Rights commission proposal rejected<\/p>\n
PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan: The local office of the National
\nCommission on Human Rights has rejected a proposal for a special
\ninstitution handling refugees in the province.<\/p>\n
Rousdy Said, deputy chairman of the local commission, said on
\nMonday that a new institution would only further complicate the
\nbureaucratic procedures in managing refugees.<\/p>\n
Pontianak now accommodates thousands of Madurese people
\ndisplaced after the 1999 bloody ethnic clashes in Sambas pitted
\nMadurese migrants against native Malays.<\/p>\n
The special commission in charge of refugees was proposed by
\nAsmara Nababan, secretary-general of the Jakarta-based National
\nCommission on Human Rights (Komnas-HAM).<\/p>\n
Nababan argued last week that the commission was necessary
\nbecause the government was inefficient in helping refugees living
\nin camps across the country.<\/p>\n
Over a million people have been displaced by communal
\nviolence, most notably in Aceh, Central Sulawesi, Maluku, North
\nMaluku and East Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
Rousdy said that what West Kalimantan should do is improve the
\nperformance of the existing institution, Antara reported. He
\nadded that he had the impression that Nababan's proposal was
\nmeant to allow the numerous non-governmental organizations to
\nintervene in refugees' affairs.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rights-commission-proposal-rejected-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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