Liam Fox, Papua New Guinea – More than 100 people who fled the Indonesian province of Papua to neighbouring Papua New Guinea have returned home.

Several thousand Papuans live in PNG. Some have been here for more than 30 years after fleeing Indonesian rule. Indonesia wants to repatriate about 700 of them.

The Indonesian Embassy in Port Moresby has been offering to repatriate those who want to return home and yesterday two planes carried 140 people from Wewak to Papua's capital Jayapura.

An embassy spokesman has said Indonesian authorities will guarantee the safety of repatriates. The spokesman says they will stay in a "transit centre" for about a week before being settled around the province.

But Freddy Waromi, a Port Moresby-based member of the Papuan separatist group OPM, does not believe anyone who fought for independence will be safe.

"They definitely will be persecuted," he said. "For my group we will never go back until we get independence."

Another plane carrying more repatriates is due to leave Port Moresby on Sunday.