Border market to be opened

Border market to be opened

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG)
have agreed to open a new market for citizens living in the
countries' border area to replace the traditional "Sunday market"
in Wutung village, PNG.

Moses Poi, PNG's border liaison officer, was quoted by Antara
as saying Friday that the decision to do away with the "Sunday
market" -- which has evolved into a type of black market -- was
taken during a border liaison meeting in Madang, PNG, earlier
this month.

The Sunday market, located some three kilometers from the
Indonesia-PNG border, was closed down by local police because of
the illegal activities taking place.

The new market will be located in Skouw village, Jayapura,
some nine kilometers from the border, according to Indonesian
border liaison official Alex Erubun.

The market will be inaugurated this month but will start
operating in January, according to Antara.

Residents will need their border-crossing identification cards
-- red for Indonesians and yellow for Papuans -- to visit the
market.

Another Antara dispatch from Madang said that Indonesia will
no longer try to persuade Irian Jaya border crossers, currently
living in PNG, to return.

Brig. Gen. Basyir Bachtiar, who leads the Indonesian
delegation to the Indonesian-PNG Border Liaison Meeting, said the
border crossers now living in PNG's East Awin Camp who did not
intend to return to their native villages would, from now on,
have to fend for themselves.

It was up to the PNG government whether they would be
officially accepted as PNG citizens, Basyir said.

However, Indonesia's doors remained open if they wished to
return, he said.

Antara did not say how many Indonesians have crossed the
border and now live in PNG. (swe)