Indonesia denies offering Island for asylum seekers

JAKARTA Indonesia's government has denied offering Australia an island to temporarily accommodate asylum seekers, the day after a media report quoted a top official as doing so. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told Anadolu Agency on Saturday that Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Panjaitan had already clarified that there was no truth in the report. Panjaitan "essentially states that [the news] is not true", he said. "I think Mr. Luhut's [Panjaitan] clarification is very clear." On Friday, The Jakarta Post quoted the minister as saying that the island had been offered following concerns that an increasing number of refugees stranded en route may disturb Indonesian security. He underlined that the offer would only materialize if Australia financed the camp. "We can discuss the possibility of allocating an island [for refugees]. But Australia is required to finance it entirely." Australia, he underlined, would also have to guarantee that refugees would be quickly accepted by third countries so that they would not be left in Indonesia. The notion fitted in with a perception that Indonesia is trying to curry overseas favor to encourage investment on the back of a domestic economic slowdown. According to the Central Statistics Agency, third quarter economic growth in Indonesia was just 4.7 percent. Panjaitan later sought to clarify the report. "That's not true. With our experience in Aceh and the island of Galang relating to refugees, the ones who suffer in the end are the people of Indonesia," he was quoted as saying by Antara News. "This is a humanitarian issue. So the countries involved should participate to resolve the problem. Whether Indonesia will provide the island... we have not thought up to that point. Let's see what happens later." He underlined that it is not just a matter of funding. "We have to think twice, lest we cause instability in our country simply because they want to accommodate other countries." Panjaitan said his government is still searching for the best solution to the problem. "And with the latest current conditions, there should be a dialogue," he added. http://www.aa.com.tr/en