Australia praises RI's efforts to curb people smuggling
Australia praises RI's efforts to curb people smuggling
SYDNEY, Australia (Agencies): Foreign Minister Alexander
Downer on Sunday praised Indonesian efforts to crack down on
illegal people smuggling gangs, saying Jakarta had recently
prevented a ship full of asylum seekers setting off for
Australia.
Downer said on Sunday Indonesia stopped another boat carrying
asylum seekers heading for Australia.
That announcement comes a day after the government said the
Australian navy boarded an Indonesian vessel on Friday carrying
237 asylum seekers and placed them on a troop ship bound for
Papua New Guinea.
"Without going into the details of this there has been a
substantial effort made by the Indonesians to stop another boat
coming to Australia in the last day or so. That boat hasn't
come," Downer told Australian Broadcasting Corporation
television.
Downer and two other senior ministers visited Jakarta on
Thursday and Friday to press for more action to stem the rising
tide of refugees and illegal immigrants who pay Indonesian-based
people smuggling rings thousands of dollars to ship them to
Australia.
The issue came to a head late last month when Australian Prime
Minister John Howard refused to allow 433 refugees rescued from a
sinking Indonesian ferry to land on Australia's remote Christmas
Island.
Downer told Australian Broadcasting Corp. television
Australian and Indonesian defense forces would work closely
together as part of a regional plan to combat people smuggling.
"What the Indonesians have started to do now is tighten up
their barrier control," Downer said. "And without going into the
details of this, there's been a substantial effort made by the
Indonesians to stop another boat from coming to Australia in the
last day or so. And that boat hasn't come, so they are starting
to put in place systems."
Indonesia is considering expanding its detention centers, with
help from Australia, and both governments will this week hold
talks on collaboration between their defense forces.
However, Downer would not reveal what would become of the
latest shipment of unwanted refugees.
In a further crackdown on people smugglers, Prime Minister
John Howard announced Saturday he planned to introduce
legislation barring people who arrive on two remote Australian
islands from claiming asylum.
The proposal would prevent people claiming asylum on Christmas
and Ashmore Islands, two popular dumping places for immigrants
because of their proximity to Indonesia.
The minor but influential Australian Democrats quickly
condemned the proposed laws as a knee-jerk reaction and said it
might violate Australia's international obligations.
Kim Beazley, leader of the main opposition Labor Party told
reporters the government's plan needed more detail and seemed to
be part of an ad hoc response, but he left the door open to
providing support.
"If John Howard can convince us that it is part of a real
solution then he will get real support from us," he said.
Meanwhile, Howard's goal of preventing the 433 asylum seekers
coming to Australia could be thwarted.
The Federal Court has still to rule on a case brought by civil
liberties lawyers who claim Australia acted illegally in refusing
to accept the Tampa asylum seekers.
A decision is expected by Monday. If the ruling goes against
the government, the Tampa asylum seekers could land in Australia.
Meanwhile, defense minister Peter Reith is traveling to Nauru
on Sunday to examine arrangements for the Tampa refugees to be
sent there and did not rule out discussing sending more asylum
seekers to the small nation.
In another development in Wellington, New Zealand Prime
Minister Helen Clark on Sunday urged the coming session of the
United Nations General Assembly to focus attention on the world's
22.5 million refugees, asylum seekers and displaced people.
She issued a statement expressing concern about the continuing
flow of asylum seekers trying to land on Australian territory
from Indonesia following the interception of another boat with
more than 230 people aboard on Saturday.