Rudd asks SBY to curb people smuggling

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono accepted Tuesday a request from Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to help curb people smuggling from restive countries via Indonesia into Australia.

While details of the request are not yet official, presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said related officials would continue to meet to resolve the problem on an “ad hoc" basis, as it was more a "regional than a bilateral issue".

“We think [people smuggling] will grow in the future," Dino said.

“Therefore, much cooperation between Indonesia and Australia is needed to find a solution to lessen its occurrence."

Indonesia and Australia are scheduled to share their solutions at the upcoming APEC Summit in Singapore in November.

Rudd has been under pressure from his opposition following a soaring number of boat people, particularly from Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan, coming into Australia.