Stephen Fitzpatrick | October 19, 2009
SRI Lankan asylum-seekers last night continued their stand-off, refusing to leave their boat in Indonesia as it was confirmed that a key people-smuggler responsible for the journey had been arrested.
Abraham Lauhenapessy, an Indonesian people-smuggling kingpin who was released from jail in June after serving two years for a previous similar mission, was moved to police detention after being discovered among the 255 asylum-seekers on board the boat moored in western Java port of Merak.
Mr Lauhenapessy, a 49-year-old from Ambon in Indonesia's east, was supposed to have gotten off the cargo vessel with the other five Indonesian crew members somewhere near Panaitan Island at the southern extreme of the Sunda Strait, according to evidence given to investigators by the Indonesian crew members. The Sri Lankans were then to have continued on alone to Christmas Island.
However that rendezvous never happened and Mr Lauhenapessy, along with fellow Indonesians Mansur Mamero, 50 - - who was the captain - - James Israel, 43, John Palele, 53, Ramses Kathiandago, 56, and Alfrits Mashaganti, 44 was seized along with the Sri Lankans, investigators have learned.
Mr Lauhenapessy tried to cover his tracks by claiming to investigators that the Sri Lankans took control of the boat and refused to allow the crew access to the controls.
Australian Federal Police have been tracking Mr Lauhenapessy's movements since his release from jail four months ago. He organised the latest trip aboard the Jaya Lestari 5 for a Malaysia-based ethnic Tamil people smuggler named Ruben, according to the investigators' record of evidence obtained by The Australian.
The asylum-seekers yesterday threatened to take drastic measures if they are forced off the Jaya Lestari 5.
"There are certain people amongst us who have taken precautions should that happen,'' the group's spokesman, known as Alex, said by phone yesterday from on board the vessel.
The ethnic Tamils, who yesterday had all physical contact with the news media cut off in an attempt by Indonesian authorities to remove them from the international gaze, have previously threatened to commit suicide if their request for resettlement in a third country was not met. "There are still people here who are ready to die to achieve our goals,'' Alex said.
But in an indication of how much their case is being held up as a beacon by the international Tamil community, Alex said the decision to end a hunger strike on Saturday, two days after it began, was made in consultation with world Tamil leaders.
"There are already 100,000 Tamil civilians who have died in the war in our country, and we don't want to add to that number unnecessarily, so that's why we ended the strike,'' he said.
As the 254 men, women and children waited on board the 30m wooden vessel yesterday, two more boats carrying hundreds more asylum-seekers were detected, one in waters between Malaysia and Indonesia and the other in Indonesian waters south of Sumatra.
Kevin Rudd will fly to Jakarta tonight for a lightning visit aimed at establishing a new Indonesian solution to the boatpeople crisis, involving a funding increase to the navy and the Immigration Department, as well as a promise to help relocate those asylum-seekers currently in the country.
In Merak yesterday, spokesman Alex said several of the people-smugglers responsible for his boat's voyage towards Christmas Island _ cut short when it was intercepted more than a week ago by the Indonesian navy on a request from Australia _ were still in regular contact with people on board. "Half the people here still owe the agents a lot of money, and some are saying that family members in Sri Lanka and elsewhere are being made to pay it,'' he said.
The Sri Lankans have told investigating authorities they agreed to pay up to $US15,000 ($16,265) each to make the journey from waters off Johor Baru, in Malaysia, through the Sunda Strait separating Sumatra and Java islands in Indonesia and onwards towards Australia.
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9 Comment(s)
"There are already 100,000 Tamil civilians who have died in the war in our country, and we don't want to add to that number unnecessarily, so that's why we ended the strike,'' he said. so instead they are threatening suicide? Are you kidding ... we have enough issues in Australia without adopting anymore .... an no I am not a racist my parents were both immigrants from a war torn country in the seventies.. the differece they applied for visas and filled in the forms had the necessary health tests and came on a plane.... so sick of hearing about this ... why should we welcome 200+ people to come into our country and sit on the dole, continue to breed and increase the unemployment....
I'm running a business in Melbourne and Colombo and I travel to Sri Lanka every now and then, but I cannot see any issues for tamil who lives there. There are few tamil guys who work for me live in Colombo with their family members and they don't have issues (other than carrying an identity). And they travel to Northern part of the country and any other party of the country and they hope everything is gonna be ok since the bloody war is over. So what I'm saying is these people are not refugees, but illegal migrants. And could be terrorists (LTTE). So why we should take them to our country ? Are we short of terrorists ? Are we short of suicide bombers ? And one more thing, if these people can spend $16k each how come they are coming from a jungle ? I didn't know that Sri Lankan jungle got money. Otherwise I would do search for money in jungles rather than doing business.. Its more and fun and effective .. :)
This is a man made situation; like flood water finding its way downstream engulfing low lying land, inequity in distribution of resources ends up with the flood of humans speading from countries that 'have not' to those that 'have'. In between are the agencies set up by the 'haves' to control the flood, much like dams and levies set up for flood protection of the watery kind. These agencies sometimes unintentionally perpetuate this human 'flood' by feeding on stories created by self interest groups, with the result that those deserving humanitarian relief gets caught up along with the undeserving.
These people should be sent back home to set an example to those who are thinking about following their foot path. I saw them speak on tv and by their appearance they dont seemed to be refugees. They seemed to be well fed and educated.They even speak English with a strong european/british accent. They should be sent home and asked to apply like other legal immigrants. If these are allowed to land in Australia there will be more pople jumping on board boats bound for Chistmas Island to meet Santa during Christmas.
We are all part of the human family , we never chose our own bodies. However the Sri-Lankan Singhalese speaking humans (not all) do not believe or understand that. The UN no longer has power to protect the disabled. This is not war, this is a battle of life. Please understand this as a member of the family.
Deal severely with the people smugglers - light gaol terms is not enough - corporal punishment may help. Those paying money to circumvent the laws of THIS country should be treated as such - law breakers. Return to home country and apply in the normal manner - like everyone else has too.
Yet more confirmation of the need for common sense in the management of confrontations of a kind that requires an individual to have spine. However, leadership and vision in this situation are seriously nowhere to be found in this case. What about strength in handling crises? Not present. It is clear that longterm planning and competent policies in place would have meant a strong and effective response to the situation of swarming and creating a crisis.The Tamils on the boat were well rehearsed and knew exactly what needed to be done. They had done their homework. Now, it is time for our elected government to do what they are paid to do - make responsible decisions and show some strength.
This is a very large problem and it has to be viewed as climate change, substance abuse and the break down of family as a universal problem, not just Australia¿s, as we are a ¿global family¿ and all issues of difficulties, and importance, must be viewed and addressed in this light. Yours Faithfully, M. R. Somasunderam.
First, we outsource our inability to control drug imports (eg. Corby and the other 7) Now we're outsourcing our illegal immigration to Indonesia. We may as well shutdown our Army, Navy and Air Force and instead pay Indonesia to guard our borders. At least under the Howard government, the matter of illegal immigrants resulted in much needed funds to the poor Pacific Island Nations. It was a system which worked perfectly and provided jobs and funding where it was desperately needed. Bring back the Pacific Solution, it works, it fair and equitable and it has much valued side effect for our valued friends and neighbours in the Pacific.
