Aid funds for Madurese refugees embezzled<\/p>\n
Ainur R. Sophiaan, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya<\/p>\n
The government's food aid for thousands of Madurese refugees who
\nfled ethnic riots in Central Kalimantan last year has fallen prey
\nto embezzlement by local authorities, said legislators in East
\nJava province.<\/p>\n
Over the last three months, they said refugees have been
\nreceiving only between Rp 20,000 and Rp 40,000 per family as
\ntheir monthly food assistance. The local government, however, had
\nallocated at least Rp 168,000 for each family per month.<\/p>\n
Dja'far Shodiq, a Madurese legislator in the East Java
\nprovincial legislative council, said each refugee family also
\nreceived only between five and 10 kilograms of rice. They should
\nbe receiving 15 kilograms per month, he added.<\/p>\n
\"As a consequence, they are living in extremely difficult
\ncircumstances due to the lack of food aid,\" he said on Wednesday
\nin Surabaya, East Java.<\/p>\n
He slammed what he alleged was corruption on the part of the
\nofficials in charge of distributing the food aid. \"How can they
\nhave the heart to swindle food from such suffering people.\"<\/p>\n
At least 86,000 refugees are still stuck in Sampang regency
\nand 29,000 others in Bangkalan regency on the island of Madura.
\nThey were among the Madurese migrants who fled death threats by
\nindigenous Dayaks in Central Kalimantan in March of last year.<\/p>\n
The ethnic pogrom in Sampit and Palangkaraya, Central
\nKalimantan, claimed at least 357 lives. Non-official estimates
\nput the death toll at closer to 500.<\/p>\n
Early last week, around 40 refugees demonstrated against
\nembezzlement of food aid in Sampang, demanding that they receive
\nthe amount of food aid that was officially their due.<\/p>\n
The protesters marched to the office of Sawah Tengah village
\nhead H. Nurul in Kedungdung subdistrict.<\/p>\n
Dja'far said he had reported the corruption to the Sampang
\npolice for investigation. \"I have also taken the case to the head
\nof the East Java provincial social affairs office, Sucahyono, but
\nhe told me he knew nothing about it.\"<\/p>\n
He added that according to Sucahyono, the East Java social
\naffairs office had delivered the aid funds for the refugees to
\nthe Sampang and Bangkalan authorities based on their official
\nquotas.<\/p>\n
It remained unclear how much money the government had
\nallocated for the Madurese refugees.<\/p>\n
\"The East Java administration has never been transparent about
\nthe funds allocated from its budget and by the central
\ngovernment. I have tried to find out the figures, but I've just
\nbeen sent back and forward between the regency and provincial
\nadministrations,\" said Dja'far, who is a member of the National
\nAwakening Party (PKB), the largest faction on the council.<\/p>\n
He also accused the local government of breaking the promise
\nit made six months ago to return the refugees to Sampit and
\nPalangkaraya, Central Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
\"So far there has been no effort by the provincial
\nadministration to send them home, although many refugees want to
\nwork again in Central Kalimantan after the security situation has
\nimproved there,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Dja'far said he had received a report that many plots of land
\nbelonging to the Madurese migrants had been occupied as communal
\nland by Dayaks with the approval by the local authorities in
\nCentral Kalimantan.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aid-funds-for-madurese-refugees-embezzled-1447893297",
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