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