Governor pleased with ex-political detainees

Governor pleased with ex-political detainees

JAKARTA (JP): Maluku governor M. Akib Latukonsina said on Tuesday that he is no longer suspicious of the ex-political detainees resettled on Buru island.

According to the governor, the transmigrants have buried their bitter past and mixed in with "regular" transmigrants.

Buru island was used to imprison thousands of people suspected of having links to the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), which was outlawed by the government for attempting a coup in 1965.

"There are no longer any politically active detainees on the transmigration sites on the island," he said after meeting in Ambon with visiting legislators from Riau.

"They are all well-behaved and regret what they did in the past," he said as quoted by Antara.

Members of the Riau provincial legislative council are on a four-day visit to Maluku to see the development of natural resources in the province, including Buru Island.

He said the former political detainees pledged allegiance to the government and the state ideology Pancasila before resettling to Buru under the state-sponsored transmigration program.

According to the governor, the transmigrants have had no trouble assimilating with other resettlers and indigenous residents.

Latukonsina said the provincial government provides the resettlers with vocational skills on how to exploit natural resources.

The local government plans to develop the 9,000 square kilometer island into eucalyptus plantation and tourist destination.

"Eucalyptus oil from the island is of a better quality than that produced in other areas of the province, even if it is still produced in a traditional way," the governor said. (rms)