275 Javanese families return to N. Maluku<\/p>\n
SURABAYA: At least 275 displaced migrant families from the
\nonce conflict-wracked province of North Maluku were finally sent
\nback to the region on Tuesday from East, Central and West Java.<\/p>\n
They traveled to North Maluku aboard the Taruna Sakti ship
\nfrom the Tanjung Perak port in Surabaya, East Java.<\/p>\n
At least 223 families had fled to East Java, 43 others to
\nCentral Java and nine more to West Java, when their province was
\nhit by a violent religious conflagration that erupted in 1999.<\/p>\n
The refugees, most of whom were originally from Java and had
\nmigrated to Maluku years ago, said they decided to return because
\nthey were no longer afraid of more attacks by rival gangs.<\/p>\n
"I want to go back there to make a living. In Java, I get less
\nincome than in North Maluku," said Sudirman, a migrant from
\nBondowoso regency in East Java.<\/p>\n
The repatriation was funded by the Central Java and East Java
\ngovernments. Each of the returning families received 35 kilograms
\nof rice per day for months and a life insurance policy that is
\ngood for one year.--JP<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/275-javanese-families-return-to-n-maluku-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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