Pro-Jakarta militias debate their future
	Fri, 4 Feb 2000 08:45:11 -0500


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The Age [Melbourne]
Saturday 29 January 2000 

Pro-Jakarta militias debate their future    

KUPANG, WEST TIMOR 

The losers in East Timor's tumultuous transition to independence from 
Indonesia, the pro-Jakarta militias and their supporters, are meeting at a 
rundown hotel in West Timor to decide what to do now.

The main decision they face, said Mr Basilio Araujo at the launch of the 
three-day meeting, is whether to try to stay in Indonesia, try to win an 
agreement to go back as Indonesian citizens, or return home as East Timorese.

The 200 delegates are from four groups representing former Indonesian party 
officials, pro-Indonesia organisations and militia members.

They hope to make a joint decision, but Mr Araujo and other participants said 
it would not be easy, or unanimous.

The West Timorese population resents some of the 110,000 East Timorese in 
their country, and is weary of the gun-toting militias.

Some former civil servants are getting their Indonesian pensions in Kupang 
and others have enrolled their children at local schools. But there are not 
enough jobs, even for West Timorese.

On the East Timor side of the border, the militias - whose wave of terror 
after the 30 August independence vote devastated the territory - are afraid 
of a hostile reception at best, and counter-terror at worst, if they return. 
The compromise option, negotiating a return with some kind of special status 
and Indonesian passports, is not expected to find sympathy with the United 
Nations transitional administration in East Timor, or the Indonesian 
Government. AFP

 
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