Security the main problem for aid efforts: UNHCR

Security the main problem for aid efforts: UNHCR

JAKARTA (JP): Despite protection from local and central
governments, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) Sadako Ogata said on Tuesday security was the main
problem for the humanitarian mission in East Timor and East Nusa
Tenggara.

"In the western half of Timor island, an estimated 200,000
people are taking refuge in the area and we still receive reports
on arriving militias intimidating the people there," Ogata told a
media conference which wrapped up her three-day visit to
Indonesia.

She said she found East Timor was in total violence and the
western half of Timor island was full of terrified people who
were struggling to sustain their daily lives with limited
supplies amid threats and intimidation.

However, she said, central and local governments were given
assurances that they would fully open routes for humanitarian
operations in the areas.

Ogata also dismissed media reports saying that starvation
prevailed in refugee camps and many people died because of food
shortages.

"I've seen worse than that in Sudan and Kosovo," she said,
adding that people in the refugee camps were still cooking the
food supplies provided by the local government.

She said the UNHCR would set up offices in Atambua and Kupang
to control their humanitarian operations in the area
simultaneously with similar operations in East Timor -- mainly to
give assistance to people who were staying in the devastated
territory.

An advanced team will depart to Dili and East Nusa Tenggara to
start the assessment and set up base camps in the next two or
three days, she said.

During her visit, Otaga met with President B.J. Habibie,
Minister of Defense and Security/Indonesian Military (TNI)
Commander Gen. Wiranto, State Secretary/Minister of Justice
Muladi and Coordinating Minister of People's Welfare and Poverty
Eradication Haryono Suyono.

Otaga and her entourage also visited the refugee camps in
Atambua, near the East Nusa Tenggara border with East Timor, and
Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara.

The UN body has spent US$7 million on their humanitarian
mission in Dili and neighboring areas shortly after the
announcement of the Aug. 30 referendum, in which the majority of
East Timorese rejected Indonesia's autonomy offer.

Ambeno

Tension has been rife in Ambeno, East Timor's enclave in East
Nusa Tenggara, since early this month.

Thousands of people have fled the East Timor regency after a
group of prointegration militiamen burned down their houses.

Oekusi, the capital town of Ambeno, was deserted as over
40,000 out of the town's population of 56,200 sought refuge in
East Nusa Tenggara. Many are hiding in the hills, witnesses said.

"There have been no activities here in the past three days.
All the houses were burned level to the ground," Maxi, a resident
of Oekusi, said on Tuesday.

A militia member, Philippe Leoray, said the residents
destroyed their own belongings rather than let proindependence
militias seize them.

"They didn't want the property they built after years of hard
work fall into the hands of proindependence groups," Philippe
said.

Only buildings belonging to state-owned telecommunications
company Telkom and state electricity company PLN were spared from
fire.

Reports also said about 8,000 more refugees were seeking
shelter in Camp Naen in Kefamenanu in East Nusa Tenggara, some 60
kilometers away from Oekusi.

Separately in Atambua, an Army soldier identified as Pvt.
first class Augusta da Costa was shot in the back during a
quarrel in Betun village on Monday night.

The cause of the incident was not yet determined.

Augusta was rushed to Kefamenanu hospital for surgery to
remove the bullet, which was conducted by a team of doctors from
the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA).

During the surgery, a group of 10 proautonomy militias
threatened the doctors and demanded the soldier's safety.

"We are doctors. Do not threaten us like that," Nuralim
Mallapasi, the AMDA chief, told the militiamen.

Nuralim said tension was running high in refugee camps. "But
so far we can handle it. We're a bit nervous but after all, this
is our job," he added. The soldier was reportedly in stable
condition as of Tuesday.

Chief of Udayana Military Command overseeing Bali and Nusa
Tenggara, Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri, speculated that tension might
have resulted from some military and police troops who sought an
outlet for psychological pressure they endured while in service
in East Timor.

Antara reported some of the Elite Police Mobile Brigade, who
were seen in a shooting orgy in Atambua, said they fired shots in
the air to complain about a lack of attention from their
superiors. (27/edt/emf)