Indonesia calls for multilateral efforts in combating human trafficking

Indonesia calls for multilateral efforts in combating human trafficking
Following the recent capsizal of a boat loaded with hundreds of asylum seekers off the East Java coast, Indonesia renewed calls for multilateral efforts to combat people smuggling that was set in a framework called the Bali Process.

"The incident underlines the importance of the continuation of partnerships among countries in the region through what is known as the Bali Process to handle the irregular movement of people," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said recently in response to the incident that made hundreds of asylum seekers missing in the Indian ocean between Indonesian and Australian territory.

The Bali Process framework was set up in February 2002 to address human trafficking and transnational crime problems, signed by over 50 countries and international agencies. It was co-founded and co-chaired by Indonesia and Australia.

The Bali Process is a regional, multilateral process designed to boost bilateral and regional cooperative efforts against people smuggling and trafficking in persons through technical workshops and increased cooperation among interested countries, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Overall direction and coordination of the Bali Process is provided through an officials' level Steering Group comprising Indonesia and Australia as the two co-chairs, New Zealand, Thailand, the UNHCR and IOM.

Efforts to rescue asylum seekers boarding on the ill-fated boat conducted by the Indonesian rescuer team are underway at the moment. Police said that the team has rescued 47 people from the boat that capsized on Saturday in waters 74 kilometers off the Prigi coast in the city of Trenggalek, East Java.

Reports said the ill-fated boat that was bound for Australia was loaded with asylum seekers from the Middle East and Afghanistan intending to seek jobs and better life in Australia.

Police said that the 25 meter-long boat with a capacity of 150 passengers was loaded with 250 people including women and children when the mishap happened.

"The ship sailed for two days and two nights before capsizing," National Police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar said on Tuesday.

He said that police are now investigating the origin of the boat that capsized on Saturday causing hundreds of asylum seekers to die or remain missing at sea.

From the preliminary results of police's questioning against the survivors, the ill-fated boat departed from Ujung Kulon in Banten province.

The place has been identified as among the embarking points of illegal boats, carrying illegal migrants sailing to Australia. Indonesia has been a stopover point for illegal migrants before they made risky sea trips to Australia. Most of those illegal migrants came from conflicting countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Bangladesh.

The Indonesian apparatus had frequently intercepted illegal boats carrying illegal migrants bound for Australia when they sailed on Indonesian waters.

Cooperating with countries joining the Bali Process framework and related international agencies, Indonesia detained those illegal migrants, underwent examinations against them to seek their reasons to leave their countries, and placed them in third countries that were willing to accept them.

Editor: Xiong Tong

English.news.cn   2011-12-21 15:50:03              
by Abu Hanifah

JAKARTA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)