Seven refugees workers die in Nunukan camps<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
At least seven Indonesian refugee workers, including three
\nchildren, have died and another 200 are still suffering from
\nvarious diseases in squalid temporary camps around Nunukan, East
\nKalimantan.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa
\nWea asserted that he was fully responsible for the repatriation
\nof Indonesian workers stranded in border areas such as Nunukan in
\nEast Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
He also said that he would resign from his Cabinet post if his
\nhandling of returning migrant workers was considered to be a
\nfailure.<\/p>\n
East Kalimantan administration spokesman Syafruddin Pernyata
\nsaid in Samarinda on Monday that paramedic teams had been sent to
\nrefugee camps to attend to the sick workers.<\/p>\n
\"Seven Indonesian refugees have died (in makeshift camps),
\nfour adults and the rest children,\" Syafruddin was quoted by
\nAntara as saying in Samarinda, East Kalimantan on Monday.<\/p>\n
According to Syafruddin, the workers died as a result of
\ndepression-related illnesses after being forced to leave their
\nwork places in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Some 600,000 Indonesian citizens work illegally in Malaysia,
\naround 100,000 of which are believed to have returned to
\nIndonesia after Malaysia put into effect a new Immigration Act
\nintroducing imprisonment, fines and caning for illegal workers.<\/p>\n
Four Indonesians have reportedly received two strokes of the
\ncane and a six-month prison sentence while another received one
\nstroke of the cane and a six-month prison sentence. They will be
\ndeported after serving their sentences.<\/p>\n
Syafruddin said 16,357 migrant workers are currently stranded
\nin Nunukan, while another 17,468 workers had left Nunukan for
\ntheir respective provinces.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Jusuf Kalla said
\nearlier that the government had allocated some Rp 30 billion
\n(US$3.3 million) to help returning Indonesian workers, including
\nto repatriate them to their provinces of origin.<\/p>\n
\"I am fully responsible and I am ready to provide
\nclarification to the House. If I cannot fulfill my duties I would
\nrather resign,\" he said after a Cabinet meeting on Monday.<\/p>\n
Legislator Yasril Ananta Baharuddin slammed the government's
\nhandling of returning workers as a complete failure on Sunday. He
\nsaid that his commission would summon Nuwa Wea and Minister for
\nForeign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda to shed light on the issue.<\/p>\n
Nuwa Wea appealed to the Malaysian government on Monday not to
\npunish Indonesian workers still in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
\"I have repeatedly said please give us another month and do
\nnot punish these workers as the Indonesian government will get
\nthem out of Malaysia,\" Nuwa Wea said.<\/p>\n
He also said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had failed
\nto perform its duty in dealing with the illegal workers.<\/p>\n
\"We would not have been trapped in this situation if our
\ndiplomats did something months ago,\" Nuwa Wea said.<\/p>\n
He said that he had asked President Megawati Soekarnoputri to
\ncall for a coordinating meeting involving Cabinet ministers and
\nthe National Police.<\/p>\n
\"The President said the meeting will be organized in the near
\nfuture,\" Jacob said without giving any definite time frame for
\nthe meeting.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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