Xanana to celebrate Christmas in Kupang
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang
Timor Leste President Xanana Gusmao is scheduled to embark on a five-day state visit to West Timor, East Nusa Tenggara, from Dec. 23 to Dec. 27, 2005. During his visit, he will celebrate Christmas with tens of thousands of refugees from Timor Leste (formerly East Timor) who are still living in camps here.
Head of the East Nusa Tenggara Social Development Office, Frans Salem, when contacted in Kupang on Tuesday, said that the provincial administration, police and military had held a meeting in preparation for the state visit. "Several itineraries have been prepared in conjunction with the visit, including security matters," he said.
The planned visit was conveyed by the Indonesian ambassador in Dili, Timor Leste, during a meeting with East Nusa Tenggara Governor Piet A. Tallo at the end of last week.
The state visit is within the framework of a follow-up reconciliation visit to meet Timor Leste citizens, especially those from the pro-Indonesia and pro-independence groups.
Xanana had previously visited West Timor to meet thousands of pro-integrationists in Atambua, North Central Timor, and in Kupang in 2001, and had gained sympathy from many who eventually decided to return to their homeland and become Timor Leste citizens. One of them was former deputy commander of the "Live and Die for Indonesia" militia (Mahidi), Nomencio de Carvalho and his family.
Responding to the planned visit, a number of East Timorese pro-integration refugees contacted in Kupang said they would warmly welcome Xanana. "People are looking forward to his visit bringing a mission of reconciliation, peace and justice, because we have thus far been considered war criminals despite both groups being involved in human rights violations before and after the UN-sponsored popular ballot to determine East Timor's future in 1999," said a pro-integration figure, Mario da Cunha.
More than 40,000 of the 285,000 East Timorese residents who fled to West Timor after the UN-sponsored 1999 Timor Leste plebiscite are still surviving in shelter camps.
Most of them are former pro-Jakarta militia members living in decrepit barracks, and they and their children survive on whatever food there is.
"Some of the children are forced to eat only once a day due to food shortage. They cannot go to the hospital or the community health center when they're sick because they have no money," said relief worker Winston Rondo, who has dedicated five years of his life to take care of the refugees.