Dayaks told to welcome Madurese

Dayaks told to welcome Madurese

SAMPIT, Central Kalimantan: Regent Wahyudi K. Anwar of East Kotawaringin, Central Kalimantan, has appealed to the indigenous Dayak people to accept Madurese migrants wanting to return to the town.

He said on Monday that his administration and the local legislative council were trying to rehabilitate the areas, which have been devastated by ethnic conflicts between Madurese migrants and Dayaks, in order to allow refugees to return home.

Dozens of thousands of people from East Java's Madura Island fled their homes in Central Kalimantan to safety when indigenous residents attacked in 1999.

Hundreds of people, mostly Madurese, were killed in the fighting. Many were hacked to death in grisly mass killings.

Many of the Madurese refugees, currently living in camps in East Java, are still unable to return home to Central Kalimantan due to security concerns. -- Antara