Australia and Indonesia force refugee stalemate

Australia and Indonesia force refugee stalemate

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will deny entry to the Norwegian
freighter Tampa, which is stranded in the Indian Ocean carrying
438 asylum seekers after Australia turned down the ship's request
to enter its waters, an official said here on Tuesday.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said the
government's stance was clear -- that the country would refuse
entry to the boat for fear that the asylum seekers would cause
trouble here.

"The fact is that the illegal immigrants want to dock in
Australia," he was quoted as saying by Antara, adding that
Indonesia was not obliged to direct the Norwegian vessel to dock
at any port in Indonesia.

Indonesia, as a matter of fact and law, is not responsible,
Wirayuda said after returning from a Southeast Asian trip with
President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Wirayuda's comments contradicted earlier statements issued by
his ministry regarding the issue.

A spokesman for Indonesia's foreign ministry said Jakarta
might allow entry to the ship if Australia persisted in rejecting
the immigrants.

However, Navy spokesman First Admiral Franky Kaihatu
reiterated that the Navy would not allow the ship to enter
Indonesian waters.

"Our mission is to uphold maritime laws. We reject anything
illegal, including illegal immigrants," Kaihatu told AFP.

Australia continued to deny permission for the refugees to
enter the country, despite pleas from the United Nations' refugee
agency.

Rescued on Monday from a sinking Indonesian ferry, many of the
438 refugees, mostly from Afghanistan, commenced a hunger strike
and threatened to jump overboard if Australia sent them back to
Indonesia.

With diplomatic wrangling over who should take responsibility
for the people already in its second day, the United Nations
appealed for compassion.

"We appreciate this is a difficult issue of international law.
We would like to urge Australia, Indonesia and Norway to work
this out as soon as possible," United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees spokeswoman Millicent Mutuli was quoted by AP as
saying.

"We also appreciate that Australia has offered medical
assistance. But we would like to urge Australia to act according
to humanitarian principles," she added.

Canberra's tough line in refusing to accept the refugees comes
as Prime Minister John Howard seeks re-election later this year,
with many voters increasingly unhappy about the large sums of
money spent housing and caring for the thousands of asylum
seekers who arrive each year.

Some of the asylum seekers, who include 22 women and 43
children, are sick, distressed or pregnant amid worsening
conditions aboard the seriously overcrowded ship, the Tampa's
captain Arne Rinnan said.

Three Australian Hercules transport planes arrived on
Christmas Island on Tuesday carrying soldiers and supplies to be
taken to the ship.

But Australian authorities were still trying to find a
helicopter suitable for delivering the supplies to the ship,
reports stated. (tso)