Jakarta – The government has agreed to hold a special repatriation program for East Timorese refugees who want to go home late this year, Antara reported.

East Nusa Tenggara Governor Piet A. Tallo said on Friday that the decision was conveyed by Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Yusuf Kalla in a letter sent to a group tasked to handle the refugees.

The special program offers Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year assistance packages of Rp 1.5 million to each returning family.

Members of the Indonesian Military and National Police as well as civil servants who return to East Timor would receive between Rp 5 million and Rp 15 million in cash, he said. The special repatriation program is valid until December 31.

East Timorese refugees who opt to stay in East Nusa Tenggara beyond that date will be resettled to other parts of Indonesia.

Data from the local administration office show that 30,129 East Timorese from 10,387 families have been staying in refugee camps in the province.

About 200,000 East Timorese fled to East Nusa Tenggara, which shares a border with East Timor, to escape violence following the vote in August 1999 to secede from Indonesia.