Indonesia seeks `deal` on asylum seekers

A special deal from the Australian government may be needed to lure almost 250 Sri
Lankan asylum seekers off their boat, Indonesian officials say.
The plight of the Tamils - who have spent 11 weeks refusing to disembark from their
boat moored off the Indonesian coast - has come under increasing scrutiny following
the death of a 29-year-old asylum seeker on Christmas Eve.
Indonesian authorities have canvassed their options on how to end the deadlock and
believe Australia's help will be needed if an immediate solution cannot be found.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said Indonesia would consider asking
Australia to make a special deal, like that offered to those aboard the Oceanic
Viking in November.
"It would be good if there was some kind of arrangement made," he told AAP on Tuesday.
"We ask the Australian (government) to get some attention on the issue.
"Both cases happened almost at the same time, so we cannot just give too much
attention on one case and neglecting the other."
The Australian government promised swift processing times and quick resettlement to
Australia in a bid to entice 78 Tamils from the Oceanic Viking, ending a four-week
impasse.
All 78 were eventually found to be genuine refugees.
Two are already in the country and another large group are expected to arrive on
Wednesday.
But those near the Indonesian port of Merak, whose interception pre-dates that of
those aboard the Oceanic Viking, have not been so lucky, with the Australian
government refusing to get involved.
Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor reiterated Australia would not be giving the
Merak boat people any special consideration.
"This matter is something that has to be undertaken and dealt with by the Indonesian
authorities," he told reporters in Melbourne.
"We've made clear all along this was a vessel intercepted that left Malaysia, and
was intercepted by an Indonesian vessel.
"It is incumbent now upon those passengers to disembark that vessel so that the (UN
refugee agency) UNHCR can properly process their claims."
The Tamils have accused the Indonesian authorities of escalating threats and
violence in a bid to "scare" them off the boat.
They allege the death of George Jacob Samuel Christin from a suspected stomach
infection was the result of delayed medical help - a claim denied by Mr Faizasyah.
It was the asylum seekers themselves who prevented the authorities from boarding the
boat, he said.
Refugee advocates held a protest in Jakarta on Monday, appealing for Australia to
intervene, saying the Indonesians were no longer equipped to handle the situation.
But Mr Faizasyah maintained Indonesia didn't need help until it asked for it.
"We're still capable of handling the situation with the assistance of the
(immigration body) IOM.
"The options we discussed - we are talking about the future."
Officials have not ruled out using force to remove the Tamils from the boat.
Meanwhile, the federal opposition has seized on the latest boat arrival - the 60th
this year - to again accuse the government of going soft on border protection.