculation that he would form a coalition with the hard-line faction of the armed Falintil group, which was not recruited into East Timor's military.
"The decision to return to East Timor is mine. There is no such special mission ordered by the TNI to set up a coalition with the hard-line faction in Falintil to create disorder," said Tavares, a former regent of Bobonaro.
Spokesman of the East Nusa Tenggara Wirasakti Military Resort Capt. Longginug Lelo denied that the TNI had given support or a special mission to Tavares for a campaign in East Timor, which was officially declared the first new state of the third millennium on May 20.
"It's true that Joao Tavares will return to East Timor next week. However, the TNI has not given him any 'special orders'," Lelo said.
Earlier, Deputy PPI commander for C region Nomencio Lopes de Carvalho, along with some 800 followers, returned to East Timor late last year.