North Maluku refugees repatriated

North Maluku refugees repatriated

JAILOLO, North Halmahera (JP): North Maluku civil emergency
authorities began on Thursday the repatriation of some 2,600
refugees residing for over a year in Akediri military camp back
to their respective villages in the province.

The refugees are part of a total of 166,138 internally
displaced people (IDP) in North Maluku who fled their homes
following massive conflict and bloodshed which began in the
province in 1999.

"The repatriation effort on Thursday was spontaneous as they
want to rebuild their homes and no longer want to stay at refugee
barracks," Lt. Col. Benny Indra of West Java's armed
IV/Siliwangi, the military sector chief in Jailolo who led the
evacuation told an entourage of foreign envoys visiting the area.

"Of course we can't let the refugees live in the camps
indefinitely as the local government doesn't have enough money to
support them," North Maluku Governor Abdul Muchyi Effendi said.

The refugees, loaded in 10 trucks and dozens of minivans, were
seen off by Minister of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure
Erna Witoelar who later visited the villages of Porniti and
Tuwada to introduce a new scheme in which repatriated refugees
are being provided free housing materials to rebuild their homes.

"We are providing Rp 1 billion to provide housing materials
for such villages and now as a token of our promise we are
handing Rp 3 million to each of the villages," Minister Erna
said.

"We're trying to speed up the recuperation process and
motivate their will to live," she added.

The North Maluku administration have already repatriated
nearly 28,500 refugees from Ternate back to their respective
villages across North Maluku's three regencies of North Maluku,
Central Halmahera and Ternate.

Governor Muchyi further identified several conflict-prone
areas namely Rau island in South Morotai, Doi, Baja and Kedi
islands in Loloda district and the districts of Galela and
Tobelo.

North Maluku has been hit by outbursts of violence since 1998,
which has claimed some 2,100 lives and left thousands of others
injured, he added.

Donors

Earlier in Ambon, Maluku, on Wednesday, donor countries and
representatives of international agencies visiting the riot-torn
city said they will cautiously decide within a month whether to
continue aiding recovery projects in Maluku and North Maluku.

"We are carefully considering the situation in the Malukus.
Security is the main priority in running a recovery project. If
we were not sure that there won't be any conflicts, we wouldn't
be visiting (Maluku)," the United Nations Development Program
representative to Indonesia Ravi Rajan told The Jakarta Post.

Rajan was among an entourage of 10 foreign envoys and
representatives led by Erna Witoelar.

The two-day visit to Maluku which began on Tuesday was aimed
at obtaining firsthand information about the latest situation and
the possibility of rehabilitation efforts.

The clash has claimed more than 8,000 lives and has forced no
less than 130,000 others to flee.

"Of course we have to take some risks. But we believe that the
government has to set the agenda since there are lots of problems
and obstacles in starting to aid Maluku's recovery," Rajan said.

Most residents visited by the group, he added, admitted that
they are still afraid of renewed riots and lack of security.

"People need time to heal...The best thing to do now is to
speed up economic recovery by providing more jobs and build
facilities such as markets and schools instead of housing," Rajan
asserted.

He added that after the visit, the group will evaluate the
situation.

The Netherlands and Japan are among those who have committed
themselves to giving funds for the recovery project in Maluku.

A US$9.5 million grant from the Netherlands will be used for
several projects, such as a community recovery project in Kei
island due to start next month.

The Japanese government has provided $1 million for a recovery
project, plus an additional $8,000 for internally displaced
people.

All of the funds will be channeled through UNDP.

The Japanese government, however, has yet to decide on further
aid to Maluku this year.

The delegation included Netherlands Ambassador Baron Van
Heemstra, Swedish Ambassador Harald Sandberg, British Ambassador
Richard Gozney, Terry Meyer and Victoria Alfarado of USAID,
Australian representatives Sam Zappia, European Commission
representatives Juan Planas and William J. van Diest.

Previously on Tuesday night, the entourage also met local
officials to discuss security details as well as the economic and
social situation across the Maluku islands.

"We admit that despite a relatively calm situation in Maluku
during the past couple of months, crime rates are still very high
especially on cases regarding murders, arson and illegal
possession of weapons," Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen. Firman
Gani told the meeting.

"It's also very hard to prosecute as law enforcers hold a
different perspective in handling riot-related cases," he
said.(edt/49)