- Title: INDONESIA / AUSTRALIA: Sri Lankan asylum seekers in emotional plea for help
- Date: 16th October 2009
- Summary: MERAK PORT, BANTEN PROVINCE, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA (OCTOBER 15, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CHILDREN ON BOAT APPEALING FOR HELP VARIOUS OF ASYLUM SEEKERS ABOARD BOAT
- Embargoed: 31st October 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Social Services / Welfare
- Reuters ID: LVAEIYJ3ZTVNFFBZ88BAFJOB485C
- Story Text: An emotional plea by the Sri Lankan asylum seekers whose leaky wooden boat was intercepted by the Indonesian navy this week continued to fuel a policy debate in Australia on Thursday (October 15).
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called his Indonesian counterpart earlier this week to ask his assistance in order to intercept a boat full of Sri Lankan asylum seekers bound for Australia.
The Indonesian navy is now keeping the the wooden boat berthed at the Merak port in Banten province, West Java after intercepting them at the Sunda Strait.
Naval authorities say there are 263 asylum seekers with a few receiving medical treatment.
Most of the asylum seekers have settled to a routine aboard the wooden boat, taking their baths and meals while seeking shelter from the tropical sun.
One of the asylum-seekers, Alex, told reporters they were hoping for Australia to reconsider its decision to prevent them from going to the country.
"We are not angry with Australia but we are saddened by their decision. We are not angry with Kevin Rudd but we ask him to reconsider his decision and think about humankind and the humanity of all my people on the ship. As you can see our ship today, just imagine how it was in the middle of the ocean for five days without no food or water. And you got to imagine, you got to ask yourself why these women and children, why these men risk their lives coming over this ocean, stay in the jungle for one month, why would they do that? It is out of desperateness to run away from genocide," Alex told reporters at the port.
He added they were just looking to stay in a peaceful country.
"We are not dogs, we are not animals. We are also humans, we are just looking for a safe country to go to and live peacefully and start a new life," Alex said.
Aboard his boat, men and women stared at reporters while their children excitedly appealed for help.
Indonesian authorities say they are waiting for the national immigration department to determine the status of the Sri Lankans.
But Australia has said it is up to Indonesia to solve the situation.
"What obviously matters in Indonesia are dealt by the Indonesian government," deputy prime minister, Julia Guillard told reporters on Thursday.
There were reports that at least four other boats full of asylum seekers were also en route to Australia.
Opposition party leader, Malcolm Turnbull blamed softening immigration policies of the Labour government for the influx.
"How many thousand illegal arrivals do we need before Mr Rudd is going to own up and say that his border protection policies, his border protection policies have failed," Turbull told reporters on Thursday.
Rudd admitted that the issue was a challenge --- but not a new one.
"It is a challenge for the previous government, it is a challenge for this government, our approach and policy is absolutely clear cut, hard line approach but humane approach," he said.
Australia is seeing the biggest stream of asylum seeker arrivals for seven years, forcing Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to defend border protection policies and seek transit nation Indonesia's assistance.
The government blames the latest surge in illegal arrivals on conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the end of Sri Lanka's long ethnic civil war.
Europe is the main destination for asylum seekers with 333,000 claims registered in 2008, led by France with 35,400 and Britain with 30,500. In comparison, 4,750 people sought asylum in Australia last year, according to the government.
The government dismantled tough immigration and asylum laws after its 2007 election win, closing down "Pacific Solution" detention centres in small Pacific island countries. It said detention would only be used for security, but kept processing refugees at a detention centre on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.
The government has increased ships and aircraft patrolling the remote north coast to intercept asylum-seeker boats before they reach Australian soil.
The latest boat people influx is unlikely to bring change unless it becomes a large issue for Rudd, threatening his near-record standing in opinion surveys. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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