ID :
87519
Tue, 11/03/2009 - 00:13
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/87519
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AUSTRALIA CANNOT FORCE SRI LANKAN IMMIGRANTS : RI OFFICIAL
Tanjungpinang, Indonesia, Nov 2 (ANTARA) - The Australian government cannot force Sri Lankan immigrants currently on board an Australian-flagged ship in Indonesian waters to move to an immigration detention center in Riau province, an Indonesian official said.
Forcing them off the ship to stay at an immigration detention center would be against international regulations, the foreign ministry's diplomatic security director, Sujatmiko, said here Monday.
"Indonesia too cannot force them to stay at the center even temporarily before they are returned to their home country," he said.
Sujatmiko predicted Australia would not dare to force them to stay at the immigration center in the Indonesian province of Riau Islands.
"But the Indonesian government will not interfere if the Australian government dares to force its will," he said.
He said the Indonesian government had asked the Australian government not to force the immigrants to stay in Indonesia.
"If Australia forces them to stay out of Australia, Canberra must not force them to stay in Indonesia," he said.
Sujatmiko said the Indonesian government was sticking to the principle that it was helping the immigrants based only on humanitarian considerations and maintain its good relationship with Australia.
"The Sri Lankan immigrants are insisting on being allowed to stay in Australia," he said.
They had already conveyed their intention through letters put in bottles thrown on the sea and fished out by newsreporters.
Domestic and foreign journalists conducting journalistic activities around the Oceanic Viking that had dropped anchor near Cempedak Island in the Bintan subdistrict in Riau Islands had recovered the letters and reported their contents.
"They conveyed their wish through letters put in plastic bottles and thrown to the sea for newsmen to pick up," he said.
Sujatmiko said the Indonesian government's permit for the ship carrying the Sri Lankans to remain in Indonesian waters would expire next Friday but until now the Indonesian government had not yet decided if it would extend the permit.
"We hope the problem can be settled soon," he said.
He said a Sri Lankan diplomatic representative was scheduled to arrive in Tanjungpinang Monday evening to discuss the problem.
"We hope the Sri Lankan government will participate in settling the problem and not leave it to the Indonesian and Australian governments to settle," he said.***
Forcing them off the ship to stay at an immigration detention center would be against international regulations, the foreign ministry's diplomatic security director, Sujatmiko, said here Monday.
"Indonesia too cannot force them to stay at the center even temporarily before they are returned to their home country," he said.
Sujatmiko predicted Australia would not dare to force them to stay at the immigration center in the Indonesian province of Riau Islands.
"But the Indonesian government will not interfere if the Australian government dares to force its will," he said.
He said the Indonesian government had asked the Australian government not to force the immigrants to stay in Indonesia.
"If Australia forces them to stay out of Australia, Canberra must not force them to stay in Indonesia," he said.
Sujatmiko said the Indonesian government was sticking to the principle that it was helping the immigrants based only on humanitarian considerations and maintain its good relationship with Australia.
"The Sri Lankan immigrants are insisting on being allowed to stay in Australia," he said.
They had already conveyed their intention through letters put in bottles thrown on the sea and fished out by newsreporters.
Domestic and foreign journalists conducting journalistic activities around the Oceanic Viking that had dropped anchor near Cempedak Island in the Bintan subdistrict in Riau Islands had recovered the letters and reported their contents.
"They conveyed their wish through letters put in plastic bottles and thrown to the sea for newsmen to pick up," he said.
Sujatmiko said the Indonesian government's permit for the ship carrying the Sri Lankans to remain in Indonesian waters would expire next Friday but until now the Indonesian government had not yet decided if it would extend the permit.
"We hope the problem can be settled soon," he said.
He said a Sri Lankan diplomatic representative was scheduled to arrive in Tanjungpinang Monday evening to discuss the problem.
"We hope the Sri Lankan government will participate in settling the problem and not leave it to the Indonesian and Australian governments to settle," he said.***
