Border crossers back to Irian

Border crossers back to Irian

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: Thirty people seeking sanctuary in
neighboring Papua New Guinea returned to their home villages last
week.

They returned on speedboats provided by the Indonesian
consulate and the Papua New Guinea government and were greeted by
Alex Rudolof Erubun from the provincial government office
overseeing border areas.

Among the returnees were those who moved to the neighboring
country in 1969. Others had fled there following clashes with
fishermen from Makassar, South Sulawesi, in Jayapura.

Three of those were formerly civil servants in Jayapura, who
moved to Papua New Guinea because they were either dissatisfied
with their supervisors or dismissed, Alex said.

I Wayan Sura, a deputy Jayapura mayor, told the border
crossers that the Indonesian government sincerely welcomed them
and assured that they would be safe in their home villages.

Indonesian security forces in the easternmost territory face
low-level rebellion of the separatist Free Papua Movement. (frans
tekege)