Indonesian corruption at heart of people smuggling – News and views for Friday 10 January

There’s some good news for Australia this morning on the people smuggling front. The Indonesian government has deported some would-be travellers to Australia and that country’s major English language paper has acknowledged that corruption of Indonesian officials is at the heart of the boat people problem.
First the deportations as reported by Kompas (and translated courtesy of Google):
10-01-2014 deportations
Three foreign nationals were deported from Nepal through Sentani Airport, Jayapura, Papua, on Thursday (09/01/2014). They originally wanted to Australia through Papua. “After coordination (with the Embassy of Nepal), we then take administrative action, namely deportation to the country of origin, and put in the banned list,” said Soenaryono, Head of Immigration Office Class 1 Jayapura, Thursday. Nepalese are three Prashain Prabhakar, Kamal Kumar Khadka, Thapa and Rabindra Chhetri. Soenaryono said three people were arrested when Nepal will extend permission to stay in Indonesia. moment that they claimed to have sought work in Australia. According Soenaryono, three men entered Indonesia via Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and then fly to Bali.Next they headed Lombok, and enter through the Merauke Papua and ends in Jayapura. Nepal One of these resident, said Soenaryono, admitted that he had often come to Indonesia. He was married to Indonesian workers from Blitar, East Java, who met in Hong Kong. One of Nepal’s citizens are often admitted to Blitar to visit his son. third was flown to the Nepalese Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Thursday, and then sent back to Nepal via Kuala Lumpur on Friday (10/01/2014) night. Soenaryono said, during 2013, the institution has detained nine foreign nationals are problematic. “(Of that amount), 8 people have been deported while 1 again, a citizen of Nigeria, was still in immigration detention awaiting deportation after serving his sentence in prison Abepura,” he said.
And the Jakarta Post editorial on Indonesian-Australian relations:
10-01-2014 editorial
Taken together this pair of items present quite a different picture to that presented by the Melbourne Agethis morning which on page one has taken the egg-beater to the relationship:
10-01-2014 agepageone
The story contained this version of the views of the Indonesian military chief:
It has also been reported on Friday that General Moeldoko claims his words have been ”twisted” on the boat turn backs issue.
The Indonesian military chief is arguing that after talking to General Hurley, he merely understands the tactical steps around Australia’s turn back policy. This does not mean he approves of it, as has been reported earlier this week, he says. This comes amid reports that as many as five asylum seeker boats have been towed or turned back to Indonesia over the past month.
And here’s the slightly fuller version of the general’s remarks as reported by the Jakarta Post on pzge two this morninga
10-01-2014 militaryman'sstatement
You can judge for yourself.
 Some links to other things I’ve found interesting today.

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