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Abbott's Indonesian fishing boat plan is 'insulting' :Expert
Tony Abbott speaks during the 2013 Coalition Campaign Launch at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)The Australian oppositionâs plan to disburse millions of dollars to Indonesian fishermen, which is partly to stem the flow of asylum seekers, is an insult to Indonesia as a nation, an international affairs expert has said
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Tony Abbott speaks during the 2013 Coalition Campaign Launch at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images) (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
Tony Abbott speaks during the 2013 Coalition Campaign Launch at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
The Australian opposition's plan to disburse millions of dollars to Indonesian fishermen, which is partly to stem the flow of asylum seekers, is an insult to Indonesia as a nation, an international affairs expert has said.
Hikmahanto Juwana of the University of Indonesia criticized the plan and called it 'humiliating' because it made Indonesian fishermen just 'look like mercenaries who did dirty jobs.'
'I think the government should voice protests to the coalition's very insensitive plan which clearly shows their poor knowledge about the situation in Indonesia,' he said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post over the weekend.
The Australia's opposition coalition has unveiled its plan for more regional action to stop people smuggling, pledging A$420 million for policy measures that include paying Indonesian villagers for information about smugglers and buying unseaworthy boats, according to Australian media.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said roughly $20 million would be allocated to the 'village watch' activities, according to ABC.
The coalition's immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the program was aimed at reaching up to 100 villages across Indonesia.
'We need to have village wardens that can be on stipends, the ability to offer bounties to lead to information that leads to arrests and successful prosecutions, also the opportunity to get to the boats before the smugglers do and stop the boats from leaving Indonesia,' he said.
'The important thing is that we stop the boats. It's much better and much more sensible to spend a few thousand dollars in Indonesia than to spend millions processing the people who ultimately arrive [in Australia],' Morrison added.
'The coalition wants to make Indonesia looks inferior because they just want to provide money and ask Indonesians to get the job done for the sake of their interests,' Hikmahanto said.
