Go back to where you came from, says Abbott: Indonesia

TONY ABBOTT has defended his plan to send asylum seekers back to Indonesia, which is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, because ”they put themselves there”.

The Opposition Leader opposes the government’s Malaysia plan on the grounds that Malaysia is not a signatory to the convention, and the rights of asylum seekers sent there could not be guaranteed.

But yesterday he dismissed concerns that the rights of people returned to Indonesia could not be guaranteed.

“Every single boat from Indonesia is carrying people who got themselves to Indonesia. Now they chose to put themselves in Indonesia and if the boats go back that’s where they will be,” he said.

But thousands of asylum seekers ”put themselves” in Malaysia by plane before heading to Australia via Indonesia.

The Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, said the Coalition was ”riding roughshod” over the wishes of Indonesia, which maintains it would not accept returned boats. ”It also highlights the hypocrisy of the Coalition, who say they oppose the Malaysia arrangement as Malaysia is not a signatory to the Refugee Convention,” he said.

”Yet they would turn boats back to Indonesia, a non-signatory country, with women and children on board, with no protections negotiated, with no commitment to assess people’s claims, and with no guarantee genuine refugees would not be refouled [repatriated] to their home countries.”

He said in contrast, the government’s Malaysia arrangement contained protections including work rights, access to education and healthcare, and a commitment not to refoule people found to be genuine refugees.

Earlier, Mr Abbott refused to deny reports he had failed to speak to the Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, about the policy during meetings last week.

”Indonesia knows exactly what our position is,” Mr Abbott told the ABC’s Insiders program.

Mr Abbott acknowledged towing boats to Indonesian waters would be a dangerous task, but said people joined the armed forces to put themselves in harm’s way to serve their country.

Navy personnel would board boats to ensure they were seaworthy, and remove fuel from the vessel so it would have only enough to return to Indonesia.

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said Mr Abbott ”confirmed he was too much of a coward to raise with the President of Indonesia his so-called plan to turn back boats”.

A boat believed to be carrying 28 people was intercepted at the Cocos Islands yesterday and taken to Christmas Island for checks.

with Melanie Kembrey

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