Govt vows to continue resettlement program

Govt vows to continue resettlement program

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo denied yesterday that transmigrants are increasingly reluctant to be resettled to the less developed areas of eastern Indonesia.

In a parliamentary hearing yesterday, Minister Siswono reiterated the government's commitment to continue the resettlement program to balance out population distribution nationwide.

"Compared to fiscal 1994/95, the number of the people resettled in Indonesia's eastern regions (in 1995/96) has even increased," Siswono said, adding, however, that the government has fallen short of its target to resettle 70,400 families.

Indonesia launched its transmigration program in 1971. Since then it has resettled more than 14 million people from the densely populated islands of Java, Madura and Bali to more sparsely populated islands around the country.

A legislator from Golkar, Arie Bambang Sigit, said that certain data indicate that more and more transmigrants want to return to their places of origin as development in Java accelerates.

Arie called on the government to improve the living conditions in the resettlement areas so that more people will be encouraged to move.

Suyoto, who represents the Armed Forces faction, said that in fiscal 1995/96, the local government of Yogyakarta, Central Java, resettled only 23 percent of the number targeted.

"If the government wants to encourage more people to resettle to other places outside Java, then the government should ask transmigrants who have been successful to persuade their fellow villagers in Java to be willing," Suyoto said. (16)