Jakarta wants more details on hub plan

Indonesia has agreed to more talks on Australia's proposal to establish a regional
asylum seeker processing centre in East Timor but has stopped short of endorsing the
plan.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen met with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty
Natalegawa in Jakarta on Wednesday to discuss the Gillard government's push for a
regional framework on asylum seekers, including the processing hub.
Dr Natalegawa agreed Australia should bring a concrete framework proposal to next
year's ministerial-level meeting of the 50-nation Bali Process, a regional grouping
established to combat people smuggling.
"Minister Natalegawa agreed to make his officials available to Australian officials
over the coming weeks to further develop that process and further develop that
proposal," Mr Bowen told reporters.
An Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman who attended the meeting said his
government was open to Australia's processing centre plan but still wanted more
details.
"Minister Marty made it clear that he is willing to listen, he is in listening
mode," the spokesman told AAP.
"It must be discussed in further detail and our officials will sit together and
discuss how it can be part of the regional framework.
"But there isn't much detail yet."
High-ranking Indonesian officials such as Immigration Department Director General
Muhammad Indra have expressed concerns that a processing centre in East Timor would
attract asylum seekers from across the world.
"When they find out about the processing centre it will raise their interest and
more people will come," Mr Indra told AAP.
"It will be a magnet for those people."
Mr Bowen said no such concerns were expressed to him during his meeting with Dr
Natalegawa or during a separate meeting with Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar,
who oversees the country's immigration system.
Mr Akbar told Mr Bowen he was confident Indonesia's parliament would finally pass
within months a long-awaited immigration bill that outlaws people smuggling.
"I was certainly very pleased to hear the government remains committed to that bill
and that the government remains committed to getting its passage through the
parliament as expeditiously as possible," Mr Bowen said.
East Timor's government indicated to Mr Bowen this week it was still open to the
idea of hosting the processing centre, despite stiff political opposition.
Mr Bowen was due to fly to Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday night for talks with Malaysia's
Home Affairs Minister on Thursday.
There are almost 5000 people in immigration detention in Australia with another boat
- the sixth in the past six days and the 106th this year - intercepted on Wednesday
morning.