Jayapura to resettle isolated tribes

Jayapura to resettle isolated tribes

JAYAPURA, Papua: The Jayapura regency administration has allocated Rp 3 billion to resettle isolated tribes in the regency during the 2003 fiscal year.

Nicolaus Dake, a senior staff member of the local social affairs office, said here on Wednesday that there were dozens of tribes engaged in seminomadic agriculture along the Memberamo river, which flows through the regency. So far, they had not been resettled because of a lack of funds.

"This year the government has allocated Rp 3 billion to finance the erection of modest homes for the tribespeople, who are still living the stone age," he said.

Nicolaus said his office had conducted a survey of the remote areas where the tribes lived as a preliminary move prior to the construction of the houses.

"In our talks with the tribespeople, they expressed the wish to be resettled and start engaging in intensive agriculture," he said, adding that he still had doubts over whether the resettlement program would be successful as the tribespeople were so used to the seminomadic life. -- Antara