http://www.theage.com.au/world/20-sri-lankans-ready-to-leave-boat-20091112-icld.html
20 Sri Lankans 'ready to leave boat' TOM ALLARD AND YUKO NARUSHIMA November 13, 2009 SOME of the 78 Sri Lankan asylum seekers on the Oceanic Viking are prepared to disembark on to Indonesian soil - possibly as early as today - according to negotiators. The breakthrough comes after almost four weeks of tense talks, and follows an offer to the Tamils decried by Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull as an ''act of weakness'' by the Rudd Government. The head of Indonesia's department of immigration, Basyir Ahmad Barmawi, said: ''There are 20 Sri Lankans on board who said they are willing to be placed in detention.'' He said he was not sure when the transfer would take place, although Sujatmiko, a senior Indonesian foreign affairs official, said: ''Maybe it will happen tomorrow [Friday].'' Most, if not all, of those ready to leave have already been deemed to be refugees, and Immigration Minister Chris Evans has indicated they will be resettled in Australia. Under the deal put in writing this week, those with refugee status will be resettled within four to six weeks from the time they leave the boat. Others have been told their applications will be processed in 12 weeks. The asylum seekers are believed to have agreed to stay at the Australian-funded detention centre at Tanjung Pinang after being given assurances that a team of Australian officials will monitor them and ensure they are not mistreated, The Age has been told. This has been the main sticking point in negotiations, with Indonesia continuing to resist any suggestion that they be held in community housing. It is believed others aboard the Australian Customs vessel are adamant they will not leave if they will have to go into detention. But any breakthrough will be a welcome relief for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who meets his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Singapore at the APEC summit this weekend. The stand-off has strained the relations between the two countries, especially as it was a verbal agreement between Mr Rudd and Dr Yudhoyono that resulted in the Oceanic Viking taking the asylum seekers to Bintan island, where it has been anchored for weeks. For almost a week, there has been a split in views among the Tamils on board, with a significant minority inclined to accept the Australian Government's offer and a hardcore of fewer than 10 resisting strongly. The deal, especially for the 30 or so already assessed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to be refugees, is much better than if they had actually achieved their aim of sailing by boat to Christmas Island. Federal Government figures show an average of 100 days for asylum refugee claims to be assessed on Christmas Island. It is also at odds with comments from Mr Rudd, who said in Delhi that normal processes would apply and they would be processed ''calmly, methodically''. Senator Evans said Australia would ''get the majority of those found to refugees'', although he added: ''We're not looking to bribe them.'' But Mr Turnbull, who will today release an alternative asylum seeker policy, slammed the deal. "What type of signal does that send? That is just telegraphing a signal in letters a mile high, 'Come to Australia, Kevin will fix you up','' he said. ''It is an extraordinary act of weakness, a collapse of leadership and it sends an unequivocal signal to people smugglers and their customers to come to Australia in an unauthorised way.'' Mr Turnbull today will announce a tougher approach, including a new visa that would not offer permanent protection. The new visas are expected to be less proscriptive than the controversial temporary protection visas - which had to be renewed every three years and banned family reunions and travel outside Australia - that were abolished by the Rudd Government. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, meanwhile, confirmed that increasing the immigration intake from Sri Lanka was being discussed as an option to reduce the appeal of boat travel to asylum seekers.
