DATE=2/22/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=U-N-H-C-R - TIMOR (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259438
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations refugee agency, U-N-H-C-R,
says it may be forced to end its assistance program to
East Timorese refugees in West Timor -- if militiamen
in the camps continue to intimidate and harass
refugees and aid workers. Lisa Schlein reports from
Geneva.
TEXT: The U-N refugee agency says the latest incident
of harassment occurred Tuesday.
U-N-H-C-R spokesman Kris Janowski says militiamen
stoned a U-N team of aid workers in West Timor's
border town of Atambua. They damaged a vehicle and
disrupted a repatriation operation.
Mr. Janowski says more than one-thousand East Timorese
were scheduled to return home. But, while no one was
injured, he says only 179 of the refugees managed to
go home from Atambua.
/// FIRST JANOWSKI ACT ///
We raised the incident with the Indonesian
authorities, who promised to tighten security.
We are concerned at the continuing harassment by
militiamen of aid workers and refugees in West
Timor. There has been a spate of at least five
security incidents along the border over the
past three weeks. Unless militia activities
stop and anti- repatriation elements are removed
from the camps, we may have to reconsider our
assistance programs in West Timor, since it is
becoming more dangerous and the risks are
becoming higher.
/// END ACT ///
More than 140-thousand East Timorese refugees have
returned home. Another 100-thousand remain in camps
in West Timor.
The U-N refugee agency says many of these refugees
would like to go home. But, it says militiamen are
spreading false rumors that it is not safe in East
Timor. Consequently, it says many of the refugees are
too frightened to register for the agency's
repatriation program.
Mr. Janowski says aid workers are frustrated. And he
says there are limits as to how much harassment and
abuse they can take while trying to do their jobs.
/// SECOND JANOWSKI ACT ///
So far, we've been extremely lucky in getting by
with just a few bruises and few rough
situations. But, we could have been less lucky.
By exposing ourselves to this in the longer run,
we basically run the risk of something more
dangerous happening to us.
/// END ACT ///
On another matter, Mr. Janowski says health experts
from the United States have not been able to confirm
Indonesian news reports of hundreds of deaths in the
West Timorese camps. The reports said that 700
people, mostly children and pregnant mothers, had died
of diseases in the camps since September.
Mr. Janowski says the doctors say the mortality rate
in the camps is about the same as in other parts of
Indonesia. However, he says the doctors plan to
monitor the situation. (Signed)
NEB/LS/JWH/LTD/gm/eap
22-Feb-2000 12:10 PM EDT (22-Feb-2000 1710 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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