Indonesia steps up protests against Australia's border protection policies

Date
    February 15, 2014


Indonesia has added to its protests against the Abbott government's border protection policies, hauling Australia's ambassador into the foreign affairs ministry for a dressing down.      

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said he had told ambassador Greg Moriarty in a meeting this week that Australia's use of lifeboats to return asylum seekers was an ''unacceptable'' escalation of its border protection policy, Indonesian news magazine Tempo reported on its website.

Fairfax Media has independently confirmed the meeting took place. The use of lifeboats has been a key development in Australia's boat turnback policy - a policy Indonesia has vehemently opposed.      

The purchase of about 12 of the sophisticated lifeboats is a way of neutralising the people smugglers' tactic of deliberately scuttling boats when Australian navy or Customs ships approach, leaving the Australians no choice but to rescue the asylum seekers from the water and take them to Christmas Island.


As the opposition leading up to the September election, the Coalition defended its turnback policy, saying it would only be returning Indonesian-flagged and -crewed boats that had departed from Indonesian ports.

Dr Natalegawa said the use of lifeboats represented a more serious violation of Australia's commitments to the refugee convention than its previous policies. He said Australian ships should take the asylum seekers onboard for processing.      

Customs and border protection chief Mike Pezzullo has acknowledged there is a ''public interest'' in releasing at least parts of a report into how Australian ships accidentally breached Indonesian territory.

But with Mr Pezzullo and Chief of the Defence Force David Hurley understood to be considering the report, the Customs chief refused to guarantee any of it would be released.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/indonesia-steps-up-protests-against-australias-border-protection-policies-20140214-32rdo.html#ixzz2tKuVFk6F

Swagman wrote on Feb 15^th, 2014 at 9:47am:

Who will be responsible if one of these orange life boats smashes onto some rocks with woman and children aboard.....I know some of you will say the asylum seekers are responsible for their own choices but they had already been rescued imprisoned by the navy and forced back to a country that is not a signatory to the refugee convention.....Abbott and Morrison are completely responsible for anything that occurs after the Navy intercepts asylum seeker vessels.....Once you take it you own it???

philperth2010 wrote on Feb 15^th, 2014 at 12:15pm:


What a load of tosh!

Any boats full of these queue jumpers which are returned from whence they came, in a safe seaworthy vessel instead of the dangerous wreck they were attempting their journey in, should be grateful to the Australian Government for stopping this suicidal trip which they paid many thousands of US dollars for.

If anybody is to blame should their be a tragedy, look at the Indonesian government which allows them to set sail; look at the previous Australian (Labor) government who did nothing to put an end to these boats, but allowed the situation to get worse year after year for six years!

philperth2010 wrote on Feb 15^th, 2014 at 12:15pm:

Indonesia will be responsible if that happens in Indonesian territory.
But it won't happen because these are virtually indestructible life boats, not floating wrecks the illegals set out on. These boats save lives.

philperth2010 wrote on Feb 15^th, 2014 at 12:15pm:


Those rocks off an Indonesian shoreline you mean.
How about the Indonesian crew taking some responsibility.
Who do you think is responsible.
Abbott is not responsible for the Costa Concordia or any other shipping accident in foreign waters.

With the illegal immigrants who decided to break our laws and enter the country without a valid visa? We are simply helping them out with a more seaworthy vessel after they sunk their own.

Keatingisgod wrote on Feb 15^th, 2014 at 4:05pm:


Oh, really?  Where in my scenario was there any mention of 'seaworthy.'  Did you not notice that it is highly likely that as soon as any boat with refugees on board arrives within contact of an Aussie vessel, the people on board will claim asylum, thus invoking our UNHCR obligations.  There are two scenarios.

1.  Our lot are acting like pirates, and they are unlawfully boarding vessels in International waters, and forcing people into our orange boats.

2.  Our lot are waiting until the vessel gets into our waters, and the same thing happens.

In either case, that orange boat is towed back (by our mob) through international waters and let loose somewhere near Indonesia.