Mon, 01 Jul 2002

Refugees picket governor's office

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang

Hundreds of hungry East Timorese refugees thronged the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) governor's office compound on Saturday to protest the government's unilateral decision to stop providing humanitarian aid.

Crying for food, the visibly impoverished refugees arrived at the compound at 10:30 a.m. in three trucks and a bus. Some of them rode motorcycles.

"We are hungry. We ask for food. We will stay here until the government gives aid (to us)," they yelled.

The government stopped channeling food aid to the refugees six months ago due to budget constraints.

The demonstrators, particularly women, brought with them jerricans containing drinking water and buckets containing boiled cassava, papaya leaves, papaya and gourd.

Fernandez, one of the protesting refugees, said they would stay in the compound until their demands were met.

"Even if we have to die and be buried here, we will stay until the government resumes the provision of humanitarian aid for refugee camps," Fernandez said.

After negotiating with security personnel, 20 of the refugees were allowed to enter the governor's office where they were met by the first assistant to the provincial secretary Djidon de Haan.

During the meeting, Djidon said that the provincial government had no intention of letting the East Timorese refugees live in misery.

"The East Nusa Tenggara government wants the refugees to continue to receive aid but it could not do anything since the decision was made by the central government," he said.

Djidon suggested that the central government continue to provide food aid to the East Timorese refugees because they fled to East Nusa Tenggara due to political conflict in East Timor.

The East Timorese refugees are different from displaced people from other parts of Indonesia, he said.

"So our stand is clear. We want them to continue to receive aid, but it is not in our hands. If we are forced to provide food right now, where will the governor get the money from to do that?" he asked.

Around 250,000 East Timorese fled to NTT in September 1999 following the bloody rampages of pro-Indonesia militia members angered by the result of the United Nations-organized referendum, in which the majority of East Timorese voted to break away from Indonesia.

The rampages also claimed dozens of lives and destroyed almost 80 percent of infrastructure in the former 27th province of Indonesia.

Currently there are only around 35,000 refugees still living in makeshift refugee camps in West Timor as most refugees have returned to East Timor, which gained full independence on May 20.