BELU, E TIMOR POLICE AGREE TO ENHANCE COORDINATION

September 9, 2003 10:16pm Antara

Atambua, E Nusa Tenggara, Sept 9 (ANTARA) - The police of East Nusa Tenggara province's district of Belu and East Timor have agreed to enhance coordination on dealing with border crossing crime.

"The police officers in East Timor's district of Covalima hailed the measure," Chief detective of the Belu district police Inspector I R Firdaus said here Tuesday.

Firdaus represented the chief of the Belu district police at a meeting on coordination dealing with border crossing crime in Suai, East Timor, on Monday (September 8, 2003).

Also on hand at the meeting were Xian Xiang Sun of the UN police, Leonardo da Silva of the Covalima district police, Maj Razak of the UN military officer and Quintino of the Border Patrol Unit.

According to Firdaus, the Covalima district police always gave a positive response to the Belu district police's proposal on the handling of border crossing crime on the border areas shared by East Nusa Tenggara and East Timor.

"They promised to help identify evidence and offences committed in Belu but then the criminals fled to Covalima, while the Covalima district police asked their Belu counterparts to maintain coordination in dealing with border crossing crime with the former," he said.

The two sides had also agreed to hold a biweekly coordination meeting and even egreed to increase the frequency of the meeting each time they had to deal with certain cases, he said.

On the theft of 68 cows from Belu on August 21, 2003, which were later brought to Covalima, the Covalima district police have managed to identify a number of the suspects and seized evidence, he said, adding that the cows are now held by Constantino Pareira and Mau Surik, residents of Covalima district.

East Timor officially seceded from Indonesia in October 1999 as a consequence of the pro-independence camp's victory in the 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.

The two neighbouring countries have now maintained better relations in many aspects of life.

Efforts to develop the bilateral ties included an agreement reached by the two sides at a recent meeting in East Timor's capital of Dili on five development sectors.

The agreement covers the border areas, legal, socio-cultural and educational affairs as well as the sector of transportation and telecommunications.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

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