Two killed as boat carrying Afghans sinks<\/p>\n
CILACAP, Central Java (JP): Two people, including a toddler,
\ndied of starvation while a boat carrying 134 Afghans slowly sank
\nin waters eight miles south of Nusakambangan Island, near
\nCilacap, Central Java, police confirmed on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Banyumas Police chief Sr. Comr. Nata Kesuma told The Jakarta
\nPost that the survivors were rescued by local fishermen on Friday
\nand were being held in the meeting hall of the prison on
\nNusakambangan Island in Cilacap regency.<\/p>\n
The survivors, claiming to be tourists from Afghanistan, said
\nthat they had run out of food when the vessel was about to sink
\ntwo days before Cilacap fishermen found them. Starvation caused
\ntwo deaths; one of the victims was identified as Ahmad Sadeli,
\n20.<\/p>\n
Nata said that the wooden boat, measuring around 6 meters X 20
\nmeters, had no name and displayed no flag.<\/p>\n
\"The vessel was designed to carry only 45 passengers. The
\nvessel, which completely sank today, began to leak due to it
\nbeing overloaded,\" he said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Nata said that his office was cooperating with the immigration
\noffice in dealing with the Afghans.<\/p>\n
\"We don't know when we will release them. But as soon as they
\ncan show us legal documents, including passports, we will set
\nthem free,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"We are investigating them. They entered this area illegally
\nand claim to be Afghans, however, none of them can produce
\npassports or official immigration documents, arguing that the
\ngroup leader took their passports. So far, they have failed to
\nidentify the group leader,\" Nata said.<\/p>\n
Cilacap Immigration Office head Joko Sartono said the Afghans
\nclaimed to rent the boat on an island somewhere near Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"They claim to have left Jakarta for Christmas Island in
\nAustralia. However, when entering Cilacap waters the vessel
\nsprung a leak and the captain and his deputy fled,\" Joko said,
\nquoting a statement from one of the survivors.<\/p>\n
\"They said they were in Indonesia on an excursion,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesian authorities have been kept busy by a constant flow
\nof refugees from Afghanistan and other Asian countries, including
\nIraq and Pakistan.<\/p>\n
As many as 318 refugees have been accommodated in Bogor, West
\nJava, under the auspices of the International Office of Migration
\n(IOM).<\/p>\n
During questioning those migrants stated that they had to
\nleave their country for security and economic reasons. They
\nrevealed that they intended to head for Australia.<\/p>\n
In Mataram<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, at least 250 illegal migrants from Iraq and
\nAfghanistan, being held since July 29 at the Wisma Nusantara hall
\nin Ampenan, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, went on a hunger strike
\nto protest treatment by local authorities.<\/p>\n
Only pregnant women and children did not join the hunger
\nstrike, which started on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Some of the protesters tightened towels around their stomachs
\nand looked pale and weak while sitting in front of the hall. Some
\n50 police officers carrying rifles patrolled the compound.<\/p>\n
The illegal migrants held posters and banners, some stating
\n'We want to meet Megawati' and 'Why are we jailed?'<\/p>\n
Eggs, rice, bread and bananas, provided by Wisma Nusantara
\nmanagement, littered the area after being rejected by the
\nmigrants.<\/p>\n
An IOM employee said that the migrants were fed up with the
\nsecurity at Wisma Nusantara. \"They probably think they have been
\nimprisoned,\" the source said.<\/p>\n
West Nusa Tenggara Police chief Brig. Gen. Farouk Muhammad
\nsaid that he was disappointed by the hunger strike.<\/p>\n
\"They must be patient. We are waiting for a response from the
\nUNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) regarding
\ntheir status. We must determine whether they are refugees
\n(according to UNHCR guidelines),\" he said. (45\/47\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/two-killed-as-boat-carrying-afghans-sinks-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}