Hundreds of Indonesians halted in RI-Timor Leste border

Kupang, Feb. 28 (Antara): Hundreds of Indonesians have been halted on the East Timor side of the border because check points were closed.

"Indonesian nationals were reportedly halted in the gate of check points in Batu Gede because East Timor immigration officers were off," East Nusa Tenggara Military Commander Col. Inf. Arief Rachman was quoted as saying by Antara news agency.

He said the Indonesian embassy in Dili had talked with East Timorese officials about Indonesians working in the country hit by security problems in recent months.

He stressed, however, that all Indonesians are free to return home if the security conditions worsen in the newest Asian country. He said the closure of the check points are only to prevent the possible exodus of East Timorese into Indonesia.

The Indonesian military has deployed some 1,000 soldiers along border areas between East Timor and Indonesia, following the security crisis in the newest Asian country.

The deployment was to anticipate possible penetration of East Timor rebels led by Maj. Alfredo Reinado, once the military police chief, who escaped from prison in September after leading dozens of armed mutinous soldiers into the mountains.

Indonesia has closed a number of check points between the two countries to prevent any exodus of East Timorese into Indonesia.

Foreign troops launched a manhunt for the renegade commander who allegedly stole a cache of automatic weapons from a police post over the weekend, weeks ahead of presidential elections in the violence-plagued country, AP news agency reported.

Reinado deserted East Timor's armed forces last May with nearly 600 hundred others, triggering violence between rival security force factions that brought down the government in June. Looting, arson and fire fights killed 37 and forced 155,000 from their homes.

East Timor, home to just under a million people, became Asia's newest nation in 2002 after gaining independence from Indonesia.