http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/get-off-boat-tamil-asylum-seekers-told/story-e6frg6nf-1225829350021 said:
SRI Lankan asylum-seekers refusing to leave their boat at the Indonesian port of Merak will not get the same type of fast-track repatriation to Australia given to their compatriots from the Oceanic Viking stand-off.
Canberra's ambassador for people smuggling issues, Peter Woolcott, yesterday told a Senate estimates hearing that the 256 Tamils should get off the dilapidated 30m wooden boat, which has been their home at the Indonesian port for the past three months. Under questioning by Queensland Liberal senator Russell Trood, Mr Woolcott said "no inducements" had been offered to Jakarta that would encourage the Sri Lankans to leave the boat.
The Sri Lankans have steadfastly refused to disembark after their Australia-bound vessel was apprehended by the Indonesian Navy last October after a request from Kevin Rudd.
Their spokesman, Sanjeev "Alex" Kuhendrarajah, has demanded the same treatment as that given to 78 asylum-seekers rescued by the Oceanic Viking. Their claims for refugee status were fast-tracked when they agreed to leave the Australian Customs ship. "At this stage, we do not know who these people are," Mr Woolcott said. "We know they are Sri Lankans, that they're Tamils, but until we get a clear sense of what their claims are, it's very hard for us to talk to the Indonesian government about their future.
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"They've got to disembark. The first step is they have to leave the boat." After that, any asylum claims would be assessed by the UN refugee agency, he said.
Securing the co-operation of Indonesian authorities in tackling people-smuggling remained one of the highest priorities for the government, Mr Woolcott told the hearing. Talks were continuing with Jakarta on improved bilateral co-operation.
While the Yudhoyono government was committed to delivering legislation to tackle people-smuggling, it was not a priority for the Indonesian parliament, he added. "The Indonesian government would like to introduce laws that criminalise people smuggling, but the question is the need to get that legislation through their parliament, and that's quite complex," Mr Woolcott said.
