The Australian Government’s decision to return a boat of
illegal boat people who were trying to enter its shores was justified by the
Indonesian government.
The Indonesian Military commander Gen. Moeldoko has
categorically said that he understands the decision fully as both the
governments had agreed on this issue.
Moeldoko said that his military is fully cooperating with
the Australian Defense Force as its Chief had called him to discuss on this and
other issues as well and therefore we do not feel offended.
Total 45 undocumented migrants mainly from the Africa and
the Middle East were found in a boat near Rote
Ndao waters in the East Nusa Tenggara on Monday. They all failed to reach Australia.
Out of those 45 it has been learned that 28 were Somalis, 9
Sudanese, 2 from Eritrea, 3
Egyptians and one each from Ghana,
Lebanon
and Yeman. Nine of them were women and the rest were men.
As per the Rote Ndao Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Hidayat,
the Australian Navy returned this boat back to Indonesia after providing them with
life vests and the GPS equipment.
All these illegal migrants are currently being looked after
at the IOM’s (International Organization for Migration) center in Kupang.
