Irianese ask to be repatriated

MERAUKE, Irian Jaya: Most of the 3,000 Irianese border- crossers currently living at the East Awin Camp in Kiungga, Papua New Guinea, have asked to be repatriated, a local officer said.

Their hope to return to Irian Jaya was expressed through a form they filled in, the acting head of the sociopolitical affairs office here, Leonardus Letsoin, said.

The Papua New Guinea government recently circulated forms to collect data on how many border-crossers wanted to return to Irian Jaya and how many chose to stay in Papua New Guinea.

According to Leonardus, most of the border-crossers want to return home because they own land in the villages they left.

According to Antara, many of them fled after receiving threats from security disturbance groups.

The Papua New Guinean government plans to send back 143 Irianese border-crossers from the East Awin Camp at the end of the month.

Data collected from Merauke district office show that in 1984, 11,162 residents of Mindiptana and Waroko subdistricts near here crossed over to Papua New Guinea during social disturbances.

Up to January, over 6,000 have been repatriated. The rest are being sheltered at East Awin Camp, Bosset Camp, Dome Camp and New Came Camp.

Leonardus said transportation was the greatest obstacle in repatriating the border-crossers as most of them refuse to leave their livestock behind.

The Papua New Guinean government so far has only allowed repatriation by air and prohibits the border-crossers from taking their livestock with them. (mds)