W Timor 'safe' for aid workers

West Timorese militia were blamed for the death of three aid workers in September

By BBC's Richard Galpin in East Timor

Senior Indonesian officials have advised a visiting delegation from the United Nations Security Council that it is now safe for international aid agencies to return to West Timor.

The officials called on the UN and other organisations to resume their aid programmes for more than 100,000 East Timorese refugees still living in the area.

The situation now is very safe. We believe that we can secure the international personnel"

Brigadier Pastika, police chief

The call came as the Security Council delegation visited refugee camps in the town of Atambua, where three UN aid workers were murdered by militia gangs in September, prompting the withdrawal of all foreign aid agencies.

Both the provincial governor and the police chief told the BBC they could give guarantees to the UN delegation that foreign aid workers would now be safe if they returned to West Timor.

In particular, they emphasised the impact of an operation to collect weapons from the militias, which have controlled many of the refugee camps since crossing from East Timor more than a year ago.

'Very safe'

The police chief, Brigadier Pastika, said there was now nothing to stop the UN and other agencies from resuming their work with the refugees.

"You can see yourself the situation now is very safe," he said.

"Police everywhere, and the general security is already very good. We believe that we can secure the international personnel", he concluded.

Despite this, the authorities clearly felt the need for massive security for the UN delegation as it toured refugee camps in Atambua and visited the UN office in the town centre which was attacked in September.

And foreign journalists who arrived in Atambua ahead of the delegation were advised by the authorities not to go into the camps alone.

Assessment

A senior official from the UN refugee agency travelling with the delegation said there would now have to be a much more thorough assessment of the security situation before any decision were taken to return.

Speaking to journalists at one of the refugee camps, the delegation leader Martin Andjaba refused to be drawn on what conclusions they had reached from their visit.

After further meetings with the Indonesian Government in Jakarta the delegation will be reporting to the Security Council in New York on Monday.