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DATE=10/22/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=UNHCR TIMOR (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-255369
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO:  The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-
C-R, says anti-independence militias are 
preventing thousands of East Timorese refugees in 
West Timor from going home.  Lisa Schlein in 
Geneva reports the agency says it also is alarmed 
by the deteriorating situation in refugee camps 
in the Atambua area of West Timor.
TEXT:  The U-N Refugee Agency says it is 
concerned by the abrupt halt of spontaneous 
returns to East Timor.  U-N-H-C-R Spokesman, Kris 
Janowski says some two-thousand people crossed 
over the border from West Timor by foot on 
Wednesday before the returns were suddenly 
stopped.  He says it is  not  clear why the 
returns have not resumed.
            ///JANOWSKI ACT///
      But we do believe there are tens of 
      thousands of people stuck on the other side 
      of the border who want to cross and are 
      unable to do so; (they are) probably 
      prevented from crossing by the anti-
      independence militias. 
            ///END ACT///
Mr. Janowski says the militias also have been 
intimidating East Timorese refugees who want to 
be repatriated by the U-N Refugee Agency.  On 
Thursday, he says, armed militia entered a 
registration center in a parish in Kupang, West 
Timor and tried to intimidate the people wanting 
to return.  Despite the harassment, Mr. Janowski 
says thousands of East Timorese are voluntarily 
asking to be returned home.
He says the U-N Refugee Agency the living 
conditions of the more than 100-thousand East 
Timorese refugees in Atambua alarming.  He says 
these people are living in overcrowded, 
unsanitary makeshift camps.
            /// SECOND JANOWSKI ACT ///
      It's already raining in that area.  The 
      danger of disease epidemic is growing.  Aid 
      agencies tonight are sending a convoy with 
      mostly medical supplies to the area.  But, 
      access is still very, very limited, 
      extremely tentative because of the 
      remoteness of some of the sites.  But also 
      because of continued militia presence.  
      And, approaching these sites is still very 
      risky. 
            ///END ACT///
On the positive side, the refugee agency reports 
almost 10-thousand East Timorese have returned 
home over the past two weeks.  On Friday, nearly 
two-thousand East Timorese arrived in Dili from 
West Timor by boat. (Signed)
NEB/LS/GE/ENE/KL
22-Oct-1999 12:09 PM EDT (22-Oct-1999 1609 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.