TENSIONS IN WEST TIMOR

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000678 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/ANP NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINS ID TT SUBJECT: TENSIONS IN WEST TIMOR REF: SURABAYA 0039 ¶1. (U) This message was coordinated with Consulate General Surabaya and is Sensitive but Unclassified. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Thousands of former refugees all but brought the West Timor border city of Atambua to a halt by occupying government offices on April 1. The protesters--who are demanding assistance from Jakarta--are former East Timorese who moved to Indonesia in the wake of the conflict over Timor-Leste's independence in 1999. The protests have been going on off-and-on for some time and have a bit of a violent edge. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (U) PROTESTS IN WEST TIMOR: Thousands of former East Timorese refugees descended on the local council and social welfare offices in Atambua, Belu regency (district area), hard by the border with Timor-Leste on the morning of April ¶1. The demonstrators were former East Timorese refugees who became Indonesian citizens after Timor-Leste's 1999 separation from Indonesia. ¶4. (SBU) According to Mission contacts, demonstrators demanded that the government disburse compensation funds in the amount of Rp 4 million (about USD 444) to each family. According to press reports, Matheus BC Guedes, head of the Indonesian Citizens and Victims of a Political Choice Humanitarian Forum, claimed that families only received a fraction--Rp 503,000 (or about USD 60)--of what had been promised by the GOI. The head of the East Nusa Tenggara Social Services Office said several of those demanding compensation were ineligible because they had not registered with government authorities. ¶5. (U) Demonstrators demanded an immediate response from the central government. They said they would occupy the Belu legislative council's building "until the government responds as to when the assistance for the former refugees will be disbursed," according to the press. In a text message Guedes sent to journalists, he said demonstrations would continue until May 2. Guedes explained "We came to Belu not at our own request, but as political victims." ¶6. (U) TENSIONS HIGH: The protests had a bit of a violent edge. According to press reports, demonstrators threw stones at the government social welfare office, smashing glass windows. According to Mission contacts, demonstrators briefly detained the deputy regent (district head) of Belu and the deputy speaker of the local assembly. One contact told us her staff saw some of the demonstrators "hit the deputy house speaker and another person." Via text message, Guedes told Mission contacts that the demonstrators might attempt to detain government officials and/or international NGO workers in order to press for a central government response. A local official acknowledged in front of protesters that "it is not easy to call the President in Jakarta directly." ¶7. (SBU) INTEGRATION FRUSTRATION: Local contacts say the situation in Atambua is now calm. Local police are still visibly guarding the city. However, these types of tensions bubble up now and then in West Timor. A similar situation arose in 2005 regarding reintegration funds. Contacts assert that corruption within the provincial or local government could be wreaking havoc with the disbursements. Relations between former East Timorese refugees and local communities have shown some recent signs of friction in other parts of West Timor, per reftel. HUME