Psychologists oppose plans to return refugees
JAKARTA (JP): Psychologists meeting at the University of Indonesia's crisis center on Thursday argued against the premature return of tens of thousands of Madurese refugees to Central Kalimantan, warning that it could spur "a bigger killing spree."
"We have to be realistic here. It is impossible for those refugees to be repatriated in such a short time. The severe psychological impact will be unbearable," Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono, the university's professor of psychology, told journalists.
"Moving them (the Madurese) back to Sampit or Palangkaraya is the same as committing suicide. Do we want them to die?" he asserted.
Sarlito was referring to public remarks made by community and public figures that the Madurese refugees should be returned to Central Kalimantan, where they resided prior to the recent ethnic violence.
There will not be enough soldiers available to adequately control the area, separating the Madurese from the Dayaks in Sampit and Palangkaraya, Sarlito said.
"Tension is still high and it is important to remember that those refugees are not simply objects that can be moved around at anytime. It will take years for them to get over the trauma and get their lives back in order," he said.
Troop deployment in the disputed area must be concentrated to restore law and order, he said.
He further argued that in handling emergency evacuations there are four basic issues that must be addressed: the first is immediate rescue and relief to avoid loss of life; the second is food aid; the third is to provide counseling to those who have suffered from traumatic-stress disorders; and the final issue involves creating jobs and educational opportunities along with resettlement.
Sarlito noted that it would be difficult for the security forces to intervene in such a situation where they are often placed in a dilemma between saving refugees and having to act harshly against locals who may attack.
The group also regretted statements which have only aggravated the situation.
"Members of the (political) elite should watch what they are saying because their statements can rapidly worsen the situation and trigger more conflict."
"What happened in Sampit and Palangkaraya were local cases and actually had nothing to do with ethnicity. The Madurese live in all parts of the country, so why do they only have disputes in those two areas?"
"In Aceh, the disputes are between locals and Javanese migrant settlers," Sarlito said.
"It is a local dispute and must be solved locally. Lets not simply leave this situation to the central government and expect them to solve it...as it just means that we'll be accommodating the past regime's centralistic system," he argued.
He also urged politicians not to twist the issue by making it a political commodity, including demanding President Abdurrahman Wahid to resign.
"Even if Megawati Soekarnoputri becomes president, she won't be able solve this situation instantly," Sarlito said.
Crisis Center Chairman Acuk Supardi lamented that so far, there have been no comprehensive studies and very few pieces of literature available on ethic conflicts in Indonesia.
"Back then studies on ethnicity and religion were banned. Now we must find out the various characteristics of the people and begin to learn living together as a nation," he said.(edt)