Batam residents return home after violence<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Many residents of Batam industrial island who
\nfled recent armed clashes between members of the Batak and the
\nFlores ethnic groups have begun to return home.<\/p>\n
National Police chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi said here on
\nWednesday that 14 people were killed in the violence among Batak
\nand Flores public transportation drivers who quarreled over
\ncontrol of a bus route. Earlier reports said at least 20 people
\nhad been killed since July 24 when the tension first erupted.<\/p>\n
Thousands of refugees crammed the main police and military
\nstations, mosques and churches on the island, some 35 kilometers
\nsoutheast of Singapore, to escape the violence.<\/p>\n
Most of the refugees have returned home following the signing
\nof a recent peace agreement between the groups, a witness said.<\/p>\n
\"It was uncomfortable to live in the temporary shelters and
\nchildren were missing school,\" refugee Damanik said as quoted by
\nAntara.<\/p>\n
Roesmanhadi said police had questioned 12 people suspected of
\nstarting the violence and detained four of them for further
\nquestioning. \"About 45 people were seriously or slightly injured
\nand (the violence) damaged four houses,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Singaporean government has expressed concern over the
\nviolence because most tourists to the island come from Singapore.
\nOfficial statistics shows 992,226 tourists visited in the first
\n11 months of last year. Singaporean tourists constituted the
\nlargest group, although their average length of stay was only one
\nto two days.<\/p>\n
Batam attracts many job seekers due to rapid economic growth
\nthere.<\/p>\n
However, behind the success, a number of social problems lurk.
\nThe migration level from various regions in Indonesia to Batam
\nduring 1998 was 35 percent. This figure exceeded the average
\ngrowth rate of 17 percent a year.<\/p>\n
It is estimated that 200,000 migrants flocked to Batam over
\nthe previous two years. The majority of them lack adequate
\nemployment skills.<\/p>\n
Batam Mayor RA Aziz estimates that Batam has a population of
\n500,000, of which 300,000 people are registered. Bantam's
\ncapacity -- according to the Batam Authority Master Plan 2006 --
\nis a population of 700,000.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile on Wednesday, about 15 Flores people who reside in
\nBatam visited the National Commission on Human Rights in Jakarta.
\nThey demanded the commission help protect the ethnic community in
\nBatam from further attack.<\/p>\n
\"We must check your reports to get accurate information,\"
\ncommission member Sugiri told the protesters. (emf\/edt\/prb)<\/p>",
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