Refugee hunger strike against UNTAET continues

Pos Kupang Tuesday, 5 Sept. 2000

"UNTAET and refugee meeting: No agreement" KUPANG ­ Because no agreements were reached at Monday's meeting between E. Timor refugees who are on hunger strike and UNTAET, the hunger strike will be continued until a decision has been published. The meeting is to continue on Monday evening after UNTAET has met with the NTT governor. Hukman Reni, coordinator of the hunger strike (who is also on strike) said the strike would continue for an indefinite period of time until there is an agreement for UNTAET to leave Kupang. Reni expressed thanks to local NTT youth who, it is said, plan to erect a tent close to the strikers' tent. "Probably they agree very much with our goal." The NTT Regional Steering Committee of Youth (BMI) in a political statement has asked UNTAET to leave NTT, either temporarily or permanently, since they have done nothing for the refugees and their presence only serves to agitate, creates suspicion between refugees and local residents, and could easily lead to a new conflict. In separate news, tens of E. Timorese from several different camps held a ceremony on Monday night (4/9) commemorating one year of E. Timor's separation from Indonesia. The ceremony, which was held at the Bogenville refugee site in Pasir Panjang, Kupang, began with a mass. Present at the ceremony were such figures as the PPI sektoral battalion commander -- Juanico Sejario, former head of the Baucau People's Assembly ­ Toefilus Seran (who was head of the ceremony implementation), Brimob Commander ­ Superintendent Bagus W. Xaverius, and members of the Brimob network. Sejario said the ceremony intended to unite the determination of E. Timor fighters in W. Timor to keep up the struggle.

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