Land Exclusion of the Former East Timorese Refugees in Belu Regency, West Timor
Farid Abud Alkatiri

Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze social problems, which relate to the land access issue faced by Timorese refugees in Belu Regency since their arrival in 1999. From the government’s point of view, one of the solutions is to implement the resettlement program. However, many believe the program means land exclusion. This study uses the qualitative method, the data has been collected through in-depth interviews and direct observation, and includes some secondary sources to complement the main findings. This research has included social institution perspectives, especially family institutions, to analyze the implications for family and ethnic ties of the land access problem within the former refugees’ community. The result of this research shows that the family and ethnic ties affect the processes of land access, which is sometimes used by certain figures within the former refugees and local community or institution to achieve social, political, and economic interests, excluding them from land access. To overcome the problem, the former refugees have used social and political networks as well as cultural approaches to derive any support towards coping strategies of land access.

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