UN lowers security status in West Timor

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: The United Nations Security Council lowered its security status in West Timor regency to Alert IV from Alert V after an evaluation by the UN Security Coordination team on May 13 this year, a senior military officer said here on Monday.

The evaluation concluded that security in West Timor had returned to normal following the murder of three employees of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2000, according to Col. Moeswarno Moesanip, chief of the Wirasakti Military Command overseeing East Nusa Tenggara province.

The lowering of the security status clears the way for UN employees to resume humanitarian activities in the regency, said Moeswarno. -- JP