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.