Xanana greets 800 ex-militia and families

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Atambua

At least 800 East Timorese refugees, formerly grouped under the Mahidi militia group from Ainaro regency, returned to their homeland on Wednesday and received a special welcome from East Timorese leaders.

Led by their former commander Nomencio Lopes de Carvalho, the former Mahidi militia members and their families were received by prominent East Timor figures in a special ceremony held in the border village of Sahlele, some 60 kilometers south of Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara town Atambua.

Mahidi is an acronym for mati hidup untuk Indonesia, meaning life or death for Indonesia.

Welcoming the refugees were independence leader Xanana Gusmao, Constituency Council President Fansisco Guteres, Defense Commander Brig. Gen. Taur Matan Ruak, acting Minister of Home Affairs Antonio Ximenes, UN (Untaet) official N. Parameswaran and Attorney General's Office head Muhamad Othman.

Indonesian representatives at the ceremony included Udayana Military Commander Maj. Gen. Willem T. da Costa, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Governor Piet A. Tallo, NTT provincial legislative council speaker Daniel Woda Palle and Belu Regent Marsel Bere.

Nomencio told The Jakarta Post before he crossed the border that it was the group's own decision to return to their homeland and, therefore, they were prepared to face any legal consequences.

"If our brothers in East Timor believe that we have made mistakes in the past then we must be ready to face the legal process. And I appeal to the authorities to immediately proceed with the legal process," he said.

"But," he added, "the most important thing for us is that our East Timorese brothers want to live a peaceful life and welcome the return of East Timorese living in camps in Indonesia's western part of Timor."

Separately, Xanana said that East Timorese people were prepared to accept the return of the refugees.

"I have to stress that my presence together with other leaders of East Timor, the president of the Constituency Council, the head of the Attorney General's Office, the defense commander and others in this ceremony, is to show our sincerity ... that we are longing for a reunion with our brothers now living in several parts of Indonesia," he said.

He promised to work hard to provide a better life and protection for refugees returning to become citizens of East Timor.

Constituency Council President Fansisco Guteres told the Post that the council would not question the return of former pro- Jakarta refugees.

"Their return is very valuable for the future of East Timor. We will close our eyes to what has happened in the past, because we will make peace and togetherness a pattern of our lives," he said.

Meanwhile, Parameswaran said that refugees returning home would be dealt with according to the existing law.

He said that those who had once committed any violations would be dealt with accordingly, while those found innocent would be allowed to return to their homes and reclaim property left in the wake of the post-ballot mayhem.

Dozens of people were killed and hundreds of thousands of others left their homes to seek refuge in East Nusa Tenggara when pro-Jakarta militia groups ravaged the former Indonesian province in reaction to what they claimed as being the United Nations siding with pro-independence supporters in August, 1999.

Another group of 600 refugees will also return to East Timor through the Sahlele checkpoint on Thursday.