In fact, the asylum seekers had intended to go to Australia initially, and not to Indonesia; therefore Indonesia should protest strongly."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Australias behavior as a neighboring country was deemed bad when illegal immigrants from Africa and Middle East, intending to go to Australia were driven away to Indonesian waters, according to Hikmahanto Juwana, international law expert.

"The Indonesian government should strongly protest against what the Australian Navy had done. Indonesia should ask the Australian government to take the responsibility of the refugee problem. In fact, the asylum seekers had intended to go to Australia initially, and not to Indonesia; therefore Indonesia should protest strongly," he added.

"If the Australian Navy continues to drive refugees to Indonesia, the Indonesian Navy and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) should equip refugees well enough to enable them to reach Australia safely," he explained.

The government must take a stern action against Australias policy on refugees. A stern action is needed to prevent Australia from violating Indonesias sovereignty and from making Indonesia a dustbin for Australian problems, he pointed out.

Australia, under Prime Minister Tony Abbott, has implemented boat turn back policy. Refugees were equipped with safety facilities to make sure that they would land in Indonesia safely.

The Australian navy has driven illegal immigrants from Africa and Middle East to Indonesian waters, Indonesian police emphasized recently.

The boat, with 45 people including nine women, was from Sudan, Eritrea, Somali, Ghana, Egypt, Yemen and Lebanon.

They were entering the sea territory of Australia on Monday, when they were forcibly made to turn toward Indonesian waters, noted Rote Ndao police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Hidayat.

Finally, Rote Ndao police picked them up after the refugees were stranded in an Indonesian island.

They are now in police detention in Rote Ndao, Hidayat stated, on Monday.

The Australian navy provided the illegal immigrants with life buoys and communication equipment before driving them to Indonesian waters, Hidayat stated, quoting a leader of the boat people.

Head of the Kupang Immigration office Silvester Sililaba stated that the people would be accommodated at a former immigration office building as the Kupang Immigration detention house is already overloaded.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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