RI detainees riot briefly in Sabah

RI detainees riot briefly in Sabah

MALAYSIA: Nearly 200 Filipino and Indonesian illegal immigrants
staged a brief riot at a Malaysian detention camp on Tuesday,
shattering windows and clambering over fences, police said.

The detainees were upset because they have been held for
several months at the detention center in eastern Sabah state on
Borneo island following a delay in plans to deport them, said
Wong Chong Fui, the deputy police chief of Sabah's capital, Kota
Kinabalu.

Officials restored order after 15 minutes, when the men agreed
to return to their compound, Wong said. There were no immediate
reports of any serious injuries, he added.

About 40 police officers were sent to the camp to curb further
disturbances, Wong said.

Sabah has an extensive land border with Indonesia's Kalimantan
province, and is separated from the southern Philippines by a
short boat ride. Illegal immigrants often cross the border to
seek work in Malaysia, which is wealthier and more stable than
its neighbors. -- AP