ID :
17330
Thu, 08/28/2008 - 22:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/17330
The shortlink copeid
ACEH ADM CONTINUING TO APPROACH MALAYSIA ON TSUNAMI REFUGEES' FATE
Banda Aceh, Aug 28 (ANTARA) -The Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) provincial administration is continuing to approach Malaysian authorities to allow 25,000 tsunami refugees currently living in the neigboring country to stay there until 2010, a spokesman said.
"The NAD government is continuing its efforts to win Malaysia's understanding in order to prevent the refugees there from being deported," NAD Vice Governor Muhammad Nazar said here Thursday when answering question about the Acehnese people's fate in Malaysia.
He said the NAD government respected Malaysia's laws and was aware that any decision the neighboring country made could not be intervened. However, it kept trying to approach Malaysia about the refugees' case although its proposal had little chance of being accepted.
NAD Governor Irwandi Yusuf had previously asked Malaysian authorities at a meeting to extend the stay permits of the Acehnese refugees until 2010.
Therefore, Nazar said, he was surprised to hear about a Malaysian government announcement that the Aceh refugees' stay permits would be valid only until January 2009.
He said the Aceh provincial administration would keep on approaching Malaysian authorities to make them understand that Aceh's economy had not yet fully recovered from the impact of the 2004 tsunami and that therefore the refugees would meet hardships if they were repatriated soon.
But Nazar also said if the Malsyian government did not meet the NAD administration's request and the refugees had to return to Aceh soon, the duty to look after them was not only for the provincial administration to bear but for the whole nation.
"The NAD government is continuing its efforts to win Malaysia's understanding in order to prevent the refugees there from being deported," NAD Vice Governor Muhammad Nazar said here Thursday when answering question about the Acehnese people's fate in Malaysia.
He said the NAD government respected Malaysia's laws and was aware that any decision the neighboring country made could not be intervened. However, it kept trying to approach Malaysia about the refugees' case although its proposal had little chance of being accepted.
NAD Governor Irwandi Yusuf had previously asked Malaysian authorities at a meeting to extend the stay permits of the Acehnese refugees until 2010.
Therefore, Nazar said, he was surprised to hear about a Malaysian government announcement that the Aceh refugees' stay permits would be valid only until January 2009.
He said the Aceh provincial administration would keep on approaching Malaysian authorities to make them understand that Aceh's economy had not yet fully recovered from the impact of the 2004 tsunami and that therefore the refugees would meet hardships if they were repatriated soon.
But Nazar also said if the Malsyian government did not meet the NAD administration's request and the refugees had to return to Aceh soon, the duty to look after them was not only for the provincial administration to bear but for the whole nation.
