Geneva – An ambitious drive to repatriate tens of thousands of East Timorese from West Timor has ground to a halt because of blatant intimidation of the refugees by Indonesian-backed militias, an aid agency has said.

The International Organisation for Migration said the inability of the Indonesian authorities to control the militias and provide security guarantees also thwarted hopes of aid agencies returning to West Timor.

"We're stuck, absolutely stuck," said spokesman Jean- Philippe Chauzy.

He said it looked increasingly like the only solution to end the militia stranglehold would be to mount a massive operation to close the camps.

This would need UN Security Council approval and full cooperation from the Indonesian army. An estimated 80,000 refugees remain in West Timor.

Last Friday, the migration organisation and UN High Commissioner for Refugees launched their biggest repatriation programme for the past year, shipping nearly 500 refugees out of the West Timorese port of Kupang.

But hopes turned to frustration. A militia leader, Elizariou Perreira, stood by the gangway with a list of refugees, said Mr Chauzy.