DILI, 05 august 2021 (TATOLI) – Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, met with the President of the Republic Francisco Guterres ‘Lu Olo’, today, to discuss the situation at the Timor-Leste-Indonesia land border.
“We do concern the situation of the land border security, as last month Indonesian authorities deported 14 of our young people who crossed illegally to West-Timor,” PM told reporters after meeting President Lu Olo at the Presidential Palace, in Dili, today.
Ruak said therefore it is important to increase the capacity of the police officers at the border zone to better control the border to prevent citizens from crossing the border.
In addition, the Bobonaro Municipal Police Commander, Antonio Mauluta informed that according to the information given by the Indonesian Authorities, around 600 young Timorese had been crossed illegally to level up their Martial Art’s belt in Atambua Indonesia.
“These 600 young people are still there in West Timor, therefore, last night we were ordered to tighten the border.
Mauluta said Indonesian authorities had informed him that they will arrest these Timorese to be deported back to Timor-Leste shortly.
Mauluta called on communities living near the border to coordinate with the authorities to control the border: “We want the communities to keep a close eye on this 600 Timorese to not again crossing the border back to Timor-Leste. From today onwards, we will be tightly controlled the border to not let these people bringing the new variant of Covid-19 to Timor-Leste.”
Journalist: Filomeno Matins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
