Papuans stuck in PNG want to return home<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
As many as 14,000 Papuan border crossers, including suspected
\nseparatists, are currently languishing in numerous makeshift
\ncamps across neighboring Papua New Guinea (PNG) and most of them
\nwant to return home.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Ambassador to PNG J.R.G. Djopari asked on Saturday
\nthe Papuan administration to accept the border crossers once they
\nreturn to their homeland.<\/p>\n
\"They are Papuans who were provoked by irresponsible people
\nand later fled to PNG,\" the Antara news agency quoted him as
\narguing.<\/p>\n
Djopari said the refugees, traumatized by past abuses, have
\ndemanded that their security be guaranteed to enable them to
\nreturn home.<\/p>\n
He said the refugees are living in critical conditions and
\nrequire assistance from the Indonesian government. \"Their state
\nof health is quite alarming. They are staying in tents to
\nsurvive,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The ambassador said the Indonesian Embassy in the PNG capital
\nof Port Moresby was facilitating the planned repatriation of the
\nPapuan border crossers.<\/p>\n
Many of the refugees, mostly coming from the regencies of
\nMerauke, Pegunungan Tengah and Jayapura, have been living for 30
\nyears in PNG, although they are still Indonesian citizens, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Djopari, speaking to private RCTI television, however admitted
\nthat around 3,000 of the refugees have given up their Indonesian
\ncitizenship to obtain PNG citizenship.<\/p>\n
They changed their citizenship because the Indonesian
\ngovernment did not pay attention to their unfortunate fate, he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
The ambassador further said that most children of the Papuan
\nborder crossers could not attend schools in PNG for economic
\nreasons.<\/p>\n
He also denied that the PNG government protects Papuan
\nseparatist rebels and other criminals who have fled to the
\nneighboring country.<\/p>\n
The PNG government does not want its state used as a hideout
\nfor foreigners violating the laws of their respective countries,
\nparticularly Indonesia, he said.<\/p>\n
However, Djopari did not rule out the possibility of Papuan
\nrebels intruding into PNG to escape the Indonesian security
\nauthorities.<\/p>\n
\"It is possible as the border area (between Papua and PNG) is
\nvery large. Therefore, it is difficult for the security forces of
\neither country to detect movements across the border,\" he argued.<\/p>\n
A shortage of PNG security personnel stationed in the border
\narea, is also to blame for the failure to monitor and stop Papuan
\nrebels from escaping to PNG, the ambassador added.<\/p>\n
He said the PNG government also wanted the border area to be
\nsecure to enable its citizens and their Indonesian counterparts
\nto engage in mutual trading.<\/p>\n
The ambassador said the two countries needed to further
\nimprove bilateral ties in all aspects of life.<\/p>\n
He said many PNG citizens wanted to study in Indonesia and
\nPapua in particularly and that a group of women from the
\nneighboring country would soon visit the Papua capital of
\nJayapura to learn cooking, sewing, dancing and other local
\ncommunity skills.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/papuans-stuck-in-png-want-to-return-home-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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