INDONESIA: Sri Lankan asylum seekers continue to protest at Indonesian port

Record ID: 348225

  • Title: INDONESIA: Sri Lankan asylum seekers continue to protest at Indonesian port
  • Date: 30th October 2009
  • Summary: MERAK PORT, BANTEN PROVINCE, INDONESIA (OCTOBER 28, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS SRI LANKAN ASYLUM SEEKERS ON THE BOAT AT MERAK PORT VARIOUS ASYLUM SEEKERS ON DECK PROTESTERS HOLDING PLACARDS ON DECK PLACARD READING "IS THIS SHIP MY FUTURE?" VARIOUS PROTESTERS HOLDING PLACARDS
  • Embargoed: 14th November 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Indonesia
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA6GRMNZ9ELP742WWC4T9K60G5O
  • Story Text: The group of 260 Sri Lankans asylum seekers stranded in their boat at the Indonesian port of Merak continued to protest on Wednesday (October 28) for the UNHCR to recognise them as refugees.
    The Australian-bound Sri Lankans were intercepted by Indonesian authorities on Oct. 10 after they were alerted by Canberra.
    The Indonesian authorities have kept them at the Merak port in Banten province, West Java, until immigration officials and international aid organisations agree on their status.
    Children from the boat took part in the protest with most of them carrying placards saying "IS THIS SHIP MY FUTURE?", "IF MY PARENTS DIE WHO WILL CARE FOR ME?"
    Pinta, a girl who joined the protest said, "We can't go to school in Sri Lanka, we are afraid going to school in Sri Lanka."
    She added there was no security guarantee for them in their homeland.
    Others on the wooden boat also protested with placards reading "UNHCR PLEASE COME", "WE ARE NOT TERRORIST PLEASE SAVE US" and "WHEN WILL YOU RESPOND".
    Some on board the boat also bowed their heads in prayer.
    "Our prayers go out to our loved ones back home in Sri Lanka as we are living in peace here in this boat, there are many people suffering in Sri Lanka, there are many people suffering all over the world. When will these people see freedom?" said Alex, who has been acting as spokesman for the asylum seekers on the boat.
    Staff from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) met some of the refugees on the boat.
    The IOM has been providing food and medical facilities at the port for the asylum seekers, joined by some well-wishers among the residents near the port.
    "You can just wait here and see, at six o'clock they bring food and before that they bring water and lunch time they brought lunch and all provided by IOM. And doctors are there and nurses are there, they provide all medical assistance. And anybody who are seriously ill, they are taken to hospital," said Joseph, a staff for IOM.
    But he added the organisation could not process their identities if they insisted on staying in the boat.
    "The problem is they must come out from the boat for them to be listened to by the UNHCR. UNHCR can't interview them if they are on the boat. They got to come down," said Joseph.
    Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd held talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Oct. 20 to discuss the plight of the asylum seekers.
    Australia is seeing the biggest stream of asylum seeker arrivals for seven years, forcing Rudd to defend border protection policies and seek transit nation Indonesia's assistance.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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