TNI Enter Oecusse Enclave - Border Dispute

INTERNET EDITION FEATURE:

Indonesian TNI Enter Illegally into Naktuka Timorese Angry

Indonesia and Timor-Leste are still in the process to resolve some small percentage of the land border between the two country. These remaining border disputes needing to solved include some parts in the Oekuse Enclave and Indonesian West Timor Province. 

 
Simao de Carvalho the Chief of Naktuka told Tempo Semanal today that on September 26th 2009 the people of Naktuka village of Bene Ufe, Sud District Nitibe district Oekuse found some 9 Indonesian Army soldiers enter the area and report to the East Timor Police Border Patrol Unit. "On Satuday 26 September 2009 we the people and villagers detected nine TNI army entered illegally into Naktuka," Said Simao de Carvalho. 

 The disputed area - the Naktuka Triangle.

He explain, "Those TNI member wore full Uniforms and carried automatic rifles drove a car enter Illegally into our village of Naktuka."

When the community ask what their porpose came in to Naktuka those TNI soldiers inform the community that they were only wanting to know the situation in the area. "But those illegal cross border came and took some photos of the area include the water irrigation of Naktuka," the Carvalho told Tempo Semanal Journalist in Oekuse.

"Those TNI member also argued that their are in the territory to help provide medical treatment to the East Timorese leaving in Naktuka."

After we found these TNI the community report the Border Police Patrol Unit in Nanan. To the Timorese police those TNI claimed that they are doing accordingly to some agreement between the local leaders from both sides.

Oekusi District

Close up on Naktuka area

In the mean time the secretary of State for Region Specia Status Region ofl Oekuse Jorge Teme confirmed the case. "The TNI came to Naktuta the area were according the 1912 accord between Dutch and Portugal belongs to the people of Oekusi," Said Teme.

He continued that, "Indonesian side claims the area only base on the history but the Timorese claims based on the legal evidence of 1912 agreement which decided the area is the belongs to Oekuse people," he claimed.

Recently the Indonesian authority questioning some 40 Timorese family from Oekuse building their homes in Naktuka. The Indonesian said the Naktura area is belong to the village of North of Netemnanu, sub district of East Amfoang, Kupang District. The head of the region state that those people from RDTL have made some long terms planting on the land.

The Indonesian claims that Timorese from Oekuse are illegally making farms on Indonesian land more or less 1,069 hectare. The Indonesian said last week that, "those Oekuse Community is the one not showing respect to the agreement."

The Indonesian said suggest to resolved the issue of the dispute land by traditional means because those community on the border have an historical relationship. The Indonesian Authority in Kupang demand to their central Government to resolve the border issue to have a permanent arrangement. If the both side not address this border issue properly may risk the relationships between East Timor and its former illegal Occupier Indonesia.

Six percent (6%) of Timor-Leste's population lives in Timor-Leste.  A mixture of poverty, isolation and general neglect is a lingering problem for the new nation of East timor.

To day in Dili many Illegal immigrant from Indonesia are hunting dollars in Dili. These people are leaving in Harmony with the Timorese Community and moving around withing the Timorese community to sell their goods. Even some of them are only in possesion of a tourist visa but they are doing business in East Timor. "In reality seems the Indonesian feels that East Timor is still a 27 province to Indonesia, "Said Antonio da Costa Ximenes a Dili based community member.