Resettling Pontianak refugees 'a must'

Resettling Pontianak refugees 'a must'

PONTIANAK, Central Kalimantan (JP): Relocating the Sambas
refugees now held in camps in Pontianak is the best thing the
government could do, Coordinating Minister for Political, Social
and Security Affairs Agum Gumelar said here on Tuesday.

In a closed meeting with around 100 people representing
Madurese refugees, and Dayak and Malay communities during his
one-day visit to Pontianak, Agum admitted that lack of
coordination among government institutions was the main problem
in the resettlement program.

"However, resettlement must be carried out soon for fear of
negative impact among the people (if the Madurese refugees remain
in Pontianak)," Piet Herman Abik, secretary of the Council of the
Traditional Dayak Community, quoted Agum as saying.

Agum was in Pontianak along with Minister of Settlement and
Regional Infrastructure Erna Witoelar, Minister of Health Sujudi
and Minister for Manpower and Transmigration Al Hilal Hamdi.

Agum then instructed West Kalimantan governor Aspar Aswin to
deal with refugee-related programs very carefully. "The governor
is to be responsible for the program. Therefore all the programs
must be under the auspices of the governor," Agum was quoted by
Piet as saying.

Agum also asked the security officers to be more alert in
detecting possible rioting at an early stage.

Both provincial and central governments had yet to decide the
best way to deal with the tens of thousands of Madurese migrant
refugees who fled Sambas, West Kalimantan, following fierce
clashes with Dayaks almost three years ago.

Clashes between the refugees and locals in Pontianak had taken
place, forcing the government to take prompt action.

The government had planned earlier to remove the Madurese from
Pontianak in a bid to separate them from the locals. However,
many of them refused the offer, saying that the relocation area
was not as good as their former "hometown" in Sambas.

During the meeting with the ministers, chairman of the Council
of the Traditional Dayak Community Syaikun Riyadi asked the
government to settle the refugee-related problems soon, "or third
parties will exploit the situation to create unrest."

The refugees apologized for criminal acts conducted (by the
refugees) around the existing camps, and called on all layers of
society not to spread hatred among the people in West Kalimantan.

Subro, secretary of the Foundation of Sambas Violence Victims,
told The Jakarta Post, that the refugees had said they were
willing to be relocated "on condition that they are treated
humanely and their rights are not ignored."

After the closed meeting, the ministers toured the refugee
resettlement sites in Pontianak.

The refugees, who had eagerly awaited the ministers, were
disappointed, as the VIPs did not get out of their bus to talk
with them.

"What's the use of visiting the area if they (the ministers)
just sit and look at us from the bus?", a refugee said. (46/sur)