UNITED NATIONS STAFFERS ASKED TO ABIDE BY IMMIGRATION RULES

March 14, 2004 8:36pm

Antara

Atambua, E Nusa Tenggara, Mar 14 (ANTARA) - People in border area of East Nusa Tenggara and East Timor have asked the United Nations staffers deployed in East Timor to abide by the immigration rules if they visit the district of Belu.

"We ask the UN staffers (tasked) in East Timor to abide by the international immigration rules if they wish to visit Belu district, in order to avoid any possible unwanted practices," a local figure, Vincentius B Loe, said on Sunday.

He said four UN Staffers last March 10 did not report themselves to the immigration officers in the immigration post in Mota'ain, some 45 kms north of Atambua when they tried to enter the Belu district.

As a result, he added, they were brought to the Atambua Immigration Office to settle the case.

"We want the UN staffers to abide by the rule to remove imperssion that there is a speciality in the implementation of the immigration rule between the common people living in border area and the UN staff," he said.

Meanwhile, acting head of the Atambua Immigration Office, Romulus Bukang said the four have violated article 48 of the Law No.9/1992 on immigration, as they entered Indonesian territory without being checked by the immigration officers in the post.

The four were Luke Comey, Alan Michael Gutman and Roy Jefferson Wood, all from the United States and Fiona Alice Robinson from Australia.

He added the case was settled after Commander of the Security Tasj Force of the Border Area, Col Djoko Setiono, held a long distance call with the security officers in East Timor.

East Timor was the Indonesian 27th province. It declared its independence on May 20 in 2002 after the pro-independent camp won the landslide victory in the people ballot held by the United Nations on August 1999.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

Back to March menu
February
World Leaders Contact List
Human Rights Violations in East Timor
Main Postings Menu