DATE=2/16/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=U-N-H-C-R / TIMOR (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259215
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations refugee agency, U-N-H-C-R,
says there has been an increase in violence and
threats by militias in West Timor against aid workers
and East Timorese refugees wanting to go home. Lisa
Schlein reports from Geneva.
TEXT: The U-N refugee agency says intimidation and
attacks by members of militias opposed to East
Timorese independence are disrupting efforts to
repatriate thousands of refugees. More than 100-
thousand East Timorese still are in camps in the
Indonesian province of West Timor.
U-N-H-C-R spokesman Kris Janowski says militias
control many of the refugee camps. /// OPT /// He says
many of these men are opposed to going back to East
Timor and are trying to hold other people from also
going back. /// END OPT ///
/// JANOWSKI ACT ONE ///
They are particularly hostile to programs of
mass information in which we are essentially
trying to tell the people that things are by-in-
large O-K in East Timor and they can go back.
And the militias subscribe to a different
philosophy and they are trying to hold these
people back. /// OPT /// And, therefore, they
are hostile toward our efforts to tell the
people what are the real stories on the ground
in East Timor. /// END OPT ///
/// END ACT ///
About 140-thousand East Timorese have returned home
since the U-N refugee agency began its repatriation
operation in October. But, the rate of return has
slowed considerably since mid-December.
/// OPT /// Mr. Janowski says he is quite sure that
tens of thousands of refugees would like to go back.
But, he says many refugees are being intimidated and
are afraid to return. /// END OPT ///
/// JANOWSKI ACT TWO - OPT ///
Also, we had cases of aid workers involved in
mass information projects being attacked,
verbally abused or stoned, for example. We also
had a case a few days ago of our own escort
turning their guns on us, on the convoy and
telling us to stop because they wanted to have
lunch. And, as you can imagine, we did allow
them to have lunch.
/// END ACT - END OPT ///
The refugee agency last week renewed its call to
Indonesian authorities to separate militia members
from other refugees in the camps. It also asked
Indonesia to re-deploy active members of the military
who served in East Timor and are living among the
refugees.
/// OPT /// Mr. Janowski says the agency is convinced
the Indonesian government could do much more to curb
the militia and to lessen their influence in the
camps. /// END OPT /// (Signed)
NEB/LS/JWH/LTD/JO
16-Feb-2000 10:50 AM EDT (16-Feb-2000 1550 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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