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)