Rudd denies claim of special asylum deal

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says asylum seekers still aboard the Oceanic Viking won't
be treated any differently from the few who have left the vessel after a month-long
impasse.

He denies the 22 Tamils who left the boat on Friday to go to Indonesia's Tanjung
Pinang detention centre would be given automatic passage to Australia if they were
found to be refugees.

"My understanding is there is no difference between those who are currently on the
vessel and those who have disembarked the vessel," Mr Rudd told reporters in
Singapore.

"The underpinning assumption ... is that there is some special arrangement. My
advice is there is not."

An immigration department letter to all 78 asylum seekers aboard the Oceanic Viking
gave an Australian government guarantee that they would be resettled. It doesn't
clarify where.
Indonesia's top diplomat on the ground, Dr Sujatmiko, on Friday confirmed some of
the 22 were refugees and would be resettled in Australia within four weeks.
Mr Rudd disputed the government had given any guarantees of resettlement in Australia.
"The undertaking that Australia has provided the UNHCR is that we will assist the
UNHCR in their proper processing," he said.
"As I said, anyone subsequently determined to have refugee status would then be
subject to resettlement across the range of resettlement countries, of which
Australia is one."
The timing of resettlement would vary, with the final destinations of the
individuals determined after discussions with the 16 countries that resettled
refugees.
"In terms of the time on each individual case, it will vary," Mr Rudd said.
"Our assumption is that given where various of these cases have gone to so far with
earlier UNHCR processing, that in some cases, it will be easier to process rapidly.
"But I go back to the underlying point, where would individuals who are successfully
processed end up? That is entirely a matter for a broader discussion with
resettlement countries."
Mr Rudd said the status of all the people from the boat had not been determined
despite suggestions some had already been granted refugee status.
"My advice is the status in terms of their UNHCR status has yet to be resolved in
all cases," he said.
Mr Rudd will discuss the people smuggling issue with Indonesian President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono when they meet during the two-day Asia Pacific Economic
Co-operation (APEC) summit in Singapore, which began on Saturday afternoon.
During a meeting last month, the pair canvassed a new co-operative arrangement on
people smuggling between the two countries, which is believed to include greater
Australian funding for Indonesia to deal with asylum seekers.
The Oceanic Viking picked up the asylum seekers in Indonesia's search and rescue
zone at Jakarta's request but it has been unclear who is ultimately responsible for
the people.
"What we are working through with the Indonesians is a long-term framework for how
we better handle people smuggling in the region," Mr Rudd said, adding that
Australia and Indonesia would review arrangements at APEC.
"But this is a much longer-term negotiation of a new framework for enhancing our
co-operation on transnational crime and people smuggling," he said.