Shelters being built for Maluku refugees
AMBON, Maluku (JP): The province is currently sheltering some 280,000 refugees who have fled the 19-months of violence in the area.
"This massive amount of refugees needs immediate care and we are hoping to help them go back to their own villages instead of moving them someplace else," the deputy chief of the Maluku Natural Disaster Coordinating Unit, John Looy, said on Monday.
The exact number of refugees listed by the unit has reached 279,567, John said.
According to data, a total of 83,686 refugees are located in Ambon mayoralty, Central Maluku regency hosts 71,653 refugees, Southeast Maluku regency 59,377, Southeast West Maluku regency 53,723 and the Buru islands regency is home to 11,128 refugees.
"Those people came from various villages and areas hit by riots. Some came from North Maluku province while some came from the Maluku islands," John said.
The local administration, with the help of non-governmental organizations and foreign donors, is currently building shelters for refugees, he said.
"We're also in the process of rebuilding several villages so people can go back there and not be segregated in camps based on their religion," John said, referring to the fact that many refugee camps are religiously segregated for reasons of security.
In Ambon mayoralty, most Muslim refugees have sought shelter in the areas of Batu Merah and Waehaong, while Christians are concentrated in the Karang Panjang sport complex.
The only shelter that is totally mixed is in Halong Naval Base, six kilometers east of Ambon, where there are an estimated 10,000 refugees.
Billions
In a related development, Pattimura University rector Mus Hulisenan said a preliminary assessment of losses in the destruction of the 30-hectare university compound totaled at least Rp 500 billion.
"This damage only includes structures and equipment. Other priceless losses unaccounted for are thousands of books, research and documentary work, as well as important documents," he said.
The university has set a Sept. 30 deadline for all lecturers and staff to return to work.
"So far only 50 percent of around 900 staff members are available here. If they don't return to Ambon by that date, they will be replaced by new staff," Mus said.
The rector said the damage report would be handed over to Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Meanwhile on Monday, Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina visited the Air Salobar area, which is known as a base for the Laskar Jihad.
Latucosina met with residents from the villages of Latuhalat, Eri Amahusu and Nusaniwe, who complained about conditions there, including intimidation by armed gangs and extortion by security forces.
In another development, at around 9:15 p.m. local time on Sunday, Pvt. Mulyono was killed and Sgt. M. Bahrun Bohren severely injured in a gun accident in the Pattimura Military Logistics Center, Maluku joint security spokesman Col. Hadimulyo said on Monday. (49/edt/yac)