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ug. 18, Online

The Indonesian Military (TNI) had been ordered to prepare to intercept the journey of two boats carrying pro-West Papua independence activists from Australia, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto said on Sunday.

'€œI have asked the Navy and Air Force to stand by and anticipate their journey,'€ he said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post.

The minister also said that he had talked with Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty that '€œthere should be no nation allowing its soil to be used as a departure point for the movement of a group aimed at threatening another nation'€™s sovereignty. That is very clear.'€

Your comments:

This is what it costs hard working Australians for the illegal immigrants jumping the queue and arriving by boat from Indonesia. What support do refugees receive when they arrive in Australia?

When refugees and other asylum seekers arrive in Australia through the humanitarian program, they can immediately gain access to income support payments under the same eligibility criteria as any other Australian permanent resident.

At present, the maximum two-week rate for the age pension, disability support pension and career payment is A$712 for a single person. The maximum two-week rate for the Newstart allowance and special benefits is $492.60 for a single person with no children.

Refugees and other asylum seekers have the same entitlements as all other Australian permanent
residents.

Kerry Collison

I think this is a different case from those immigrants who use Indonesia as a stepping stone to go to Australia because they were tortured and are seeking asylum.

Whereas the activist groups want to go to Papua in order to provoke instability in a province that is part of Indonesia. As far as I'€™m concerned, the Australian and Indonesian governments have to work together to solve this issue in a way that always promotes national integrity.

Iyul

Have you seen any pictures of any illegal asylum seekers who have been tortured?

They are all economic migrants and should be sent straight back to where they came from. Finally,
Australia is waking up.

Rojak

The problem is that the overwhelming majority of these people are not genuine refugees fleeing persecution. They are economic refugees that the Indonesian government is allowing to set off in Indonesian boats, crewed by Indonesians, for Australia.

In the exact words of minister Djoko, '€œThere should be no nation allowing its soil to be used as a departure point for the movement of a group aimed at disrupting another nation'€™s sovereignty. That is very clear.'€

Well, these economic refugees are '€œdisrupting'€ Australia'€™s sovereignty and yet the minister seems to want to turn a blind eye to that. It just shows how hypocritical the Indonesian government is.

Make no mistake about it '€” Australia will welcome real refugees, but we do not want people forced on us. We will select who comes to our country, just as the Indonesian government rightly wishes to say who arrives in their country.

Robert Scott