UN warns refugees may have to fend for themselves

COMPERE: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC) is today
warning it may be forced to pull out of West Timor leaving 120,000 refugees
virtually to fend for themselves.

The Indonesian Government says it will close all refugee camps in West Timor,
giving the occupants two choices - return across the border to East Timor the
best way you can or stay in Indonesia and be moved elsewhere in the
archipelago under the Transmagrassi [phonetic] policies.

But the UNHCR, which has been working of course in the region since the
crisis began just on a year ago, says the camps themselves may have to be
relocated to East Timor. The UNHCR's external affairs officer in Canberra,
Ellen Hanson, has been telling our reporter, Ann Barker, they want to assist
all the refugees wherever they wish to go. But they need Indonesian
cooperation.

ELLEN HANSON: The High Commissioner has called on the Indonesian authorities
on several occasions to ensure that there is sufficient security for UNHCR to
be able to assist the refugees on the West Timor side of the border. If we
cannot continue to have that security guaranteed or if the security isn't
guaranteed on the ground, even though promises have been made, then UNHCR
will have no option but to withdraw from the camps in West Timor.

ANN BARKER: And how real a prospect is that?

ELLEN HANSON: Well, we'll just have to see how it goes in the coming weeks
but the Indonesian Government has on previous occasions said that it was
going to close down the camps and has not done so to date.

And currently the situation is really extremely difficult because whilst the
camps are still there, we are not actually able to carry out fully the work
we need to do in terms of assisting the refugees, not only with the provision
of services and delivery of food and aid there, but also in terms of
assisting their decision-making process in whether they wish to return to
East Timor or not.

ANN BARKER: Where would that leave the refugees, the 120,000 or so refugees
especially those who are reluctant to return home to East Timor.

ELLEN HANSON: Well it would leave them very much at the mercy of the
Indonesian authorities who would need to provide for assistance for them.

ANN BARKER: And they would have to fend largely for themselves?

ELLEN HANSON: Well as I said, UNHCR is not really able to continue to operate
effectively while the security conditions are such that it's unable to carry
out its work.

ANN BARKER: What are the logistics for the UNHCR or other NGO organisations
in assisting these sort of people if they're not in an official refugee camp?

ELLEN HANSON: It becomes more problematical but we can provide assistance,
but obviously we would need to have some means of identifying those in need
of assistance from those who are not in need of assistance. And I guess that
is easier to do when they are grouped together in refugee camps.

ANN BARKER: Could West Timor absorb another 120,000 people do you think?

ELLEN HANSON: Look, I couldn't really comment on that. It would be extremely
difficult for West Timor to absorb that amount of number and according to our
information certainly about half of that number have a strong wish to return
to East Timor but have been prevented from doing so. Now in West Timor
obviously conditions are quite difficult there. There's very high
unemployment. There's very little land available so it would be extremely
difficult for West Timor to absorb even half the numbers that are in the
camps.

COMPERE: Ellen Hanson of the UNHCR external affairs division in Canberra,
speaking with Ann Barker.