Madurese to return to Kalimantan

Madurese to return to Kalimantan

JAKARTA: The National Coordinating Board for the Management of
Disasters and Refugees (Bakornas PBP) said on Wednesday that the
government would finish repatriating internally displaced persons
from the island of Madura in East Java to their homes in Central
Kalimantan by the end of the year.

"At least 150 families will return home this year. They will
lead a normal life in their respective regencies under regency
rulings," Budi Atmadi Adiputro, the deputy for internally
displaced persons and refugee affairs at Bakornas PBP, said.

Currently three of the six regencies that saw bloody conflicts
involving Madurese migrants have agreed to accept the returning
migrants.

The three regencies are North Barito, South Barito and West
Kotawaringin. Budi said that East Kotawaringin, Palangkaraya and
Kapuas regencies were not ready to accept the refugees because
they had not prepared any rulings yet.

Thousands of Madurese fled to East Timor in 2001 after a
bloody conflict with the local Dayak tribe broke out, which
resulted in dozens dying and hundreds injured. --JP