Hundreds of ethnic Timorese who fled to the Indonesian territory of West Timor decades ago to escape Timor-Leste's violent struggle for independence have called for land ownership from the government and rejected a resettlement plan.
Many Timorese refugees and their descendants, joined by student activists, participated in two rallies this week in Kupang, the capital of Indonesia's Christian-majority East Nusa Tenggara province, to press home their demands.
During the rallies, demonstrators called for land ownership certificates from the authorities for approximately 15 hectares of land they have occupied since 1999 in Naibonat, Kupang.
The protesters also dismissed a plan to relocate thousands of refugees to Kampung Burung Unta in Fatuleu District of Kupang, approximately 20 kilometers away, where 2,100 houses have been built for them.
Reports say the relocation stems from a government plan to hand over the land in Naibonat to the military.
"We will not move out. We have lived there (in Naibonat) for the past 27 years, not illegally. The state must recognize and guarantee our rights," Henry Foord Jebbs, a refugee and protest organizer, told UCA News on June 18.
He called the military's control of the land an act of "land grabbing" and to help the "state's monopoly."
Syahrul Sukwan, another protester, said the military was intimidating people for their refusal to relocate.
"Even our corn and bananas are cut down," to put pressure to vacate immediately, he said.
He alleged that the relocation site is not convenient for refugees because there is no land available for cultivation, and the housing scheme is currently under investigation by provincial authorities for alleged corruption.
The relocation project carried out without public consultation violates fundamental rights of the refugees, he said.
"Rejecting relocation does not mean being anti-development. That is precisely where the rights of the residents lie; they have the right to decide without pressure," Sukwan added.
Marthen Rahakbauw, acting regional secretary of Kupang Regency, said resolving the land and relocation issues will require more time.
"We cannot resolve this in a few days. We will conduct a study first," he said.
He claimed the construction of 2,100 housing units is "proof of the government's concern for the residents."
Catholic priest Yohanes Kristoforus Tara from East Timor, who worked among Timorese refugees for over a decade, said the government must follow "a holistic integration process."
The refugees face diverse issues related to land and employment, he said. Forcing them out will make them "migrant workers in plantations in faraway places like Kalimantan," Tara, who is involved with the Franciscans' Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission, told UCA News.
The issue dates back to Indonesia's occupation of Timor-Leste, the eastern part of the island of Timor, in 1975 at the end of Portuguese colonial rule.
The Indonesian military attempted to crush an armed independence movement, leading to thousands of deaths in the following two decades.
In 1999, approximately 78 percent of the Timorese voted in favor of independence in a UN-facilitated referendum.
However, a pro-Indonesia militia attempted to thwart independence through violence and massacres, forcing about 250,000 people to flee to West Timor.
Source: https://www.ucanews.com/news/indonesias-timorese-refugees-demand-land-ownership/10939