Seven refugees workers die in Nunukan camps

Seven refugees workers die in Nunukan camps

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

At least seven Indonesian refugee workers, including three
children, have died and another 200 are still suffering from
various diseases in squalid temporary camps around Nunukan, East
Kalimantan.

In Jakarta, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa
Wea asserted that he was fully responsible for the repatriation
of Indonesian workers stranded in border areas such as Nunukan in
East Kalimantan.

He also said that he would resign from his Cabinet post if his
handling of returning migrant workers was considered to be a
failure.

East Kalimantan administration spokesman Syafruddin Pernyata
said in Samarinda on Monday that paramedic teams had been sent to
refugee camps to attend to the sick workers.

"Seven Indonesian refugees have died (in makeshift camps),
four adults and the rest children," Syafruddin was quoted by
Antara as saying in Samarinda, East Kalimantan on Monday.

According to Syafruddin, the workers died as a result of
depression-related illnesses after being forced to leave their
work places in Malaysia.

Some 600,000 Indonesian citizens work illegally in Malaysia,
around 100,000 of which are believed to have returned to
Indonesia after Malaysia put into effect a new Immigration Act
introducing imprisonment, fines and caning for illegal workers.

Four Indonesians have reportedly received two strokes of the
cane and a six-month prison sentence while another received one
stroke of the cane and a six-month prison sentence. They will be
deported after serving their sentences.

Syafruddin said 16,357 migrant workers are currently stranded
in Nunukan, while another 17,468 workers had left Nunukan for
their respective provinces.

Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Jusuf Kalla said
earlier that the government had allocated some Rp 30 billion
(US$3.3 million) to help returning Indonesian workers, including
to repatriate them to their provinces of origin.

"I am fully responsible and I am ready to provide
clarification to the House. If I cannot fulfill my duties I would
rather resign," he said after a Cabinet meeting on Monday.

Legislator Yasril Ananta Baharuddin slammed the government's
handling of returning workers as a complete failure on Sunday. He
said that his commission would summon Nuwa Wea and Minister for
Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda to shed light on the issue.

Nuwa Wea appealed to the Malaysian government on Monday not to
punish Indonesian workers still in Malaysia.

"I have repeatedly said please give us another month and do
not punish these workers as the Indonesian government will get
them out of Malaysia," Nuwa Wea said.

He also said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had failed
to perform its duty in dealing with the illegal workers.

"We would not have been trapped in this situation if our
diplomats did something months ago," Nuwa Wea said.

He said that he had asked President Megawati Soekarnoputri to
call for a coordinating meeting involving Cabinet ministers and
the National Police.

"The President said the meeting will be organized in the near
future," Jacob said without giving any definite time frame for
the meeting.