RIAU ISLANDS REJECTS SRI LANKAN IMMIGRANTS

Batam, Nov 8 (ANTARA) - Although the Foreign Ministry has extended their stay permit, the regional government of Riau Islands rejects the Sri Lankan immigrants who are now still aboard an Australian-flagged ship anchoring in Riau waters.

"Although the foreign ministry has extended their stay permit, we remain firm to reject them," Governor of Riau Islands Ismeth Abdullah said here on Sunday.

However, he said, the regional government would accept the permit if they stayed only aboard the Oceanic Viking ship which laid anchor in the waters of Pulau Cempedak island, Bintan District, Riau Islands.

"If they just stay aboard the ship, it's OK. The Sri Lankan immigrants actually also refused to leave the ship," the governor said.

Abdullah said that the regional government would reject the Sri Lankan immigrants if they left their ship and stayed in Tanjungpinang of Riau Islands province.

The Indonesian government has extended by one week the stay permit of 78 Sri Lankan illegal immigrants on board an Australian-flagged ship in Bintan district's waters, Riau Islands province, foreign ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said Friday. said.

The government's gesture on the Sri Lankan immigrants who are seeking asylum in Australia was a reflection of its understanding of the problem being faced by the Australian government in relation with the Sri Lankan refugees,Faizasyah said.

"The extension was granted in the hope the Australian government can find a better solution to the problem the illegal immigrants pose," said Faizasyah.

Faizasyah also called on the local people, regional administration and related authorities in Bintan island to be patient concerning the presence of illegal immigrants in their territory.

On Tuesday (Nov 3), authorities from the Australian immigration office met with a delegation from Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the fate of the 78 Sri Lankan immigrants.

The forum, Faizasyah added, also talked about ways to tackle such problems in the future since Indonesia is always made as transit country for the immigrants wanting to go to Australia.***4***