Madurese evacuation to Pontianak suspended

SINGKAWANG, West Kalimantan (JP): As peace and order gradually returns to Sambas, Regent Tarya Aryanto discontinued the evacuation of local Madurese refugees to Pontianak, citing the crowded refugee centers in the provincial capital.

Tarya said the remaining 8,000 Madurese refugees in the regency would be sheltered in the Pasir Panjang coastal area here and other as yet undesignated areas.

At least 33,000 Madurese refugees are now sheltering in Pontianak and the surrounding areas, according to Antara which quoted data of the coordination post here.

"We'll build more barracks to accommodate the refugees here," Tarya said after meeting two visiting members of the National Commission on Human Rights, Bambang W. Suharto and Soegiri.

In Jakarta, Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto said the two-week ethnic clashes in Sambas were over.

"We've relayed to the President and also related ministries to find ways to help the refugees who are now in need of assistance and guarantees for a more certain future," he said after opening a course at the National Resilience Institute.

West Kalimantan Police chief Col. Chaerul Rasyidi, said the situation in the regency was improving gradually. He said 3,186 security personnel from all Armed Forces units had been deployed to restore order in the area.

"We consider the situation to be safe," he said after attending a meeting with members of the rights commission, West Kalimantan Military chief Col. Encip Kadarusman and leaders from the Madurese, Malay and Dayak communities at Sambas Police precinct.

According to Chaerul, police have detained 55 alleged rioters.

The road connecting Singkawang and Sambas has reportedly returned to normal, with more travelers on the 80-kilometer route.

Over the past week, local Malay villagers and Dayaks were seen parading along the road armed with various weapons.

Bloody unrest broke out over two weeks ago in remote Sambas villages as indigenous Malays and Dayaks clashed with Madurese settlers.

Nearly 200 people were killed in the carnage. An outbreak of violence in 1997 between Dayaks and Madurese claimed at least 300 lives.

Local Malay, Dayak, Bugis and Chinese community leaders told Wiranto they could no longer live with the Madurese migrants.

Sorting system

Coordinator of the local Madurese community association, Fahruddin, who attended the Sambas reconciliation meeting, suggested "a sorting method" be applied by the local government to determine which Madurese could stay in Sambas.

"We were born here, grew up here ... we want to remain here, why should we go back to Madura?" he told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

He suggested locals might accept "only good Madurese ... just send back those who cause trouble".

Fahruddin urged the authorities to establish more shelters for Madurese refugees.

In Pontianak, as reported on Monday by Suara Pembaruan afternoon daily, some 1,400 embattled Madurese said they were willing to return to Madura.

A local government official, Ibrahim Salin, said the refugees had volunteered to return to the island.

Governor Aspar Aswin said there were two options to deal with the refugees: sending them back to Sambas or relocating them to another regency.

Community leaders in Madura have warned that the returning Madurese may put pressure on island resources, as most of them left the island a long time ago and could not rely on relatives for accommodation and other support.

Also in Jakarta on Monday, dozens of students hailing from Madura rallied in front of the defense ministry on Jl. Merdeka Barat calling for peace in West Kalimantan.

They condemned "ethnic cleansing" of Madurese and urged the government to punish parties responsible for the killings.

Students grouped in the Forum of Madurese Students also urged adequate rehabilitation of refugees who had lost their homes in the carnage.

They said Wiranto and the local military commander should resign for failure in curbing the violence.

The Family of Madurese Students also urged all parties help to return harmony among conflicting parties in Sambas. (leo/aan)