Papuans living abroad to return home

MERAUKE, Papua: The Indonesian government is ready to bring home 232 displaced people of Indonesian nationality living in Daru, a province of Papua New Guinea near the Indonesian border, an Indonesian senior official claimed on Tuesday.

Johanes Gluba Gebze, the regent of Merauke, said that the plan was at the request of the Indonesians, who had been living in the neighboring country for 40 years.

Johanes said they had wanted to return home earlier, but had no money to finance the trip.

Last year, the Merauke administration facilitated the return of 16 displaced people of Indonesian nationality from Daru province. -- JP