Refugee repatriation delayed

Refugee repatriation delayed

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang

The more than 140,000 East Timorese refugees living in West Timor
can not return home till March 20 at the earliest due to
transportation problems.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and
the International Organization of Migrants (IOM) based in East
Timor's capital Dili can not provide transport as all its
vehicles are being used for the presidential elections and for
the planned transfer of authority from UNTAET to the new East
Timor government.

However, the refugees are expected to return to East Timor
after the transfer of power is completed and the former
Indonesian territory declares its independence on May 20.

East Timor held its presidential elections on Sunday with
Xanana Gusmao expected to easily win the race to lead the new
country for the next five years.

Col. Moesanip, chief of the East Nusa Tenggara Military
District, regretted the delay in repatriating the refugees,
saying both the UNHCR and IOM had not discussed the issue with
the Indonesian government.

"I was surprised over the weekend when I received a report
that UNHCR and IOM representative in Dili had turned down
thousands of refugees, who have registered their repatriation,
attempts to go back home," he told The Jakarta Post in the West
Timor capital of Kupang on Monday.

He added he had asked both the UNHCR and IOM to submit their
applications for the Indonesian government to provide
transportation for the refugees if they could not do so.

Moesanip said he was optimistic that the majority of the
around 143,000 East Timorese refugees in the province would
return home soon after May 20.

"Only refugees who are servicemen and former leaders of pro-
Jakarta militia groups will stay in the province and their number
will be around 10,000," he said.

Asked on the situation in refugee camps, Moesanip said there
were several camps which were prone to conflicts because they
were housing more than 1,500 servicemen who were deployed in East
Timor.

"Military barracks in the province could not accommodate the
servicemen refugees who are East Timorese descents, and we have
no funds to build special barracks for them," he said, saying
they would be reassigned and stationed outside the province.

"Despite their race, the servicemen must comply with the
military oath that they must be ready to be assigned to any tasks
both at home and overseas."

Moesanip said the East Timorese refugees who had left the
military were traitors who had betrayed their military oath and
had no right to receive any payments from the government.

More than 800 refugees who have joined the military in East
Timor will continue to be paid pension funds from the Indonesian
government until East Timor's independence is declared.