Xanana assures refugees' safety in homeland

Xanana assures refugees' safety in homeland

Yemris Fointuna
The Jakarta Post
Kupang

Visiting East Timor President Jose Alexandre Xanana Gusmao called
on the remaining East Timorese refugees to return home and
assured them that they would be treated humanely upon their
arrival home.

"On the eve of my departure, many relatives of yours asked me
to bring their messages to you that they want you to go back
home. 'Please, tell them to return home,'" he said before around
1,500 refugees living in Kupang regency, in Oepoi sports stadium
here on Saturday.

Xanana, however, told the refugees that it was their right to
decide whether to return home or to stay in Indonesia and they
were expected to make their own decision before the repatriation
program ended by the end of December, 2002.

"Neither the East Timor government nor Indonesia will force
you to go back home or drive you out of the country. The decision
to go back home is in your own heart. I come here as a brother to
persuade you to come back home with me after being separated for
a long time due to a difference in ideology," he said.

The meeting turned into a reunion with many refugees airing
their aspirations and presenting gifts out of respect for the
East Timor President.

Many refugees questioned the East Timor government's action to
bring to court those involved in the 1999 violence, whereas it
failed to take similar actions against human rights violations in
1959 and 1975.

"The East Timor government could be accused of being
discriminative since it has failed to take actions against East
Timorese people who were involved in major human rights abuses in
the past before East Timor was annexed by Indonesia," he said.

Many others said they would postpone their return until they
entered the mandatory retirement age because of their status as
public servants.

They said they would be unemployed if they went back now as it
would affect their children's education.

Responding to the complaints and objections, Xanana said East
Timor had a Constitution guaranteeing all citizens' human rights
and it had vast farmland to plant corn and cassava.

"All refugees will be given equal treatment; there is no
classification of citizens. And, anyway, we are accustomed to
consuming corn and cassava," he said.

Many refugees remembered their home villages and their
relatives in East Timor when a vocal group sang traditional East
Timorese songs calling them to return to develop their home
country.

Xanana and entourage also visited the refuge camp in Naibonat,
some 35 kilometers east of the city, and received a warm welcome
from refugees there.

He did not hold a dialog with refugees but presented T-shirts
to dozens of refugees and their children.

Xanana was scheduled to visit Belu to meet with local
officials, former militia commanders and refugees.