ID :
18238
Sat, 09/06/2008 - 10:23
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/18238
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ACEHNESE TSUNAMI REFUGEES IN MALAYSIA TO BE RETURNED HOME
Jakarta, Sept 6 (ANTARA)- The deportation of 24 thousand Acehnese tsunami refugees in Malaysia to Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province will be conducted in stages, the foreign ministry spokesman said.
"The Indonesian government hope their deporatation could be carried out in stages until the end of this year," Teuku Faizasyah, the spokesman said here on Friday.
Previously the number of Tsunami victim card holders reached 30 thousand, and some of them had already gone home, he said, adding that there are still 24 thousand of them in Malaysia.
"Actually the Malaysian government had extended the refugees' staying permit until August 2008, but the NAD administration had asked for a longer staying permit in view of the number of the refugees," he cited.
Earlier, NAD Governor Irwandi Yusuf had asked the Malaysian authorities at a meeting to extend the staying permits until 2010.
The Aceh provincial administration is not ready to receive and accommodate all them in a too-short period, he said.
The Aceh provincial administration would continue contacting the relevant 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 be facing hardships if they went home too soon, The Aceh deputy governor was quoted as saying.
"The Malaysian government didn't give a specific answer, but it seems the Malaysian government remained with its decision to extend the staying permits until the end of this year," he noted, adding that the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur had prepared the passports for those going home.
In addition, job providing firms in Malaysia could also make a recommendation to the Malaysian government to provide the Acehnese refugees them a staying permit in Malaysia.
Thousands of people perished and went missing in the devastating tsunami which hit most of the western Indonesian province on December 26
"The Indonesian government hope their deporatation could be carried out in stages until the end of this year," Teuku Faizasyah, the spokesman said here on Friday.
Previously the number of Tsunami victim card holders reached 30 thousand, and some of them had already gone home, he said, adding that there are still 24 thousand of them in Malaysia.
"Actually the Malaysian government had extended the refugees' staying permit until August 2008, but the NAD administration had asked for a longer staying permit in view of the number of the refugees," he cited.
Earlier, NAD Governor Irwandi Yusuf had asked the Malaysian authorities at a meeting to extend the staying permits until 2010.
The Aceh provincial administration is not ready to receive and accommodate all them in a too-short period, he said.
The Aceh provincial administration would continue contacting the relevant 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 be facing hardships if they went home too soon, The Aceh deputy governor was quoted as saying.
"The Malaysian government didn't give a specific answer, but it seems the Malaysian government remained with its decision to extend the staying permits until the end of this year," he noted, adding that the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur had prepared the passports for those going home.
In addition, job providing firms in Malaysia could also make a recommendation to the Malaysian government to provide the Acehnese refugees them a staying permit in Malaysia.
Thousands of people perished and went missing in the devastating tsunami which hit most of the western Indonesian province on December 26
