DATE=9/17/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=UNHCR / EAST TIMOR (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-254000
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees, Sadako Ogata, is travelling to
Indonesia Friday. Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports
that the High Commissioner will meet with top
officials in the capital, Jakarta, to convey her
concern about the situation of the East Timorese
people.
TEXT: The High Commissioner's trip was arranged
on very short notice. /// Opt /// Arrangements
are still being made for her possibly to visit
West Timor after her meetings with Indonesian
officials in Jakarta. /// End opt ///
U-N-H-C-R Spokesman, Kris Janowski says the High
Commissionser, Sadako Ogata, will raise concerns
about the situation of East Timorese who have
been forcibly deported to West Timor and
elsewhere in Indonesia. He says Ms. Ogata will
tell Indonesian authorities they must allow the
East Timorese to return home if they wish.
Mr. Janowski says three members of a U-N-H-C-R
emergency team flew into the East Timorese
capital, Dili, on Friday to organize a relief
effort there as soon as it becomes feasible.
/// JANOWSKI ACT ///
With the arrival of the international
peacekeeping troops and with the arrival of
many aid organizations, the situation in
East Timor is going to improve rather
dramatically. But, the situation in West
Timor causes huge concern. We've got as
many as 150-thousand people who have gone
from East Timor to West Timor, many of them
have probably been taken there against
their will.
/// END ACT ///
About 100-thousand East Timorese reportedly are
concentrated in the border town of Atambua. Mr.
Janowski says these people are scattered in
groups of up to one-thousand in the hills. He
describes the conditions in the makeshift camps
as appalling. He says the refugees have no
shelter, food and medicine. Water is a major
problem. He says the Agency has received reports
that every day, a number of infants, sick and
elderly people are dying.
/// JANOWSKI ACT ///
We know that their situation is terrible
from a humanitarian point of view and is
also quite dire from a security point of
view. The militias hunt down pro-
independence people. Some men have been
taken away by the militias to an unknown
fate.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Janowski says the East Timorese are totally
unprotected. He says there is hardly any
international presence in West Timor to be able
to see and tell the world what is going on.
(Signed)
NEB/LS/GE/
17-Sep-1999 08:47 AM EDT (17-Sep-1999 1247 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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