BBC Summary of World Broadcasts March 27, 2001, Tuesday

Indonesia provides former soldiers with separation pay

Source: Jawa Pos web site, Surabaya, in Indonesian 26 Mar 01

Excerpt from report by Indonesian newspaper Jawa Pos web site on 26 March

Atambua: Commander of the 161/Wirasakti Military Provincial Command, Col Inf Budi Heriyanto, gave 45 former members of the Indonesian military and public service from 1605/Belu and 1618/TTU Military District Commands their "separation pay" yesterday [25 March]. The money was an early pension packet. The funds were handed over during a ceremony at the Company B 743 Infantry Battalion Auditorium in Atambua...

Next Tuesday [3 April] the former soldiers and civil servants' repatriation to East Timor will also be facilitated by the East Timor Refugee Repatriation Task Force Unit (PMP). Fourteen of the members, including relatives, will return to Dili, Ainaro, Liquica and Same via the border post Mota Ain. A remaining 28 will cross through the Metamauk border post for Suai and two other former soldiers will be transported back to Ambeno [Oecusse].

The pay being given to the 45 consists of three categories, a basic wage, a subsidy allowance and a supplementary military ration allowance [ULP]. Any former TNI [Indonesian National Military Forces] soldiers who are 44 years or older also receive a pension worth 16.08m rupiah.

However, the commander has only given the recipients one third of the funds and the remainder will be given to them once they are in East Timor on Tuesday...

The commander has also asked that once they return to their homeland, not to feel they have broken ties completely with TNI...

They were also reminded that if any of them had committed "bloody acts" while deployed in East Timor, to reconsider their return as the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces (UN-PKF) and UN Civilian Police (Civpol) were still applying their black list. "Good luck with your new and peaceful lives in East Timor. Keep the red and white [Indonesia] in all your hearts. I believe this can be done. Don't take your TNI attributes to East Timor, leave them with relatives in East Nusa Tenggara [NTT]," he said.

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