Border crossers called back

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: The provincial administration will call back about 300 of the people who have crossed the border to Papua New Guinea to vote in May's general election, Antara reported yesterday.

Head of the administration's border affairs bureau Alex Erubun said all 300, living in a camp in East Awin in Kiunga, Papua New Guinea, would be called back to Jayapura before March.

Although the authorities do not have complete data on all the border crossers, Alex estimated their number at 3,000. It was reported that none of them had received aid from the United Nations High Commission on Refugees since last year.

Alex said people had crossed the border after receiving propaganda from a separatist group, or had been forced to move after their houses were burned by rebels. (08)