ID :
86519
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 09:37
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/86519
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RIAU ISLANDS CHIEF LEGISLATOR REJECTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAUGHT BY A'LIA
Tanjungpinang, Oct 27 (ANTARA) - The chairman of the regional legislative assembly of Riau Islands, Indonesia, on Tuesday protested the accommodation in the region of illegal Sri Lanka immigrants arrested by Australia.
Nur Syafriadi said "Riau Islands is not a dumping site for illegal immigrants and, on behalf of the people, we reject the accommodation of the illegal immigrants at the local immigration detention center in Tanjungpinang."
"They were caught in Australia so why were they brought to Indonesia and must they be accommodated at the immigration detention center in Tanjungpinang," he said.
Nur said the Australian government who glorified human rights and had signed an agreement to accept asylum seekers had now rejected the immigrants.
"So why should we accept them and have a new problem on our hands later. Is it because Tanjungpinang has an immigration detention center," he said.
He said many people in Indonesia were still far prosperous and also still had a lot of problems to deal with and now they had to think of illegal immigrants who were caught not in Indonesia.
Nur expressed disappointment over the central government`s decision to accept the immigrants without coordination with the local administration.
"Although the authority for it is fully in the hands of the central government, they should have coordinated e with the local administration. We also have a regional leader, a chief legislator and people," he said.
He said the central government could not just do it because the one who would suffer from its impact was the region.
He said the governor and the chief of the regional legislative assembly never knew that the "Oceanic Viking" that carried the illegal immigrants had for several days been in Kijang waters in Bintan.
"Now the ship has dropped anchor there but none of the offices concerned such as the immigration office or the local office of the ministry of justice and human rights had informed us or the local administration," he said.
He hoped coordination between the central and regional administrations could be improved. "Do not ignore the region although the full authority is in the hands of the central government," he said.
There had so far been no sign of the Oceanic Viking to berth at the local Sri Bayintan port in Kijang, Bintan, ANTARA learned until this evening.`
There has also been no official statement from the authorities concerned but a source told ANTARA on Tuesday that officials from the immigration office, the ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry of justice and human rights and the port health service had already conducted a health examination on the immigrants in Tembora Laut Island waters where the vessel had dropped anchor.***3***
Nur Syafriadi said "Riau Islands is not a dumping site for illegal immigrants and, on behalf of the people, we reject the accommodation of the illegal immigrants at the local immigration detention center in Tanjungpinang."
"They were caught in Australia so why were they brought to Indonesia and must they be accommodated at the immigration detention center in Tanjungpinang," he said.
Nur said the Australian government who glorified human rights and had signed an agreement to accept asylum seekers had now rejected the immigrants.
"So why should we accept them and have a new problem on our hands later. Is it because Tanjungpinang has an immigration detention center," he said.
He said many people in Indonesia were still far prosperous and also still had a lot of problems to deal with and now they had to think of illegal immigrants who were caught not in Indonesia.
Nur expressed disappointment over the central government`s decision to accept the immigrants without coordination with the local administration.
"Although the authority for it is fully in the hands of the central government, they should have coordinated e with the local administration. We also have a regional leader, a chief legislator and people," he said.
He said the central government could not just do it because the one who would suffer from its impact was the region.
He said the governor and the chief of the regional legislative assembly never knew that the "Oceanic Viking" that carried the illegal immigrants had for several days been in Kijang waters in Bintan.
"Now the ship has dropped anchor there but none of the offices concerned such as the immigration office or the local office of the ministry of justice and human rights had informed us or the local administration," he said.
He hoped coordination between the central and regional administrations could be improved. "Do not ignore the region although the full authority is in the hands of the central government," he said.
There had so far been no sign of the Oceanic Viking to berth at the local Sri Bayintan port in Kijang, Bintan, ANTARA learned until this evening.`
There has also been no official statement from the authorities concerned but a source told ANTARA on Tuesday that officials from the immigration office, the ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry of justice and human rights and the port health service had already conducted a health examination on the immigrants in Tembora Laut Island waters where the vessel had dropped anchor.***3***
