More than 202,000 people, or 39,000 families, continue to languish in Maluku refugee camps more than four years after fighting between Muslims and Christians first broke out, officials say

The prolonged conflict displaced more than 350,000 people, who fled to various refugee camps in the province.

To date, 150,000 displaced people have been repatriated, leaving 202,000 others in the camps, said the secretary of the Maluku refugee repatriation task force, Rachman Soumena.

"In Ambon alone, we have managed to return at least 94,520 people or 9,431 families to their homes in Buru regency, Seram island in Central Maluku regency and Bacan island in North Maluku province," he announced over the weekend.

At least 6,000 people died in the Maluku islands in the three years of sectarian conflict that began in January 1999. Calm was restored after leading local Muslim and Christian figures signed a peace deal in February 2002.

Despite the truce brokered by the government, sporadic attacks continue to erupt occasionally, sometime claiming lives.

More than 80 percent of the country's 212 million population are Muslims, but in many eastern regions, including the Malukus, Christians make up about half of the population.

Rachman said the Maluku provincial administration faced a shortage of funds to continue with the repatriation of refugees.

He denied reports that the central government had terminated its aid program for Maluku refugees in December 2002.

"The aid program should have ended in December last year, but because there is still a huge number of refugees living at camps, the program was extended," Rachman said.

Instead, the central government will cease all assistance for Maluku refugees by August, he said.

"We still need great amounts of money to provide funds and other facilities for those wanting to leave refugee camps," he said.

Upon their departure, each displaced family with less than five members will receive Rp 500,000 to pay for transportation and food for three months.

The government will also provide the returning families with Rp 10 million each with which to rebuild their houses, which were damaged or burned down during the conflict.

The money will be used to buy construction materials and pay workers to rebuild the houses.

Rachman said the Maluku public works office in cooperation with the local social affairs office will rebuild around 2,000 homes in the area of Ahusen, Batumerah and Ahuru in Ambon.

Apart from financial problems, displaced people are still resentful of others of different faiths due to the long-standing conflict, he said.

"They need to adapt to the new situation in the aftermath of the violent conflict," Rachman said.