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)