Atambua – The Indonesian military and police have agreed to deport 26 East Timorese who are seeking asylum at Belu police resort in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province.
"We are determined to deport the 25 East Timorese soon after holding a coordination meeting [with the Indonesian military]," Chief of the Belu police resort Adjunct Chief Commissioner Agus Nugroho said here Monday.
He doubted the confession of the 26 East Timorese that they sought asylum at the police resort after receiving intimidation from other East Timorese.
Both the Belu police resort and district military command had asked for confirmation from the East Nusa Tenggara- East Timor border security task force. However, the latter did not give any sign of the 26 East Timorese receiving intimidation, he said.
Neither did the East Timorese Police (PNTL) nor the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces (UNPKF) in East Timor receive complaint from the 26 East Timorese from Bobonaro district about the intimidation, he said.
The 26 East Timorese consisting of 15 males and 11 females began to seek asylum in Belu district on October 15 after they crossed the border areas via Silawan point in Tasifeto subdistrict in East Timor.