Refugees protest poor treatment

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan: Some 1,100 refugees of Sambas rallied outside the governor's office on Wednesday to protest the squalid conditions they have endured in refugee camps in the past five months.

The protesters said some 11,000 people were now languishing in various camps, needing not only relief but also opportunities to work and rebuild their lives.

Marching from camps some two kilometers away from the governor's office, the group demanded firm action against people who provoked unrest in mid-March which pitted the Madurese community against native Malays and Dayaks in Sambas regency.

More than 200 people were killed in the violence that also drove more than 29,000 Madurese settlers from their homes.

The protesters reported some alleged provocators and rioters were still freely roaming their areas.

"We want things to be back to normal again ... and the government must help us restore it," said one of the refugees.

The group met with West Kalimantan regional secretary Djapari, who asked for the refugees' patience. "If the situation gets back to normal, we will send them home to Sambas." (22/edt)