Also: RI-EAST TIMOR AGREE TO STEP UP JOINT PATROLS

E NUSA TENGGARA POLICE WANT TO POST PERSONNEL IN E TIMOR

December 12, 2003 8:36pm Antara

Atambua, E Nusa Tenggara, Dec 11 (ANTARA) - The East Nusa Tenggara provincial police are exploring the possibility of posting representatives in East Timor to serve Indonesians residing in the newly-indepenent country.

"We are exploring the possibility of posting representatives in East Timor, and we will convey this matter to the Home Affairs Minister. The central government needs to discuss it further," East Nusa Tenggara Police Chief Brig Gen Edward Aritonang said here Thursday.

Aritonang further said he had already coordinated the matter with the East Timorese Home Affairs Ministry when visiting East Timor's capital of Dili on Wednesday (Dec 10).

Among the topics discussed with the East Timorese Home Affairs Minister, according to Aritonang, was a proposal to post Indonesian policemen in East Timor to serve as liaison officers in Dili.

The East Timorese government, he said, agreed with the proposal but the East Nusa Tenggara police needed to coordinate first with relevant institutions in the central government of Indonesia.

"Given realities in the field, we are in need of liaison officers in East Timor because many Indonesian people have businesses, including trading activities, there and they often face security problems," he said.

The purpose of posting Indonesian police liaison officers in East Timor was to help Indonesians there who were facing security problems but reluctant to report their problems to East Timorese police , he said.

Thus, he added, the presence of Indonesian police personnel in East Timor would be relevant to the interests of Indonesians there.

"Indonesians there (in East Timor) are often afraid to report any security problem they encounter but it will be different if Indonesian police representatives are on hand," Aritonang said.

He said the East Nusa Tenggara provincial police had once offered the East Timorese police to send their personnel to East Nusatenggara.

"I have reported the offer to the chief of the Indonesian national police. However, it is up to them (the East Timor police). We are ready to help them for the purpose as many ex-East Timorese in East Nusa Tenggara are reluctant to relinguish their Indonesian citizenship," he said.

He expressed hope the proposed police cooperation between Indonesia and East Timor would get a positive response from the central government.

"Pending the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the matter, we have been cooperating (with the East Timor police) in the field, particularly in dealing with border crossing cases," he said.

East Timor (formerly Indonesia's 27th province)

seceded from Indonesia in October 1999 as a consequence of the pro-independence camp's victory in a United Nations organized popular consultation held on August 30, 1999.

The territory integrated into Indonesia in 1976 but the United Nations never recognized the integration process.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

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RI-EAST TIMOR AGREE TO STEP UP JOINT PATROLS

December 12, 2003 8:37pm Antara

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara, Dec 12 (ANTARA) - The East Nusa Tenggara provincial police and the East Timor police have agreed to step up their joint patrols along the Indonesian-East Timor border.

"We reached a number of agreements during our meeting with the East Timor police in the East Timorese capital of Dili on Dec 10 after the UN Civil Police (Civpol) handed over security tasks to the East Timor Police," Chief of the East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Police Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang said on Friday.

"We have reported all the agreements to the National Police Chief in Jakarta. About when exactly they will be implemented, we still have to wait for directives from the National Police Chief," he said.

He said cooperation between the police of the two countries in curbing transnational crimes was a must.

"If a person suspected of committing a series of violent acts in East Timor flees to Indonesia or the other way around, the Indonesian Police or East Timor Police have the authority to investigate the person," he said.

He further said the police of the two countries also deemed it necessary to step up joint patrols in border areas as part of efforts to prevent suspected criminals from fleeing East Timor to Indonesia or the other way around.

"We also have agreed to build a joint monitor radio in a border area to enable the police of the two countries to communicate with one another in maintaining peace and order," he said.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

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