TANJUNG PINANG, KOMPAS.com - Indonesia has extended the stay permit of Australia’s Oceanic Viking carrying Sri Lankan asylum seekers on board in Riau Island waters. "Up to now the ship is still being guarded by the Indonesian navy. If not extended, the Oceanic Viking should have left Indonesia since yesterday," an anonymous source told ANTARA here on Saturday.
The Indonesian military (TNI) headquarters and the foreign ministry have allowed the Australian customs boat to moor in Cempedak waters, Bintan District, Riau Island Province, since October 26, 2009, he said. First, the boat was permitted to stay for a week until Noveber 6, but later it was extended to November 13, 2009.
"It has been extended twice," he said. The Indonesian foreign ministry’s Director of Diplomatic Security Sujatmiko confirmed that the Oceanic Viking with 56 Sri Lanka refugees on board, is still in Cempedak Island waters, Bintan District. However, he declined to comment further.
Sujatmiko said the issue on the Oceanic Viking would be discussed by the Indonesian deputy foreign affairs minister, a high ranking official of the coordinating ministry of political, legal and security afairs, and the Riau Island governor on this Saturday. "We are still waiting for the result of the meeting."
Meanwhile, 22 Sri Lanka asylum seekers have been detained at the Riau Island immigration detention center. They had been transferred from the Oceanic Viking to Indonesia’s Mutiara Emas ferry first, and later landed at the Indonesian naval base at Tanjungpinang. The 22 asylum seekers were given a promise that they would be able to stay in Australia if they got letters confirming that they were refugees.
They were told that they would be taken to Australia after staying in the Riau Island immigration detention center for a month. Meanwhile, those having no refugee status letters, would be detained for three months in the Riau Island waters.
"The refugee status letters will be processed by UNHCR officers. The Australian government has promised to accept the Sri Lanka immigrants," Sujatmiko said.
