Violent Palu still lures new settlers<\/p>\n
Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu<\/p>\n
A string of recent attacks in Palu, Central Sulawesi, has not
\ndeterred people from the densely populated island of Java from
\nmoving to the province to seek a better life.<\/p>\n
More than 200 Javanese families -- about 600 people -- arrived
\nthis week in Palu to join a government-sponsored migration
\nprogram that was initiated by the Soeharto regime in the 1970s.<\/p>\n
Central Sulawesi transmigration office head Taufik R. Tiangso
\nsaid on Tuesday the new migrants arrived on state-run Pelni
\nferries from East, Central and West Java, and Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
They will be resettled in sites in the regencies of Donggala,
\nTolitoli and Buol, he said.<\/p>\n
\"After arriving at Pantoloan Port, Palu, we took the settlers
\nto a transmigration training and education center before taking
\nthem to the three locations,\" Taufik said.<\/p>\n
Each of the resettled families received about two hectares of
\nland for farming and plantations, and a 4x6 square-meter house.<\/p>\n
The government would also provide them with free meals for a
\nyear while they were preparing their land for farming, Taufik
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The migrants, which came from the Sampang and Pamekasan
\nregencies on East Java's Madura island, and Jember, Bondowoso and
\nTuban, would be resettled in the Tolitoli and Buol regions, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, villagers from the Tasikmalaya and Garut regencies,
\nwould be settled in the Lende and Sibado villages, in Sirenja,
\nDonggala.<\/p>\n
Ahmad Poniman, a 35-year old migrant from Jember, said he and
\nhis family joined the resettlement program in the hope of
\nimproving their standard of living.<\/p>\n
Central Sulawesi has been designated as a migration center
\nsince the 1970s.<\/p>\n
This week's arrivals were the first batches of migrants to
\nCentral Sulawesi since the program was suspended six years ago.<\/p>\n
Many migrants of previous programs have bettered themselves in
\nthe province, with some becoming rich.<\/p>\n
They no longer stayed in the small wooden houses given to them
\nby the government, but instead lived in permanent homes and owned
\nprivate cars.<\/p>\n
Migrants from the resort island of Bali living in Tolai,
\nParigi Moutong, have prospered with their involvement in rice
\ncultivation for the Central Sulawesi market. The region is also
\nknown as an important cacao producer.<\/p>\n
This economic success coupled with what is seen as Java-
\ncentric favoritism by locals has fueled ethnic clashes in the
\npast in several parts of the country.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/violent-palu-still-lures-new-settlers-1447893297",
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