Australian Immigration and Border Protection Minister Scott Morrison refused to comment during a press conference in Darwin, Australia, on Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawaâs tough remarks related to the worsening diplomatic ties between Indonesia and Australia
ustralian Immigration and Border Protection Minister Scott Morrison refused to comment during a press conference in Darwin, Australia, on Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa's tough remarks related to the worsening diplomatic ties between Indonesia and Australia.
'Today's incidents have nothing to do with our relationship with Indonesia. I'm here reporting on a very serious incident in relation to Manus Island and that's what I'm happy to discuss this morning,' Morrison said, according to the official transcript released by the Australian government on Wednesday.
The press conference was held on Tuesday to address the fatal protest at the Australian-run detention camp for asylum seekers on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, where one inmate was reportedly killed and scores were injured.
Marty spoke to the media in the past few days about the Jakarta-Canberra relationship which has recently hit a new low following last week's revelations by the International New York Times that the Australian Signals Directorate assisted the surveillance of trade disputes between the US and Indonesia over exports of clove cigarettes and shrimp in recent years.
'I have come across statements that Australia collects intelligence to save Australian lives ['¦] Those are well understood as a general outlook, but I must say I find it mind-boggling: How can I reconcile discussions about shrimp and the impact on Australian security,' Marty said on Monday.
The revelation has deteriorated even further the diplomatic ties which began to plummet after the revelation, last November, of alleged tapping by Australian intelligence of the phones of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife in 2009.
Marty also commented on Canberra's announcement that no boats had arrived in Australia for several weeks. 'Congratulations to them if they feel that it is something that they want, and that it deserves to be celebrated. But the problem is, at what cost? Look at the consequences on the [Indonesia-Australia] bilateral relationship which has been upset,' he said.
Also on Wednesday, an Australian review into violations of Indonesian territory by its navy has cleared government policy of blame for the incursions, Reuters reported.
Australia apologized to Indonesia last month for the breaches, which occurred as part of Canberra's policy of stopping boats carrying would-be asylum seekers from entering its waters.
The review, conducted jointly by the Australian Defense Force and Customs and Border Protection Service, found that breaches occurred on six occasions 'contrary to Australian Government policy and operational instructions'.
'The breaches were inadvertent and the review found there was nothing in the strategic guidance provided for the operation which required, implied or suggested that a breach of Indonesian sovereignty would be acceptable,' the report said.
The finding that the incursions were the result of 'incorrect calculation of the boundaries of Indonesian waters rather than as a deliberate action or navigational error' seems to point blame away from the government.
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.