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Australia must stop expulsion of asylum seekers: Expert
A professor of international law from the University of Indonesia (UI), Hikmahanto Juwana, has said Indonesia needs to ensure that Australia can change its policy of expelling asylum seekers
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professor of international law from the University of Indonesia (UI), Hikmahanto Juwana, has said Indonesia needs to ensure that Australia can change its policy of expelling asylum seekers.
He says such a policy contradicts a Transnational Organized Crimes' protocol, namely the 'Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air' the Australian government ratified in 2004.
'Indonesia should ascertain Australia changes its asylum seeker expulsion policy, which uses money as it is not only against the protocol but also a corruptive behavior,' said Hikmahanto as quoted by Antara in Jakarta on Monday.
The law expert was speaking in response to widespread reports saying that Australian authorities had allegedly paid ship crew members to reroute asylum seekers they were carrying to Indonesia.
Hikmahanto urged the Indonesian government to request the Australian government bring the officials to justice.
'Without taking legal action against the officials, it means Australia has neglected asylum seekers by using money,' he said.
By allowing such practices, the expert said, Australia could be considered to have allowed human trafficking.
Hikmahanto said Indonesia could carry out diplomatic protests or take other diplomatic options to ensure that Australia punish the officials allegedly involved in the expulsion of asylum seekers. (ebf)(++++)
