U.N. plans to move refugees from West Timor next week

Head of the U.N. Security Council mission Martin Andjaba of Namibia speaks to the media in Jakarta Thursday

November 18, 2000
Web posted at: 7:42 AM HKT (2342 GMT)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) -- Foreign aid workers plan to ship hundreds of refugees from Indonesian West Timor back to U.N.-run East Timor next week despite lingering security fears.

But the United Nations on Friday cautioned that the planned voyage of 450 refugees from the West Timor capital of Kupang still needed approval by U.N. refugee agency headquarters in Geneva.

"If it does go ahead, it's a one-off operation," U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesman Peter Kessler said by telephone from the East Timor capital, Dili.

It would be the first large-scale movement of refugees involving foreign aid workers since foreigners left West Timor after pro-Jakarta militias butchered three U.N. aid workers under the eyes of police in September, prompting international condemnation and threats of a halt to vital aid for Jakarta.

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A U.N. Security Council delegation, winding up its visit to Timor and Jakarta in the wake of the slayings, said on Friday it remained too dangerous to resume full operations in West Timor.

"There was an agreement (with Jakarta) on the high priority of resuming international assistance to the refugees," delegation leader Martin Andjaba said.

"(But) for this to happen, the security of humanitarian workers will need to be assured."

International aid workers pulled out of West Timor after the September killings in the border town of Atambua and are not expected back soon, leaving more than 120,000 East Timorese refugees without foreign assistance.

Andjaba, whose delegation will report to the Security Council on Monday, said refugees were still being intimidated to stop them going home and said Jakarta must rein in the militias.

"Many refugees said they are frightened, that they still do not have a free choice about their own future, and security in the camps remains uncertain," he said.

"Further decisive action is necessary to deal with remaining militias."

Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab told reporters at the joint news conference Jakarta hoped to be able to meet the U.N.'s conditions soon, clearing the way for the return of foreign aid workers.

"We do hope that in the near future we can accomplish all of these things," he said.

But Indonesia's efforts to disarm the militia thugs, who are backed by rogue soldiers and police, have been widely criticized as half-hearted and ineffective.

The Jakarta-organized militia gangs, with the backing of Indonesian troops, laid waste to East Timor after last year's landslide vote to end 23 years of brutal military occupation.

They killed hundreds, destroyed most of the territory and herded 300,000 of East Timor's more than 800,000 people into neighboring West Timor, where more than 120,000 remain in squalid refugee camps.

Kessler said next week's planned movement would be swift, taking less than 30 hours and involving as few aid workers as possible to minimize risks.

"We're in discussion with the TNI (Indonesian military) about how they can guarantee the security of the operation," he said.

"Most of personnel will stay on the ship in the harbor."

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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