300,000 people living in camps

JAKARTA: Approximately 300,000 people are living in refugee camps across the country, a senior minister says, adding that the government hopes to repatriate all of them by October.

Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah said on Friday the majority of the refugees were in Maluku and North Maluku.

"The refugees will be given three options -- return to their home villages, stay in the refugee camps or transmigrate to another island," Bachtiar said, adding that those who chose to return to their homes would receive Rp 8.7 million per family, while those who decided to stay in the camps would get working capital.

Acting coordinating minister for people's welfare A. Malik Fadjar said the government repatriated some 1.3 million refugees from 2001 to 2004. --JP