Nunukan remains 'humanitarian emergency'<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The
\nJakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In contrast to the ebbing media reports and the government
\nclaims of an improving situation of workers camped in Nunukan
\nisland, East Kalimantan, a group of non-governmental
\norganizations revealed on Tuesday that the situation remained
\npoor.<\/p>\n
The Network of Volunteers for Humanity (JRUK), which has
\nprovided humanitarian aid and medical services for the migrant
\nworkers since July, said that the recent condition in Nunukan was
\nstill categorized as \"a state of humanitarian emergency\".<\/p>\n
They even planned to sue the government for its neglect of the
\nworkers' condition.<\/p>\n
In a media conference, volunteer Sri Palupi said the belated
\naid was still inadequate, and to make matters worse, it was
\nunevenly distributed to the thousands of refugees.<\/p>\n
\"The shelters and the facilities for the migrant workers are
\ninadequate, while the medical service is far below the standard
\nof the World Health Organization (WHO) and cannot cover those who
\nare sheltered in remote areas,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The number of undocumented migrant workers in Nunukan reached
\nits peak in early August, when Malaysia imposed its tough
\nimmigration law. During that time, around 22,000 people were
\nsqueezed onto the small island which was already packed with
\n38,000 residents.<\/p>\n
Many of those workers and their families, shipped from the
\nMalaysian state of Sabah, are suffering from respiratory problems
\nand diarrhea. Many others are suffering from malaria, typhoid
\nfever and stress, which in several cases caused temporary
\nparalysis.<\/p>\n
These ailments, coupled with the slow handling by the
\ngovernment, have caused the death of 72 people since May.<\/p>\n
Wahyu Susilo from the Consortium for the Defense of Indonesian
\nMigrant Workers (Kopbumi) added that the Network would send on
\nThursday two ambulances and medicine to serve as mobile health
\nposts to supplement the work of the only health center there.<\/p>\n
\"The mobile health posts are what the migrant workers need the
\nmost because many of them are not aware that they can get free
\nhealth treatment. Even if they are, they have to pay for the
\ntransportation to get to the health centers.<\/p>\n
\"And we will stay in Nunukan until we see improvement in the
\nhandling of the migrant workers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Network comprises 14 non-governmental organizations,
\nincluding Kopbumi, Women's Solidarity, Suara Ibu Peduli (The
\nVoice of Concerned Mothers), the Jakarta Social Institute (ISJ)
\nand the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation (YLBHI).<\/p>\n
The Network was also preparing a citizen's lawsuit against
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri for the government's seeming
\nindifference to the migrant workers' plight.<\/p>\n
The case will be presented by six lawyers, including one of
\nthe country's best, Nursyahbani Katjasungkana.<\/p>\n
Choirul Anam of YLBHI invited every citizen to join the move
\nto ensure a thorough monitoring into the legal process.<\/p>\n
The Network also suggested the government protect the migrant
\nworkers' rights, both at home and abroad.<\/p>\n
Also on Tuesday, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI Perjuangan) criticized the government's lack of coordination
\nin dealing with the workers.<\/p>\n
\"The government should improve the coordination among
\nofficials. We should have been able to anticipate the problems
\nbecause the Malaysian government had informed us (of the new law)
\nat least four months in advance,\" PDI Perjuangan deputy secretary
\ngeneral Pramono Anung said after the party's weekly meeting.<\/p>\n
He further said that the party would consider some sort of
\npolitical pressure on the government to insure that more
\nattention was given to the problems.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan's criticism is more like a form of self
\ncriticism because the President and Minister of Manpower Jacob
\nNuwa Wea are both party leaders.<\/p>\n
During her overseas trip last week, Megawati blasted the
\ndomestic press for its coverage of the workers in Nunukan, saying
\nthat journalists had blown the situation out of proportion.<\/p>\n
The party's deputy chairman Roy B.B. Janis said that a lack of
\ncoordination was seen in the distribution of aid and in the
\nprocedures for the workers to obtain proper documents.<\/p>\n
He added that there were too many ministers trying to deal
\nwith the issue in different ways, which only made things worse.<\/p>",
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