More migrants arrive in Medan from Malaysia

More migrants arrive in Medan from Malaysia

MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Nearly 1,000 illegal migrants
arrived here yesterday after being deported from Malaysia Sunday.

The 972 arrived in Medan yesterday morning aboard a special
six-car train from the port city of Tanjungbalai, 130 kms
southeast of Medan, where they had arrived from the Malaysian
port of Port Klang.

Provincial administration official Andhie Suryanto told The
Jakarta Post that the arrivals were to be taken to their
respective areas of origin last night by Damri bus.

Most of the migrants hail from East Java while the remaining
come from West Java, Central Java, Riau, Lampung, Jambi, Sumbawa,
West Nusa Tenggara, and Flores, East Nusa Tenggara.

Malaysia, with the understanding and support of the Indonesian
government, has begun a mass deportation of illegal migrants,
many of whom were Indonesians looking for work.

Some 12,000 are said to have been detained already.

Yesterday's batch was part of 7,000 illegal immigrants
scheduled to be deported through Port Klang, which is across the
Strait of Malacca from Tanjungbalai.

Those who arrived in Medan yesterday, most of whom were men,
looked dazed when they got off the train. They were given food,
water and taken to temporary shelters before beginning the bus
journey home.

Witnesses said they were surprised to see the returning
migrants in such a lamentable state with many walking barefoot.

When asked, several admitted to the Post that they had worked
in Malaysia illegally for several months and were arrested during
a police sweep.

But some steadfastly maintained their innocence, saying they
had been arrested despite having legitimate papers.

The peaceful deportation of the batch that arrived in Medan
yesterday was in stark contrast to events last Thursday when a
bloody riot broke out as Malaysian authorities tried to deport
another group of illegal immigrants.

Eight Indonesians and one Malaysian policeman were killed in
the unrest.

More commotion over the deportations erupted in Kuala Lumpur
yesterday when 14 Indonesian migrants crashed a truck through the
main gate of the United Nations refugee agency and demanded
asylum to avoid deportation.

"Fourteen of them have forced their way into our compound,"
Gottfried Koefner, head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees'
(UNHCR) liaison office in Kuala Lumpur, told Reuters. "They are
asking for protection."

Reports said they were part of an Aceh separatist movement and
feared persecution if they returned to Indonesia. But Indonesian
officials have denied these allegations.

The UNHCR has urged Malaysia to halt its deportation, saying
some of the migrants may be genuine refugees, and demanded access
to Malaysian camps where illegal migrants are being held.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Kamaruddin Ali said his men would
not enter the UN compound as it was diplomatic territory.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said the deportations will
continue and that Malaysia had not violated any human rights. He
added that in discussions with visiting Indonesian Vice President
B.J. Habibie, Indonesia had given its full consent and
cooperation for the operation. (21/rms)