By PAUL HEINRICHS
Ethnic Chinese Indonesians who fled to Australia during the riots in Indonesia a month ago are appealing for lengthy visa extensions on humanitarian grounds. Several hundred people who arrived around 16 May say they are too traumatised or too apprehensive about continuing reports of violence to return yet.

Backed by local supporters and academic Indonesia experts, they want a new form of temporary refuge - to be allowed to stay for up to two years, to work and bring family members out to join them, and, for those able to do so, to take part in the business migration scheme.

But most arrived on temporary visas, often only one-month tourist visas, and the Federal Government says no special arrangements are in place for Indonesians.

During the first wave of violence, the Minister for Immigration, Mr Ruddock, indicated that applications for short-term extensions by people already in Australia would be considered while the protests and danger persisted.

No end has been announced for that period of grace, but in any case, it did not apply to people who came after the rioting in Jakarta from 13-15 May. A spokesperson for Mr Ruddock said normal immigration arrangements applied, and if people overstayed their visas, they would be treated as illegal immigrants.

The appeals to the Government are a last-ditch bid to keep the door open for these people, many of whom will already be on expired visas and facing deportation. They are mostly in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

The immigrants are getting support from the Committee for Anti-Racism in Indonesia (CARI), run by a former Indonesian Chinese, now Australian citizen, Mr Djin Siauw.

Mr Siauw has written to Mr Ruddock and the Prime Minister, Mr Howard, pointing to the special dangers faced by Chinese people in Indonesia.

Mr Siauw said that although public order had been restored, "the country's overall economic situation remains extremely bad, leading many observers to fear further outbreaks of violence against the Indonesian Chinese".