29 October -- Nearly a thousand refugees returned to the East Timor capital of Dili today at the start of a United Nations repatriation programme from the West Timor port of Atapupu.
A spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said at a briefing in Geneva, that the refugees started boarding 42 trucks at 4 a.m. at Nanuk camp outside Atambua, the main town in the Belu district along the border with East Timor. Spokesman Kris Janowski said the refugees were accompanied by UNHCR staff and police escorts during the 45-minute drive to Atapupu.
After being provided with food and water, the refugees departed aboard two ferries chartered by the International Organization for Migration for the eight-hour trip to Dili, Mr. Janowski said. The movement out of Atapupu will continue on Saturday, with two ferry trips scheduled.
So far, around 24,000 refugees have returned to East Timor from various regions in Indonesia, including 17,000 from West Timor. The others were flown from Jakarta, Surabaya and Denpasar. Repatriation from Australia began on Thursday, with 42 returning to Dili on a flight from Darwin.
