WEST TIMOR – NO SAFE HAVEN

Sept 1999

DUR 9’14”

Americoda Costa, refugee from East-Timor

Esther, refugee from East-Timor

Dr. Y. Ratna

Militia-member

Question reporter

Militia-member

M. Adam, TNI (Indonesian Army) commander

Jimmy, citizen of Atapupu, West-Timor

Paulus, citizen of Atapupu

America da Costa, refugee from East-Timor

R. Maubara, refugee

D. Riberu, militia-member fled to West-Timor

Esther, refugee

Kupang, West-Timor. As one of the very few camera-teams, the 2Vandaag team manages to film in a refugee-camp near Kupang. In this camp, set up in and around a sports hall, some 7,500 refugees have found shelter. They are only a small part of the 150,000 East-Timorese how have fled or were expelled to West-Timor.

“I come from East-Timor (Timor Timur). My house has been burnt down. My one hand and my fingers are burnt. It happened at one o’clock in the night, we don’t know (who are the perpetrators) who did this. Our house has been set on fire and my hand is burnt.”

The refugees in this camp are mostly East-Timorese who have voted against independence. They have been evacuated with the help of the militias. In most cases they had to leave everything behind.

“I don't know what I must do. Our house is burnt down, we lost everything and I don’t know where my husband is.”

Everyday new refugees arrive here in Kupang. The medical care is stressed to the limit. Because of the bad hygienic conditions, diseases are at the point of hitting the camp.

“We don't know till when they are going to stay here. But if the situation remains the same as it is now, diseases will break out soon, like diarrhoea and a severe form of malaria.”

The refugees in this camp for the large part do not accept the outcome of the referendum. They see UNAMET, the UN organisation who has organised the referendum, as the cause of all the troubles and violence. The UN has been partial, they say here in Kupang, and has chosen the side of the independence-fighters.

“The fault lies with UNAMET. They should have taken sides but should have peace and unity to the East Timorese community. Their partiality has fatal consequences.”

The UN should not come to East-Timor anymore, these refugees say. The arrival of the UN troops will only worsen the situation:

Shouldn't they (UNAMET) have come?

“That would have been useless. Especially with Portugal and Australia taking part. Because they are coming, even more ravage has been made. What was still intact is now destroyed too. And the parties have been played off against each other (by UNAMET).”

The next day we succeed in getting close to the border between East and West-Timor, only a few kilometres away. Everywhere we see trucks loaded with armed militias crossing the border. They are withdrawing to West-Timor. The Indonesian police and the army have the order to confiscate the weapons from the militia as soon as they pass the border. And that’s exactly what’s happening, says the army.

“Militias have come here with their families from Dili. For their own security they have brought with them our weapons. Those who came here from the outermost East of Indonesia have to hand in their weapons. Nobody is allowed to carry weapons with him. That would cause unrest in the cities.”

Yet we soon see the confirmation that the army and the police don't take any action to take the weapons from the militia. In the port of Atapupu, close to the border with East Timor, refugees arrive everyday. Nearly every man here carries a weapon. And the police… they look on.

For the local population, the arrival of so many armed militias raises fear and tension.

“The people are not used to this (militia carrying arms) and therefore are scared. The police and the army are busy with the refugees and are not strict enough.”

But the greatest anxiety and fear lives among those refugees who have voted in favour of independence for East-Timor and often haven’t been evacuated together with members of hostile militias. The militias are hunting down these refugees to imprison and/or kill them. Paulus, who lives near the port of Ataputu, confirms the rumours to us.

“Members of the militia Aitarak and Besi Merah Puti are now looking here for victims.”

Several sources tell us that the refugees who have voted for an independent East-Timor are being selected on arrival in West-Timor by the militias and executed.

This man earlier told us that his hand was burnt during the burning down of his house in Dili. But the severe burning of only his hand confirms the rumours that he was tortured by the militias. He lives with the constant fear of being caught again by them, here between these predominant pro-Indonesian refugees in West-Timor. But he also doesn't dare to return to East-Timor.

(American doesn't dare speak out freely, being among pro-Indonesian refugees and militia-members)

“If I have to go back alone, I fear the worst. So I wait till the Indonesian government says that we can go back or that we have to stay here.”

But the refugees who came here with the militia who are fighting against independence for East-Timor do not think about returning for the time being. A country ruled by the UN or by the long-time fighter for independence, Xanana Gusmao, is no option for them.

“We don't go back yet. Only when the Indonesian government says it is safe to go back, only then we will return to East-Timor. If the government dissuades us to go back, we will stay here.”

“We don't want the president of the CNRT. We already have to suffer so much. If we go back to East Timor we will be murdered there. We will be murdered by the CNRT government. Because we have fought against them. So we can’t go back there because we voted for autonomy, not independence. We follow the Indonesian government into this place.”

I only hope that Dili will be safe again, so we will be able to return there. And I hope that we will get to know something about the fate of our husbands.