RI hands over E. Timorese refugees to UNHCR

RI hands over E. Timorese refugees to UNHCR

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia handed over responsibility for some
140,000 East Timorese refugees in the western half of Timor
island to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) on Friday, saying that the cost of caring for them has
become too expensive.

East Nusa Tenggara Governor Piet A. Tallo gave notice to UNHCR
senior officer Craig Sanders in Kupang to take charge of the
refugees.

"The Indonesian government will only assist the UNHCR in the
administration and facilitation of certain procedures," Vice
Governor Johanes Pake Pani told The Jakarta Post by phone from
the provincial capital Kupang.

"The main responsibility from now on will be in the UN's
hands," he added.

But the UNHCR headquarters in Geneva said Jakarta had agreed
to give East Timorese refugees in West Timor another three months
to decide whether to return home or to stay in Indonesia.

"There will be a three-month transition period beginning April
1 to allow refugees to decide and take action on their future --
whether to remain or return to East Timor," UNHCR said in a
statement sent to AFP.

The government had earlier decided to cut further aid to the
East Timorese refugees as of April 1.

The refugees had been given until March 31 to either return to
the new independent East Timor or accept Indonesia's offer of
citizenship and be resettled elsewhere in the country.

While more than 100,000 East Timorese have been repatriated in
recent months, hundreds of thousands of others remain in refugee
camps in the western half of Timor island because they have no
home or job to return to.

In Jakarta, Sergio Viera de Mello, Chief of the UN
Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), made an
eleventh hour appeal to Indonesia to extend the deadline.

"I have appealed to the Indonesian government not to
discontinue the assistance," de Mello said after meeting with
Indonesian foreign minister Alwi Shihab.

"These people need support and information to help them make
the right choice -- whether to remain in Indonesia or go back to
East Timor," he said.

A local officer at the UNHCR office in Kupang told Antara that
the UN agency did not have the means to support all the refugees
if the Indonesian government stopped the assistance on Saturday.

"It is impossible for us to take over full responsibility for
the refugees if the East Nusa Tenggara administration does not
provide things like hospitals, clean water and shelter," Nusya
Margono was quoted as saying.

Nusya cited an Oct. 14 agreement between Indonesia and UNHCR
which stipulated that Indonesia would take responsibility over
the refugees.

Most of the refugees were forced to evacuate East Timor in
September by pro-Indonesia militias. The campaign of terror and
destruction was conducted after it became apparent that the
majority of East Timorese had rejected Indonesia's offer to
remain as part of the republic in an Aug. 30 vote.

Foreign minister Alwi Shihab said a Cabinet meeting on
Saturday would discuss the refugee situation.

"Our stance with regard to the deadline is firm, not because
we wish to be irresponsible but because we cannot afford further
assistance," Alwi told the Post.

He said Indonesia was terminating further aid to force the
United Nations to think about the fate of the refugees instead of
leaving the burden on Indonesia. "Maybe we can talk about an
extension, but for how long we just cannot say," he added.

Meanwhile, a senior Indonesian Military officer warned the UN
Peacekeeping Force in East Timor against further border
intrusions into Indonesia.

"If such acts of provocation happen again, it is possible that
Indonesian troops and UN forces will clash," Udayana Military
Command Chief Maj. Gen. Kiki Syahnakri said in Denpasar, capital
of Bali, on Friday.

Kiki said he had proposed to the chief of the UN force, Lt.
Gen. Jaime De Los Santos, to appoint liaison officers to address
border problems and to conduct joint-security patrols along the
border.

"But I was informed on March 30 that all of our proposals were
rejected," Kiki said. (dja/zen/sur)