Sambas refugees ordered out of stadium

Sambas refugees ordered out of stadium

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan: The Pontianak municipal
administration issued a final warning to hundreds of Madurese
people taking refuge in the city's stadium, saying it would use
force to remove the refugees if necessary.

"The sports stadium must be cleared before June 17, and if any
of the refugees ignore the order they will be removed from the
arena by force," Yakob Mochsin, the spokesman for the municipal
administration, said here on Wednesday.

Yacob said the local administration had issued three warnings
for the refugees to vacate the stadium.

Some 23 refugee families are still in the sports stadium while
their children complete their schooling in the city.

The majority of the refugees, who took shelter in the stadium
during the ethnic conflict between the Madurese and the Melayu
and Dayak locals three years ago, have joined the government-
sponsored resettlement program. -- Antara