First group of illegal migrants arrive in Aceh

First group of illegal migrants arrive in Aceh

JAKARTA (JP): The first group of Indonesian migrants deported
from Malaysia, including six women, arrived at Krueng Geukuh
port, Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, Friday after sailing for 24 hours
from Lumut, Malaysia, Antara reported yesterday.

The 545 deportees are natives of Aceh province; they were
brought home on Indonesian naval ship KRI Teluk Langsa, according
to Ministry of Manpower Inspector General Amin Sumarsono in
Lhokseumawe Friday evening.

It was not clear whether the group included Acehnese who
resisted deportation from Malaysia because they feared
persecution at home due to them being members of a separatist
movement.

In Medan, North Sumatra, the Bukit Barisan Regional Military
Commander, Maj. Gen. T. Rizal Nurdin, said yesterday the
authorities were still investigating whether there were
separatists among the deported workers.

"I believe there are," Nurdin said after addressing a prayer
gathering at the Al Hidayah Mosque in Lubuk Pakam, Deli Serdang.

A military source told The Jakarta Post that 50 of the 545
people had links to the separatist movement, which is usually
called a security disturbance movement by the Indonesian
authorities.

Nurdin said the military would undertake an "in-depth
investigation" into those suspected of being separatists. "If
they were involved because of peer pressure, then there's no
problem," he said. "Those who were really involved (in
separatism) will be persuaded (to abandon the cause) and released
into society."

The workers who were found to have committed crimes, such as
robberies, would be handed over to the police, Nurdin said.

Rioting at a number of detention camps in Malaysia on Thursday
hastened the repatriation of illegal migrants from Indonesia
which was initially scheduled to be taken place today. The riots
occurred at the Semenyih camp in Selangor, Machap Umbo camp in
Malacca, Juru camp in Penang, and Langgeng camp in Negeri
Sembilan after a group of workers resisted police operations to
deport them.

Eight Indonesian illegal immigrants and one Malaysian
policeman died in the melee at the Semenyih camp.

Minister of Justice Muladi said Saturday that the deaths
constituted a violation of human rights.

Under any conditions, the deaths of eight migrant workers
resisting deportation from the camps was a breach of human
rights, he said.

He, however, accepted that deportation was the right of any
state.

Deputy House Speaker Syarwan Hamid called on Minister of
Manpower Theo Sambuaga to handle the problem of Indonesian
illegal workers as soon as possible.

Syarwan said the problem should be solved proportionally based
on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations spirit.

"We should not be emotional in responding to this case as an
emotion-laden reaction would diminish our ability to cope with
the problem appropriately," Syarwan added. (21/byg)