Calls for Australian intervention over Merak port asylum seekers

PHOTO

Indonesian authorities keep watch on Sri Lankan asylum seekers at Merak in Western Java on October 14, 2009. [AAP]

Sen Lam

Last Updated: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 13:47:00 +1100

A refugee activist has called on the Australian government to take responsibility for a group of Sri Lankan asylum seekers stranded in Indonesia.

The 240 Sri Lankans have been stranded on a boat in Merak port for three months.

Many of them have been recognised as refugees by the UN refugee agency, and are demanding resettlement in a third country.

Sara Nathan, a Tamil community activist based in Sydney, travelled to Merak but was deported, along with two others, for allegedly getting too close to the asylum seekers' boat.

Ms Nathan says the Australian government had tasked Indonesia to intercept the asylum seekers before they reached Australia, but has since refused to take responsibility.

"Australia's happily saying 'it's not our problem, it's Indonesia's problem because the boat is Indonesian waters.'"

"So we stopped them coming almost reaching our shores, now we need to take responsibility for these people."

"We can't say it's not our problem, it's not fair to burden Indonesia with these people."

Ms Nathan says Indonesian authorities have also refused to make conditions more comfortable for the group.

"[Authorities] are trying to make it a bit difficult so that these people will be forced to leave." she said.

"For instance over 100 of them have fungal infection and they've asked why don't you provide anti-fungal cream? But the immigration has held back and hasn't provided that."