Refugee presidium established

Refugee presidium established

KUPANG, West Nusa Tenggara: Former pro-integration leaders
established on Monday the Presidium of East Timorese Refugees to
accommodate support for refugees of the former province of East
Timor.

One of the founders, Eurico Gutteres, vowed the organization
would not get involved in politics, but would merely provide
humanitarian assistance for the refugees.

He said that the East Timorese people, who had chosen to stay
in Indonesia after separation in 1999, needed a forum to talk
about their problems.

"We do not need to look back ... what we need now is
reconciliation among the East Timorese," another founder of the
presidium, Carlos de Fatima, said after the declaration.--JP