Vietnamese boat people in limbo

BATAM, Riau: Officials on the industrial island of Batam said they were waiting for instructions on what to do with the 31 Vietnamese boat people who arrived on the island last week.

The outgoing chief of Batam's immigration office, Mardjono, said his office was waiting for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to decide on the matter.

"The IOM hasn't decided whether we should send the migrants home or to a third country," Mardjono said during a ceremony on Friday to install his replacement, Budi Harmanto.

He said the 31 boat people were being housed in quarantine shelters pending a decision from the IOM, which is consulting with the Vietnamese government.

The Vietnamese were trying to reach Australia when their boat developed engine problems off the coast of Riau last week. Another group of boat people stopped on Batam days earlier to repair their boat before continuing on to Australia. It is not clear how many people were on board.

Officials in East Kalimantan gave 41 boat people fuel and food last month so they could continue their trip to Australia, prompting complaints from Canberra.

Australia wants Indonesia to help it prevent illegal migrants from entering its waters. -- Antara