Boatpeople issue could sour RI-Australia ties

Boatpeople issue could sour RI-Australia ties

Agence France-Presse, Sydney, Australia/Jakarta

The decision of Indonesian authorities to allow the boat to sail
to Australia has raised concerns the episode could sour an
already sensitive relationship ahead of a people-smuggling
conference being hosted by the two countries in Bali next week.

But Indonesia's foreign ministry said on Tuesday Jakarta's
decision to allow a group of Vietnamese boatpeople to sail for
Australia will not affect relations with Canberra.

"This case illustrates that this is still an ongoing issue
which we need to solve jointly," spokesman Marty Natalegawa told
AFP.

Asked whether local authorities made a mistake by letting the
Vietnamese go, Marty said, "We are left wondering under what
circumstances we can detain them."

He denied the case was an embarrassment for Indonesia before
the Bali conference.

"Really, we are not the source of the problem. We just happen
to be a country to which they have transited," Marty said.

Indonesian police say the boatpeople had set sail on Saturday
after they were barred from landing in the country because of
initial fears they could be carrying the SARS (Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome) virus.

But the 42 Vietnamese men, women and children were medically
examined, found to be clear of the virus, then stocked up with
fuel, food, water and medical supplies and sent on their way.

Their boat was off the coast of Borneo on early Tuesday on a
course which, if completed, could see them become the first
boatpeople to try and land in Australia since Canberra declared
war on illegal immigration almost two years ago.

However, the boat is believed to be in such an unsafe
condition that it may not make it, and maritime agencies have
been alerted to keep a lookout in case a rescue is required.

Police said the Vietnamese wanted to go to Australia, a goal
which could see them become the first boatpeople to try and land
in that country since Canberra declared war on illegal
immigration almost two years ago.

Marty said Indonesia and Australia have had "very good co-
operation" on the issue over the past year.

If the boat lands on Australian territory, it would be the
first to do so since Aug. 22, 2001, when 359 people landed at
Christmas Island.

The last vessel to attempt a landing in Australia was turned
around by the navy in December 2001, with those on board sent to
Pacific island holding camps under Australia's so-called Pacific
Solution.

Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock said on Tuesday that it
was no surprise Indonesia did not try to stop the boat, and the
issue had been raised with Jakarta at the weekend.

Indonesia had always taken the view that it had no specific
obligations toward people who were seeking to transit to another
country, Ruddock said in a radio interview.

The Australian embassy in Jakarta had taken up the issue with
Indonesia directly and at this stage, the response was that
Indonesia would consider what it could do about it.

"It's a little too early to be prescriptive about that, those
representations have only been made over the course of this
weekend," Ruddock said.

But Ruddock said he hoped the next week's conference would
foster close ties between the two nations.

"The conference that's being held next week with Indonesia is
a co-operative exercise in that it's one that's worked well in
recent times and one which we hope will continue to work well,"
he said.