Tom Allard & Karuni Rompies; 21/11/09
Indonesia has begun negotiating a new arrangement to handle asylum seekers with the Rudd Government as the country’s foreign affairs minister called on Australia to ‘’share the burden” of immigrants streaming through the archipelago. Its call came as a customs vessel intercepted 53 asylum seekers off north-western Australia yesterday. Last night they were being taken to Christmas Island, along with two crew. The boat was the fifth this week to make its way into Australian territory, but Indonesia is grappling with a larger influx of asylum seekers that is overwhelming its detention centres. ”We cannot bear the responsibility ourselves,” said Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa. ”There should be a sharing of burden.”
See: http://www.theage.com.au/world/share-asylum-burden-indonesians-plead-20091120-iqwq.html
Tags: Australia, Indonesia, Migrants & Refugees