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)