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)