Ministers told to settle refugee problems
JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri has ordered all related ministers to quickly settle all refugee problems in the country within one month and to provide clear standard procedures to handle them.
Vice presidential secretary Bambang Kesowo told reporters after a meeting of the National Disaster Management Coordination Board on Friday that Megawati asked for a reorganization of the board as the country has to deal with thousands of refugees.
"The Vice President said the government needs a standard mechanism to deal with refugee and disaster problems as the country is prone to natural and other kinds of disasters," Bambang said in the media conference, accompanied by Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja.
He said Megawati asked for a full report on standard procedures for the central and regional government to handle disasters and refugees within one month.
"The full report should consist of a job description and outline the responsibility of each state department to avoid lack of coordination between them, even over funding management when disaster strikes," he said.
Besides Surjadi, the meeting was attended by Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Adm. Widodo A.S., Minister of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure Erna Witoelar.
It was reported last year that the country had to deal with 765,071 refugees from the strife-torn areas of the former East Timor province, Maluku, North Maluku, West Kalimantan and Aceh.
Meanwhile, the recent communal clashes in the Central Kalimantan towns of Sampit and Palangkaraya have added to the number of the refugees who needed help.
Surjadi said the refugee problem was initially handled by the coordinating ministry of poverty eradication and social welfare before it was dissolved by President Abdurrahman Wahid last year.
"So, with the new organization, which is under the direct supervision of the Vice President, we should renew and improve the mechanism to handle them (refugees and disaster)," he said. (dja)