Resettlement plan an 'insult' to Madurese
Resettlement plan an 'insult' to Madurese
JAKARTA (JP): A legislator has protested the planned
resettlement of Madurese refugees from the riot-torn Sambas
regency in West Kalimantan to two islands near the provincial
capital of Pontianak, saying the move is an insult to the ethnic
group, Antara reported on Monday.
The news agency said Soelaiman, a member of the United
Development Party faction from East Java, sent a letter to
President B.J. Habibie dated April 14 with regard to the matter.
"We are disappointed and strongly object to the decision,"
Soelaiman was quoted as saying.
The news agency quoted the letter as saying "the planned
resettlement shows a lack of respect for the rights of the
Madurese refugees and is an insult to the dignity of the whole
Madurese community".
Violent clashes pitting the Madurese migrant community against
local Malays and Dayaks erupted in Sambas in mid-January
following trivial disputes between individuals.
The violence has spread throughout the Sambas regency and has
resulted in a campaign to expel Madurese settlers. At least 200
people have been killed in the violence.
Madurese property, including homes and farmland, have also
been destroyed in the weeks of violence. About 29,000 Madurese
settlers fled their villages or were evacuated under military
guard.
West Kalimantan Governor Aspar Aswin said on Saturday the
Madurese refugees, who are being sheltered at a sports hall and a
number of military installations in and around Pontianak, will be
moved to Padang Tikar and Tebang Kacang islands, some 80
kilometers off the provincial capital.
"We doubt the resettlement of the Madurese refugees (to the
islands) will solve the problem and expect it will only create
more complicated problems," Soelaiman said.
He feared there would be future instances in which the move
would be implemented to respond to ethnic tension.
"We therefore appeal to the government to be wiser in this
case," Soelaiman was quoted as saying.
He said the Madurese refugees should be treated equally like
every other West Kalimantan resident and added they should be
returned to their villages in Sambas regency.
A human rights lawyer, Munir from the independent Commission
for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), said
earlier this month "the resettlement proves that the government
is incapable of providing security to its citizens".
"The move is like erecting a Berlin Wall to separate two
conflicting parties and this does not solve the ethnic tension in
the province," Munir said.
Separately in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Belu Regent Marsel
Bere was quoted by Antara as saying on Monday that some 1,000
refugees from East Timor in Atambua refused to return to the
troubled territory for fear of further violence.
Tens of thousands of settlers have fled East Timor since the
government announced in January it would offer independence for
the troubled territory if its people rejected Jakarta's offer of
wide-ranging autonomy.
East Nusa Tenggara Governor Piet Tallo said earlier this month
the number of people who had fled from East Timor and headed
across the province had reached about 26,000 scattered throughout
several districts.
Tallo said 6,000 refugees were in Alor subdistrict in West
Timor, and identified other refugee points as the border
districts of Atambua and Belo. (byg)
JAKARTA (JP): A legislator has protested the planned
resettlement of Madurese refugees from the riot-torn Sambas
regency in West Kalimantan to two islands near the provincial
capital of Pontianak, saying the move is an insult to the ethnic
group, Antara reported on Monday.
The news agency said Soelaiman, a member of the United
Development Party faction from East Java, sent a letter to
President B.J. Habibie dated April 14 with regard to the matter.
"We are disappointed and strongly object to the decision,"
Soelaiman was quoted as saying.
The news agency quoted the letter as saying "the planned
resettlement shows a lack of respect for the rights of the
Madurese refugees and is an insult to the dignity of the whole
Madurese community".
Violent clashes pitting the Madurese migrant community against
local Malays and Dayaks erupted in Sambas in mid-January
following trivial disputes between individuals.
The violence has spread throughout the Sambas regency and has
resulted in a campaign to expel Madurese settlers. At least 200
people have been killed in the violence.
Madurese property, including homes and farmland, have also
been destroyed in the weeks of violence. About 29,000 Madurese
settlers fled their villages or were evacuated under military
guard.
West Kalimantan Governor Aspar Aswin said on Saturday the
Madurese refugees, who are being sheltered at a sports hall and a
number of military installations in and around Pontianak, will be
moved to Padang Tikar and Tebang Kacang islands, some 80
kilometers off the provincial capital.
"We doubt the resettlement of the Madurese refugees (to the
islands) will solve the problem and expect it will only create
more complicated problems," Soelaiman said.
He feared there would be future instances in which the move
would be implemented to respond to ethnic tension.
"We therefore appeal to the government to be wiser in this
case," Soelaiman was quoted as saying.
He said the Madurese refugees should be treated equally like
every other West Kalimantan resident and added they should be
returned to their villages in Sambas regency.
A human rights lawyer, Munir from the independent Commission
for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), said
earlier this month "the resettlement proves that the government
is incapable of providing security to its citizens".
"The move is like erecting a Berlin Wall to separate two
conflicting parties and this does not solve the ethnic tension in
the province," Munir said.
Separately in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Belu Regent Marsel
Bere was quoted by Antara as saying on Monday that some 1,000
refugees from East Timor in Atambua refused to return to the
troubled territory for fear of further violence.
Tens of thousands of settlers have fled East Timor since the
government announced in January it would offer independence for
the troubled territory if its people rejected Jakarta's offer of
wide-ranging autonomy.
East Nusa Tenggara Governor Piet Tallo said earlier this month
the number of people who had fled from East Timor and headed
across the province had reached about 26,000 scattered throughout
several districts.
Tallo said 6,000 refugees were in Alor subdistrict in West
Timor, and identified other refugee points as the border
districts of Atambua and Belo. (byg)