Asylum seekers' lot

The seizure of the Norwegian freighter Tampa off Christmas Island by Australia's elite Special Air Service troops has become the first news item on the world's prominent television stations. As can be expected, the picture of that dramatic operation was carried on the front pages of newspapers around the world.

The Norwegian freighter is a victim of a time-honored tradition for sea vessels to rescue the crew and passengers of other ships in distress -- in this case, a decrepit Indonesian boat carrying hundreds of asylum seekers, presumably from Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Norwegian freighter Tampa has been refused entry into the territorial waters of Australian-owned Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

This case of asylum seekers seeking refuge in Australia also reveals that Australia, too, has become a victim of its reputation as a country that zealously upholds human rights, and one with a quality of living conditions that are considered as among the best in the world.

To make the matter even more complicated, Australian Prime Minister John Howard's firm stand in refusing to allow the Norwegian freighter to unload the hundreds of asylum seekers on Australian soil should be placed in the context of an approaching general election, most probably in December.

Given the fact that the coalition parties currently underpinning John Howard's government derive their support from rural areas with conservative political inclinations that cannot accept that part of taxpayers' money is allocated to support foreigners entering the country illegally, it is clear that Prime Minister Howard cannot afford, politically, to show a more generous humanitarian attitude in the case of the Tampa refugees.

Prime Minister Howard stressed the legality of his government's position in refusing the Norwegian ship entry into Australian waters and to allow it to unload its human cargo on Australian soil. He also stated in reviewing the entire problem of asylum seekers entering Australia that the best solution would be for Indonesia to reverse its stand and allow them to land there. It is well-known that persons from South Asia and neighboring areas are illegally using Indonesia as a jump-off point to travel to Australia in whatever manner possible.

As has been stressed by many news commentators, a triangle of problems has now emerged between Australia, Norway and Indonesia. But while the problems between Australia and Norway are short- term in character and limited to the Tampa and Norway's hurt pride after its territorial domain was infringed upon by the Australian military, those between Australia and Indonesia are long-term in nature and involve a host of complex issues which, unless handled with prudence, could upset bilateral relations that are so important to both.

The idea floating among Australian officialdom that Indonesia should act as a sort of forward defense line to protect Australia from the waves of intruding asylum seekers is too high a price to pay for protecting a good bilateral relationship. Even the possibility of allocating a small island to function as a reception center to stem the flow of asylum seekers is impractical. We are dealing here with people originating from South Asia and neighboring areas in Central Asia whose motivation for leaving their places of origin is not always clearly discernible -- whether they are forced to move to escape human misery at home or whether other reasons must be factored in.

The fact that some of them can afford to subscribe to so- called package tours to reach Indonesia with the necessary travel documents that, according to information, can amount to several thousand U.S. dollars, raises the question of whether some sophisticated organization is behind this movement of persons. Obviously, Jakarta and Canberra should consult with each other on ways to stem this flow in order to protect the interests of both. It is quite clear, however, that the sense of urgency that exists in Canberra to expeditiously tackle this matter, exacerbated by an impending election, is not shared in Jakarta. Jakarta has a host of problems to tackle and stemming the flow of asylum seekers to Australia is not high on the priority list.

However, we would urge the Indonesian Police, the immigration service and other security agencies to set up a coordinated system of operations to review the entry of foreigners into Indonesian territory, either legally under the banner of international tourism or, especially, illegally, for whatever motivation. This is a matter that needs to be tackled judiciously and firmly so that the bilateral relations between Indonesia and Australia, which are so important for speeding up the rehabilitation of this country's economy, are not unnecessarily disturbed.