That makes much more sense and another update for Andrew Bolt's blog story in the morning.It may not be. This was in the story you linked to....
The official said that discussions were underway to organise offloading the asylum seekers in Indonesia, after earlier suggesting they would be escorted to Christmas Island.
A spokesman for the Indonesian search and rescue agency, BASARNAS, said the boat was about 60 nautical miles off the south coast of Java when contact was made with authorities.
A wooden boat intending to illegally enter Australia with least 50 people on board, called for assistance due to an engine breakdown but on arrival the Australian crew determined that the engine was in good working order so they notified the Indonesians and left.
Responding to a further distress call showed the engine had been sabotaged and HMAS Ballarat stood by to await Indonesian assistance to return the boat to port.
It was reported the Indonesians had refused to respond, which was a departure from their recent willingness to accept the return of “asylum seeker” boats.
Apparently, Indonesian authorities had originally agreed to respond but the matter was quickly handed over to Indonesia's ‘Ministry for Politics’ and they had moved to instigate the current standoff.
In the early hours of the morning, the people were transferred from their wooden vessel onto the Ocean Protector.
An Indonesian government source said: ''The Australian ship is heading slowly towards Indonesia but still no decision has been taken about whether they will be taken to Indonesia, Australia, or direct to Papua New Guinea.''
Indonesian Legal, Political and Security Affair Minister Djoko Suyanto said through a spokesman that it was reluctant to accept the people given they were asylum seekers.
"From what I've been told, the boat was fine and they were not in danger. If that's the case, then we reject it,'' the spokesman said.
"We don't want Indonesia to be a dumping ground, but we don't want Australia to accuse us of not doing anything. We want to respect Australia. At least for the time being we will not accept them.''
In a text message, Indonesia's coordinating minister for security and political affairs, Djoko Suyanto, told the ABC that Indonesia has never agreed to such wishes and will not accept returns of asylum seekers.
In fact it has three times - once last year and twice in September this year - but Indonesia does not want it to continue.
The standoff continues,
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...f-asylum-seekers/story-fni0cx4q-1226755981005
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-08/indonesia-says-it-wont-accept-rescued-asylum-seekers/5077974
This is a strange way to conduct diplomacy.
One needs to be a fly on the wall to work out what's going on here. First, BASARNAS say Indonesia won't take them back, then BASARNAS say they will, then today's nonsense on somewhat flimsy excuses.Since Indonesia's change of attitude seems to be related to the spying incident that I believe happened under Kevin Rudd's reign, can we now twice over thank Kevin for ******* up our asylum policy - once when he became pm and now today as a result of his activities when he was pm.
Since Indonesia's change of attitude seems to be related to the spying incident that I believe happened under Kevin Rudd's reign, can we now twice over thank Kevin for ******* up our asylum policy - once when he became pm and now today as a result of his activities when he was pm.
What hasn't been happening is boat arrivals at anywhere near the same rate as under Labor.The Noalition plan of information starvation and denial of activity's now flows on naturally to stand off denial...and that works in with Broadband and climate change denial...these guys are experts at pretending things are not happening.
Your dreaming..the spying has been going on for 4 decades, just minutes after the 5 Aussie journalists were killed in East Timor in 1975, the spy agency's knew about it...listening in on radio traffic.
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The Noalition plan of information starvation and denial of activity's now flows on naturally to stand off denial...and that works in with Broadband and climate change denial...these guys are experts at pretending things are not happening.
The boat sent out an SOS the previous day when it was just 40km from the coast of Java and the Ballarat urged its crew to turn about and sail back to Indonesia.
An Indonesian patrol boat arrived on the scene soon afterwards and told the crew and their desperate passengers to keep going towards Christmas Island.
Under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) provisions the rescued asylum seekers must be landed at the nearest port and that is in Indonesia.
However Indonesian authorities have refused to take them and have denied the Ballarat permission to enter their waters.
News Corp Australia understands that if the matter cannot be resolved quickly then the warship will return to Christmas Island where the asylum seekers would be processed and sent the Manus Island or Nauru.
"It won't come down to push and shove between the two navy vessels," a source said.
The whole thing of not telling what's happening is getting to point of ridicule where we find out from the Indonesian government.
Morrison is a complete joke.
Have they turned back boats....no
Have they bought any old fishing boats....no
So Rudds policy is working then?
The whole thing of not telling what's happening is getting to point of ridicule where we find out from the Indonesian government.
Morrison is a complete joke.
Have they turned back boats....no
Have they bought any old fishing boats....no
So Rudds policy is working then?
Why do you resort to lies, IF?
Two boats have been returned to Indonesia, people have voluntary returned home. Was there EVER a two week period with no boats under Rudd after he used part of the coalition's off-shore policy just before the election? Why not give the government credit where it is due?
Do you really think we are so stupid that you can get away with posting such nonsense?
Why do you resort to lies, IF?
Two boats have been returned to Indonesia,
I don't.
Nope, they were not and wont accuse you of lying.
Two boat loads of passengers were returned to Indonesia in September
The Indonesians are understood to have then refused to take the asylum-seekers back to Indonesia, as happened at least four times in September when Australians went to the rescue of boats in distress in Indonesian waters.
Looks like at least FOUR boat loads were returned to Indonesia in September.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...ple-to-indonesia/story-fn9hm1gu-1226755629123
www.theaustralian said:A BOATLOAD of asylum seekers at the centre of a standoff between Australia and Indonesia will be taken to Christmas Island.
While Indonesian authorities "review" Australia's request that the passengers - believed to total more than 50 - be taken to Indonesia, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison ended the stalemate on Saturday.
There is no doubt the government has suffered a setback in relation to this part of its asylum policy management.Will be interesting to see how the Coaliation try and spin there way out of this one.
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