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UN Delegation Starts Mission in West Timor
United Nations Security Council envoys began a two-day mission in West Timor of Indonesia Tuesday, to review Jakarta's efforts to resolve the ongoing East Timor militia and refugee problems there.
On the first day of the visit, the seven-member delegation visited the provincial police headquarters to view weapons confiscated from the militia in accordance with the UN Security Council's No. 1319 resolution.
The police have seized 113 standard military fire arms, 1,304 privately built fire arms, 8,864 ro]types, 48 hand grenades, 18 rocket launchers, 164 swords and machetes, and 78 magazines of different types, Antara news agency reported Wednesday.
All the confiscated arms and weapons were crushed by a heavy roadroller in the presence of the UN delegation.
Later, the delegation proceeded to a refugee camp in Noelbaki and held talks with the refugees.
The visit of the foreign envoys to the area was first mooted after an incident on September 6, during which three United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees £¨UNHCR£© workers were slain and their office runsacked.
The incident prompted the exodus of 400 aid workers and the sternly worded No. 1319 resolution of the Security Council demanding the prosecution of the killers.
The delegation was tasked with ascertaining just to what extent the Indonesian government has complied with the No. 1319 resolution, which also requires the Indonesian government to guarantee a safe environment for the tens of thousands of East Timorese refugees who wish to return.
Around 250,000 East Timorese crossed the border into West Timor, where more than 120 £¬000 remain, after violence ravaged their homeland following Jakarta's autonomy offer in August last year.
The team had earlier visited East Timor for two days. And on Wednesday it will fly to the West Timor border town of Atambua, where militias slaughtered the three UN workers.
After visiting in West Timor, the delegation will visit Jakarta and meet with Indonesian government leaders, the report said.
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