Refugees call for speedy distribution of Italian rice aid
Refugees call for speedy distribution of Italian rice aid
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Thousands of East Timorese refugees called on the government to
distribute 104 tons of rice, received as aid from Italy, which
was being held by the East Nusa Tenggara provincial
administration because of conflicting figures on the number of
refugees in the province.
The Presidium for East Timorese Refugees (PPTT), an
organization established by the refugees to handle their
interests, questioned the motive and reasoning behind the local
administration's decision not to distribute the rice while
refugees were left to run short of food ahead of the holidays.
"Many refugees asked about the rice aid, but we cannot give a
positive response since the Belu administration has yet to
distribute it," Antara news agency quoted the chairman of PPTT,
Agustinho Pinto, as saying in Belu, Atambua, on Tuesday.
Agustinho said he had frequently questioned the local
administration about the aid since the government's humanitarian
assistance to the refugees had been halted.
"Refugees are in need of the rice to help them survive the
difficult times ahead of Christmas and New Year's," he said.
He challenged the local administration to produce accurate
data on the number of East Timorese taking refuge in the
province.
He said the PPTT had submitted new data to the local
administration that showed the number of refugees totaled 17,669
families or 105,277 people.
"We were shocked to learn that there were 19,000 refugees
according to the local administration's data," he said, adding
that he did not know why there was a difference in totals.
Both the central government and the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have put the figure at 21,000.
Meanwhile, the secretary of the Belu administration, Joachim
Lopez, said he had ordered his personnel to crosscheck the number
of refugees with other institutions and NGOs.
The local administration also held back in the middle of the
year financial aid from Japan for refugees on the grounds that it
would spark social envy among locals. The donation was
distributed after the Japanese government asked the central
government why it was being withheld.
In other developments, the Belu administration is preparing an
unnamed area in the regency to accommodate the East Timorese who
fled recent violence in Dili.
"We have presented a proposal to Governor Piet A. Tallo to get
support," said Joachim.
Belu's military commander Lt. Col. Agus Minahasa and police
chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Nugroho had expressed their support for
the proposal.
They said they wanted to develop a specific area to
accommodate the East Timorese. They said the people of East Timor
would quickly move to Belu regency if violence broke out in the
country.
"Some people from East Timor have illegally entered Belu after
the Dec. 4 riot and blended in with refugees at separate camps
because there is no special place for them," he said, referring
to a deadly riot that rocked Dili, East Timor's capital city.
At least two youths were killed and several others were
injured in the ensuing violence. A house belonging to East Timor
Prime Minister Al Katiri was also burned down.
Joachim added that it would be difficult for security forces
to deal with a mass exodus if there was no special place for
them.
From a diplomatic aspect, Indonesia has to provide proper care
for refugees from a conflict-ridden country.
Belu Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Nugroho hailed the plan
from the public administration to anticipate social upheavals
resulting from conflicts in Dili.
The United Nations Civilian Police in East Timor assured
police in East Nusa Tenggara that the potential exodus of East
Timorese to Indonesian territory following the deadly riot in the
capital city of Dili would be minimized.
"Some high-ranking UN police officials said the same thing
during a coordination meeting in the border town of Mota'ain this
morning," Agus Nugroho said after a coordination meeting in
Atambua on Monday.