Oceanic Viking given another week

Indonesia has given Australia another week to resolve the Oceanic Viking
asylum-seeker impasse.
Senior Indonesian diplomatic sources say the country's Department of Foreign Affairs
and military have both cleared the Australian customs vessel to stay in Indonesia
until November 13.
Australia now has more time to persuade 78 Sri Lankan asylum seekers to leave the
ship and enter an Indonesian detention centre.
Australia has been trying for almost two weeks to convince the ethnic Tamils to
voluntarily leave the Oceanic Viking and enter the Tanjung Pinang Detention Centre
on the Indonesian island of Bintan.
They have refused, adamant they want to be taken to Australia even though the ship
rescued them in international waters within Indonesia's rescue zone.
AAP understands the extension will be announced after Indonesia's Department of
Transport gives the all clear, which is not expected to be a problem.
Diplomatic and security clearance for the ship to remain in Indonesia had been due
to expire at midnight on Friday but Indonesia has agreed to give officials another
week to persuade the Sri Lankans to leave the boat.
The extension comes despite the views of Indonesia's most senior diplomatic official
in Tanjung Pinang, Sujatmiko, who said on Thursday there was no hope of breaking the
deadlock and the vessel should return to Australia.
In a written message thrown overboard on Thursday, the asylum seekers again made it
clear they have no intention of coming ashore in Indonesia.
"We want to resettle to Australia, they told us we must go to Indonesia, but we are
not ready to go back to Indonesia," they said.
"This is our final decision.
"If Australian try to force back to Indonesia, we are going close our life in the
ocean."