Refugees given until May 20 to return to East Timor
Refugees given until May 20 to return to East Timor
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang
East Timorese refugees will have until May 21 to choose whether
to join the ongoing repatriation program. Otherwise they will be
considered as having accepted Indonesian nationality, a security
officer said.
Chief of the Udayana Military Command overseeing Bali and Nusa
Tenggara, Maj. Gen. Wellem T. Da Costa, said on Wednesday that
the Indonesian government would no longer acknowledge the refugee
status of the East Timorese because of the independence of the
former Portuguese colony, which will be declared on May 20.
"After May 21, or one day after East Timor's declaration of
independence, there will be no more refugees. Those who haven't
returned to East Timor as of that date will be unconditionally
recognized as Indonesian nationals," Wellem said during a dialog
with East Timor refugees in Sulamu regency.
Wellem repeated his statement when he spoke at Tuapukan
refugee camp in Kupang regency on Wednesday.
The secretary of the agency handling the coordination of the
East Timor refugees, Stefanus Tefa, told The Jakarta Post that as
of the first week of May 50,000 refugees had been repatriated.
This figure was confirmed by the UN High Commission for Refugees'
representative in Kupang.
Wellem also regretted the absence of markets in Belu and North
Timor Tengah Regencies bordering with East Timor, saying this
situation could lead to an illegal trade among the two countries'
peoples.
"In fact, East Timor is more responsive to their economy's
future by developing numerous traditional markets in Maliana
bordering with the two regencies," he said.
He was responding to the instalment of new markets in the East
Timor town of Maliana he along with governor Piet A. Tallo would
attend next week.
He said the markets' instalment was a strong hit for the two
regencies.
He acknowledged that he has proposed the provincial
administration to encourage the two regencies to develop markets
along the border areas but so far, nothing was made.
"I have proposed to the two regencies to prepare land for the
planned markets in Metasin and, then, the local military will
help develop the markets, but so far nothing has been done" he
said.
Meanwhile in Atambua, the Indonesian task force commander Col.
Harry Purdianto proposed cooperation between his unit and the UN
Peacekeeping Force (UNPKF) in the Indonesia and East Timor border
area ahead of the celebration of East Timor's independence on May
20.
Harry made the proposal at the routine meeting of the tactical
coordination working group with UNPKF on Wednesday, in
anticipation of any possible security threats ahead of the
celebration.
"For the sake of security along the border ahead of the
independence celebration, we hope the UNPKF and Indonesian border
security task force will work together, especially in watching
alternative routes," he said.
Security coordination would be needed to monitor the
alternative routes in the border between Belu district
(Indonesia) and Bobonaro/Covalima district (East Timor), as well
as between Timor Tengah Utara district (Indonesia) and Oecussi
enclave (East Timor), he said.
East Timor is a former province of Indonesia, which seceded
from the republic in October 1999 as a result of the
proindependence camp's victory in the UN-organized vote. The
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor oversaw
the region following the vote.
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang
East Timorese refugees will have until May 21 to choose whether
to join the ongoing repatriation program. Otherwise they will be
considered as having accepted Indonesian nationality, a security
officer said.
Chief of the Udayana Military Command overseeing Bali and Nusa
Tenggara, Maj. Gen. Wellem T. Da Costa, said on Wednesday that
the Indonesian government would no longer acknowledge the refugee
status of the East Timorese because of the independence of the
former Portuguese colony, which will be declared on May 20.
"After May 21, or one day after East Timor's declaration of
independence, there will be no more refugees. Those who haven't
returned to East Timor as of that date will be unconditionally
recognized as Indonesian nationals," Wellem said during a dialog
with East Timor refugees in Sulamu regency.
Wellem repeated his statement when he spoke at Tuapukan
refugee camp in Kupang regency on Wednesday.
The secretary of the agency handling the coordination of the
East Timor refugees, Stefanus Tefa, told The Jakarta Post that as
of the first week of May 50,000 refugees had been repatriated.
This figure was confirmed by the UN High Commission for Refugees'
representative in Kupang.
Wellem also regretted the absence of markets in Belu and North
Timor Tengah Regencies bordering with East Timor, saying this
situation could lead to an illegal trade among the two countries'
peoples.
"In fact, East Timor is more responsive to their economy's
future by developing numerous traditional markets in Maliana
bordering with the two regencies," he said.
He was responding to the instalment of new markets in the East
Timor town of Maliana he along with governor Piet A. Tallo would
attend next week.
He said the markets' instalment was a strong hit for the two
regencies.
He acknowledged that he has proposed the provincial
administration to encourage the two regencies to develop markets
along the border areas but so far, nothing was made.
"I have proposed to the two regencies to prepare land for the
planned markets in Metasin and, then, the local military will
help develop the markets, but so far nothing has been done" he
said.
Meanwhile in Atambua, the Indonesian task force commander Col.
Harry Purdianto proposed cooperation between his unit and the UN
Peacekeeping Force (UNPKF) in the Indonesia and East Timor border
area ahead of the celebration of East Timor's independence on May
20.
Harry made the proposal at the routine meeting of the tactical
coordination working group with UNPKF on Wednesday, in
anticipation of any possible security threats ahead of the
celebration.
"For the sake of security along the border ahead of the
independence celebration, we hope the UNPKF and Indonesian border
security task force will work together, especially in watching
alternative routes," he said.
Security coordination would be needed to monitor the
alternative routes in the border between Belu district
(Indonesia) and Bobonaro/Covalima district (East Timor), as well
as between Timor Tengah Utara district (Indonesia) and Oecussi
enclave (East Timor), he said.
East Timor is a former province of Indonesia, which seceded
from the republic in October 1999 as a result of the
proindependence camp's victory in the UN-organized vote. The
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor oversaw
the region following the vote.