Military

DATE=10/17/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-268066

TITLE=UNHCR-TIMOR (L-Only)

BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN

DATELINE=GENEVA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The United Nations refugee agency, U-N-H-C-R, says several hundred East Timorese refugees have succeeded in returning home from West Timor despite continued intimidation from militia groups opposed to East Timor's independence from Indonesia. Lisa Schlein reports from Geneva.

TEXT: The U-N refugee agency says since the first of this month, 466 East Timorese refugees have returned home on their own from camps in West Timor. The agency acknowledges that this is only a trickle, but says it represents a small increase over the last two months.

U-N-H-C-R spokesman Kris Janowski says the East Timorese refugees tell aid workers that many more refugees would like to go home, but they are prevented from doing so by the militiamen who control the West Timorese camps.

/// JANOWSKI ACT 1 ///

They tell us while Indonesian military is patrolling, the militias keep a low profile. But once the Indonesian military disappear or are out of sight, they come out again and essentially still wield enormous influence in West Timor.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Janowski says a group of East Timorese refugees had tried to leave their camp a week ago, but were turned back by the militias. Some returning refugees say they had to escape their camps at night on foot, leaving most of their belongings behind.

All international aid workers withdrew from West Timor in early September after the killing of three U-N-H-C-R aid workers by militiamen in Atambua, which borders East Timor. Mr. Janowski says life is now more difficult for the East Timorese refugees. But he says they are receiving assistance.

/// JANOWSKI ACT 2 ///

It is up to the Indonesian government and the local charity groups, church groups and other groups that are supplying them. And, ultimately, it is up to the Indonesian government to feed these refugees. They were doing so even before we pulled out of there. We did all kinds of work there. But the bulk of the food supplies was delivered by the Indonesian government and it continues to be so.

/// END ACT ///

An estimated 100-thousand refugees remain in East Timor. About 130-thousand refugees have been repatriated by the U-N-H-C-R and another 40-thousand have returned home on their own. (Signed)

NEB/LS/KL/JP