President to visit RI-E. Timor border area
President to visit RI-E. Timor border area
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri was scheduled to visit Belu in
West Timor in May to have a firsthand look at the development
programs in the regency bordering East Timor, after attending
East Timor's independence celebration.
Belu Regent Marsellus Bere said that according to his
information from the East Nusa Tenggara provincial
administration, the President would make the visit after
attending the inauguration of Xanana Gusmao as the country's
first president and the new country's independence celebration on
May 20, 2002.
He said that besides installing the Benanain bridge in Central
Malaka Subdistrict in the regency and a water reservoir project
in Kupang regency, the president would make a tour to a number of
villages along the border areas with East Timor.
The bridge was rebuilt after being damaged by a flood in May,
2000.
"We are making necessary preparations to greet the president,"
Bere said as quoted by Antara on Saturday.
The regent declined to answer whether the president would hold
talks with local government and military officials to help
repatriate the tens of thousands (The UNHCR claims there are
55,000 and Kupang officials claim over 100,000) of East Timorese
people still in the province.
He said the president's historic visit was expected to give a
moral boost to local people and officials to accelerate the
development programs in the border area.
Joachim Lopez, secretary of the Belu administration, hailed
the importance of developing the border areas in anticipation of
East Timor's independence.
"We have proposed to the central government the development of
infrastructure such as roads, bridges and markets in an
anticipation of a new trade development with East Timorese people
living in villages bordering Indonesia," he said, saying it would
be a golden opportunity for the government to help improve the
social welfare of local people.
He said that the central government had not yet responded to
the proposal.
Blasius Joseph Manek, deputy chairman of the Belu regency
legislative council, said besides giving a morale boost to local
officials and people, the president was also expected to make a
visit to the refugee camps to help convince the refugees that
East Timor was secure to live in.
"The president's visit is also expected to encourage the
refugees to go back home," he said.
He said tens of thousands of East Timorese refugees have
refused to make a clear choice for returning to their homeland
due to a perceived fear of reprisals as many were involved with
the militia mayhem in 1999.
Despite the fears, some 3,000 East Timorese families recently
have registered for repatriation.
Col. Moeswarno Moesanip, chief of the East Nusa Tenggara
Military District, expects a majority of the refugees to return
after the inauguration of Xanana.
Meanwhile, 22 delegates from East Timor's Liquisa district
were at the refugee camps over the weekend trying to allay any
fears that refugees have of returning.
Eurora Ximenes who led the delegation, said their main mission
in the regency was to facilitate reconciliation with refugees who
were from Liquisa.
"We want them (the refugees) to return home to develop their
home country and celebrate independence with us on May 20," she
said.
Lt. Col. Didi Sudiana, chief of the Belu Military Subdistrict,
appreciated the reconciliatory mission, saying East Timorese
authorities and UNHCR should send more such district-specific
delegations until all refugees returned home.
"We will continue persuading the remaining refugees to go back
home to resume their new life in their homeland, instead of the
uncertainty in the refugee camps," he said.
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri was scheduled to visit Belu in
West Timor in May to have a firsthand look at the development
programs in the regency bordering East Timor, after attending
East Timor's independence celebration.
Belu Regent Marsellus Bere said that according to his
information from the East Nusa Tenggara provincial
administration, the President would make the visit after
attending the inauguration of Xanana Gusmao as the country's
first president and the new country's independence celebration on
May 20, 2002.
He said that besides installing the Benanain bridge in Central
Malaka Subdistrict in the regency and a water reservoir project
in Kupang regency, the president would make a tour to a number of
villages along the border areas with East Timor.
The bridge was rebuilt after being damaged by a flood in May,
2000.
"We are making necessary preparations to greet the president,"
Bere said as quoted by Antara on Saturday.
The regent declined to answer whether the president would hold
talks with local government and military officials to help
repatriate the tens of thousands (The UNHCR claims there are
55,000 and Kupang officials claim over 100,000) of East Timorese
people still in the province.
He said the president's historic visit was expected to give a
moral boost to local people and officials to accelerate the
development programs in the border area.
Joachim Lopez, secretary of the Belu administration, hailed
the importance of developing the border areas in anticipation of
East Timor's independence.
"We have proposed to the central government the development of
infrastructure such as roads, bridges and markets in an
anticipation of a new trade development with East Timorese people
living in villages bordering Indonesia," he said, saying it would
be a golden opportunity for the government to help improve the
social welfare of local people.
He said that the central government had not yet responded to
the proposal.
Blasius Joseph Manek, deputy chairman of the Belu regency
legislative council, said besides giving a morale boost to local
officials and people, the president was also expected to make a
visit to the refugee camps to help convince the refugees that
East Timor was secure to live in.
"The president's visit is also expected to encourage the
refugees to go back home," he said.
He said tens of thousands of East Timorese refugees have
refused to make a clear choice for returning to their homeland
due to a perceived fear of reprisals as many were involved with
the militia mayhem in 1999.
Despite the fears, some 3,000 East Timorese families recently
have registered for repatriation.
Col. Moeswarno Moesanip, chief of the East Nusa Tenggara
Military District, expects a majority of the refugees to return
after the inauguration of Xanana.
Meanwhile, 22 delegates from East Timor's Liquisa district
were at the refugee camps over the weekend trying to allay any
fears that refugees have of returning.
Eurora Ximenes who led the delegation, said their main mission
in the regency was to facilitate reconciliation with refugees who
were from Liquisa.
"We want them (the refugees) to return home to develop their
home country and celebrate independence with us on May 20," she
said.
Lt. Col. Didi Sudiana, chief of the Belu Military Subdistrict,
appreciated the reconciliatory mission, saying East Timorese
authorities and UNHCR should send more such district-specific
delegations until all refugees returned home.
"We will continue persuading the remaining refugees to go back
home to resume their new life in their homeland, instead of the
uncertainty in the refugee camps," he said.